December 25th 2009
Through the connection with the creatures around me—rats, birds, bats, and more— I saw the night sky shift. The sky above me rippled as I pulled from eons past, and I felt a tremor in the air, a subtle shift as if the very fabric of reality was bending to accommodate the presence of what I had called forth. The stars above blinked out one by one as something moved silently across the sky, swallowed by a darkness so deep it felt as though the night itself had simply ceased to exist.
Then, rather abruptly, a second moon appeared above, pale and glowing, hanging low in the sky behind me. Its light was eerie, too close and too bright, casting an unnatural glow across the landscape. I could feel that the animals under my control reacted with a mix of curiosity and unease, their instincts tingling with the awareness that something was very wrong. I could feel their confusion, a ripple of uncertainty that I quickly suppressed as I took control of the colossal being emerging behind me. In that instant, my vision expanded, and I saw the world through the eyes of the "moon" above.
Then, the second moon blinked.
The surface, which had seemed solid and distant, shifted as a massive, pale eye opened, its speckled surface resembling the pocked and cratered face of the true moon. The eye, impossibly large and filled with an ancient, unreadable intelligence, blinked slowly before the creature's head began to lower, descending toward me. As it came into view, the full majesty of what I had summoned was revealed: a giant panther, one eye opened, and one eye closed its body as immense as it was imposing.
The panther's fur was midnight black, its sleek coat rippling with the movement of powerful muscles beneath. Each step it took was deliberate, and the earth seemed to bow beneath its weight, yet the ground barely stirred. Saber-like fangs, gleaming in the dim light, jutted from its jaws as it bared its teeth, revealing a maw large enough to swallow an elephant whole. Then it's other eye opened, a twin to the first, both glowing with the cold, pale light of the moon.
Small flecks of white fur scattered across the panther's face and body resembling stars scattered across the night sky, adding to its celestial appearance. Through the eyes of the animals I controlled, I could see the panther in all its massive glory, towering above everything around it. Its form nearly dwarfed the landscape, casting a shadow that seemed to stretch for miles.
Even the largest of the twisted dog-things that had torn themselves from the earth paled in comparison. These grotesque abominations, with their misshapen bodies and matted fur, were like mere pups before the panther. The only creatures around that could rival its size were the massive Dog-Trees, their redwood-sized trunks stretching high into the sky, but even they stood only slightly taller, their gnarled limbs barely surpassing the panther's height.
The giant panther's paw, as large as an Abrams tank, descended toward the ground. The moment stretched impossibly long, every eye fixed on the massive creature I had summoned. And then, silently, the paw touched down. The earth beneath it barely shifted, not a single sound was made, as though the very world was too awed to acknowledge the impact.
Through the eyes of the creatures under my control, I watched the reactions unfold.
Emma, who had been caught in the grasp of the Maenads, momentarily forgot her struggle. Her shifting form stilled, her eyes fixed on the panther with a mix of awe and disbelief. Loyalty, who had been snarling and snapping at the creatures holding her down, suddenly quieted, her aggression giving way to a wariness.
Sophia, usually defiant and unyielding, found herself staring in wide-eyed amazement at the massive creature. For a brief moment, her constant scowl softened, the raw awe she felt overriding the pain and exhaustion of the battle. She had faced many horrors before, but I could tell that the sheer majesty of the giant panther left her breathless.
But it was Vicky's reaction that was most intense. Held firmly by the Rake, she struggled fiercely, her muscles straining against his unyielding grip. Yet, when the panther appeared, even she paused. The fire in her eyes flickered as she took in the sheer size and power of the creature, her jaw going slack as her eyes widened, almost comically.
For his part, the Rake was not cowed. His hollow eyes, which had narrowed slightly in surprise, now gleamed with dark amusem*nt. The grin spread wider, his skeletal features twisting into a grotesque expression of glee. He turned his gaze to Bitch, who showed no reaction to the panther's appearance. Even from the far distance she stood away from me, I could still see her hollow eyes were devoid of emotion, remained fixed on me, her face as expressionless as ever. She didn't flinch, didn't snarl or growl—she simply existed, as if the monumental beast before her was of no more significance than a passing breeze.
I won't lie, that made me more than a little nervous, I couldn't tell if Bitch had some trick up her sleeve I wasn't considering, or if there just wasn't that much of whoever she was left inside of her.
Through the fluttering eyes of the bats and the darting vision of the birds, I saw the panther from above, its moonlit eyes glowing as it surveyed the battlefield. The contrast between its immense size and the twisted Dogscape below was stark, like a god descending into a world of nightmares… Bast, I decided to call her.
I looked back at the Maenads as they tightened their grip on my allies, ensuring that none could interfere. Their twisted, skeletal forms held fast, their gnarled limbs like iron chains. But they made no move to attack Bast; their role was to restrain, not to fight. The Rake's twisted grin only widened as he pulled Vicky closer, his bony fingers tightening around her midsection like a vice. He didn't need to say anything; his amusem*nt was clear in the way his hollow eyes flickered with cruel delight. As he and his servants moved back, creating a circle of space around Bitch and me, I felt the tension tighten like a noose, but I suppressed it, shoving those emotions into the animals around me.
Bast stood tall, her presence alone seemed to hold everything at bay for a moment, a living force of nature towering over the nightmare around us. Through her eyes, I saw the twisted landscape stretch out beneath her—flesh and bone shifting and churning like a tarpit of flesh, spikes, keratin plates, teeth, and eyes, barely even recognizable as anything like a dog under the influence of Bitch's powers. The Dog-Trees, swollen with muscle and bristling with jagged spines of chitin and bone, loomed like grotesque giants over Bast, their gnarled limbs twitched and creaked as if waiting for the command to strike.
Yet I could see some hints of hesitation in the more recognizable parts of the dogflesh, at least in the parts that looked more like dogs and not just a jigsaw of flesh. Ears pinned back against their hardened plates covering their skulls, muzzles with bared fangs, clear signs of the muscles tensing up. even if the shape was off, I knew dogs, and even though these were far from ordinary, those subtle signs were all too familiar. They were tense, uncertain, maybe even fearful. Bast's presence, her sheer size and power, was enough to give these twisted abominations pause. Yet, despite the undercurrent of tension I could sense within the Dogscape, Bitch's unnerving calm seemed to soothe them, kept them in check.
Her lack of reaction, the cold, empty stare she directed at me, had an unsettling effect on the Dogscape. It was as if her detachment reassured them, and calmed whatever anxiety had been building in those twisted forms. The spikes and plates rippled across the landscape, settling into place, the Dog-Trees' movements growing more controlled, more deliberate. The chaotic frenzy I had seen in the Dogscape moments before seemed to ease, if only slightly.
Then, the moment Bitch's fingers twitched, the ground beneath my feet came alive.
It suddenly felt like I was standing on a rug that suddenly turned into a nest of writhing snakes. The skin of the Dogscape squirmed and bubbled, churning like water coming to a boil. I could feel the grotesque pulse of it through my shoes as I saw shapes begin to push upward—dog-like forms, their limbs and muzzles straining against the taut, fleshy membrane that held them back, like an entire pack of twisted, monstrous dogs was trapped in a cave just beneath a sheet of skin, their bodies writhing and clawing and snapping, desperate to break free. I could see their misshapen faces pressing against the surface, their eyes bulging, teeth gnashing as they tried to bite and tear through the living ground. I had to move—had to get off this thing, to retreat to the safety of solid ground, at least while there was still solid ground left to stand on.
With a thought, I commanded Bast to strike. As I did, I felt the ground behind Bitch ripple, and the skin of the Dogscape starting to bulge and tear before finally rupturing into a blooming forest of grotesque, massive, fleshy limbs resembling twisted, oversized dog legs with far too many joints. They surged upward with sickening speed as their monstrous, deformed paws clawed at the air, trying to grab hold of Bast, but I moved her like she was an extension of myself, her massive body slipping between the grasping limbs with a speed that defied her size. Her claws, as big as motorcycles flashed out, severing the dog-like limbs at their lowest joints, sending several falling to the ground, while the rest of the twisted flesh recoiled as the Dogscape shrank back from the force of her attack.
But I wasn't safe yet. The ground beneath me continued to bubble and churn, and I could feel it spreading, starting to creep up around my feet as those shapes beneath the skin started to become more solid and distinct, ready to be birthed and threatening to drag me down into the innards and devour me. With some effort to pull my feet free of the creeping landscape, I took a step back, then another, my eyes darting to the edge of the Dogscape behind me, where solid, normal ground still held, before glancing at Bitch as she finally took off.
She moved fast, blindingly fast, skittering across the ground like a monstrous spider. Her limbs bent at unnatural angles, her claws slicing through the air as she started to close in on me. The Dogscape surged behind her and beneath her, a wave of twisted flesh and bone that threatened to consume everything in its path. I could feel the vibrations under my feet intensifying, the ground heaving as it sought to trap me.
With a single, desperate thought, I sent the animals under my control surging forward. The sky darkened as birds dove in a storm of feathers and talons, their cries filling the air as they descended on Bitch. Bats swarmed around her, their shrill calls blending into the rising cacophony. Insects moved like a black cloud of chitin, buzzing and crawling with relentless energy. On the ground, rats and crawling bugs surged forward in a relentless tide, almost like a living carpet of fangs, fur, and chitin as they swarmed toward her.
Bitch moved with terrifying speed, her limbs a blur as she tore through the oncoming assault I sent her way. Her claws flashed, cutting down birds in mid-flight, their bodies crumpling as they hit the ground in twisted heaps. Bats were shredded, their wings torn apart as they tried to get close. On the ground, rats and bugs were crushed underfoot, their tiny bodies breaking with sickening snaps as Bitch skittered over them, and she wasn't the only one, the Dogscape was alive beneath her, too.
As Bitch advanced, the ground around her twisted and morphed, birthing fleshy tendrils lined with teeth and claws and fur-covered amorphous pseudopods that lashed out violently around Bitch. These grotesque extensions of the Dogscape, covered in matted fur and slick with gore, swung at my advancing creatures with brutal force, protecting Bitch as she closed in on me. A bird diving for her eyes was swatted out of the sky by a fleshy tendril, its body slamming into the ground with a dull thud. A rat that leaped for her legs was caught mid-air by a fur-covered pseudopod before it was crushed and discarded into a waiting maw.
Through the eyes of the animals still alive, I watched as the Dogscape molded itself into what I could only really call a living fortress actively growing around Bitch. The ground heaved and swelled, forming grotesque limbs that struck out at anything that came too close to her. The air was thick with the stench of decay, the sounds of dying animals mingling with the relentless buzzing of insects.
I moved back, my focus split between fighting off the encroaching Dogscape, keeping Bitch at bay, and getting back on normal earth and not this expanding flesh. I could feel the Dogscape trying to pull me in everytime I stopped, the ground beneath me no longer solid but a pliable and pulsing mass of dogflesh. Every step was a battle, every inch of ground gained a victory. But I couldn't afford to lose focus.
I had Bast tear through the Dog-Trees, her massive claws ripping through chitinous armor and splintering bone. The grotesque titans groaned and flailed, but Bast was too fast, too powerful. She crushed the dog-trees beneath her, her jaws closing around one of their limbs, long saber-like fangs piercing deep into the misshapen fleshy tree. With a powerful wrench, she tore it from the trunk, leaving the massive dog-tree to topple over with a crash that shook the earth.
But even as Bast fought off the Dog-Trees, I knew the real threat was Bitch. She was getting closer, her movements faster, and the dogscape around her more desperate as it fought through the swarm of animals. Their limbs lashed out, claws slicing through fur, feathers, and chitin, while everything that managed to slip past her protector was easily dealt with. Evidently, as long as she stood on the Dogscape itself, she practically was untouchable.
I needed to get off this cursed ground, and I needed to do it now. My heart pounded as I refocused on Bitch, aware of the dog-things that had torn themselves from the dogflesh, rapidly approaching from behind her, slower, but large and powerful enough to weather anything I could throw at them, well almost anything, I thought as I looked up as Bast lifted her back leg towards the sky.
With a surge of desperation, I commanded Bast to bring her massive paw down on top of a cluster of the writhing beasts that had crawled free from the Dogscape, their malformed bodies dragging themselves along by their entrails. The impact was brutal, a sickening crunch that echoed across the battlefield as Bast's paw crushed the creatures beneath it. Without hesitation, I then quickly had Bast drag her paw through the twisted flesh, carving a deep, bloody trench into the dogflesh below as her leg cleaved through the living breathing earth.
Mutilated things rose from the tear in the flesh, yowling and yelping before falling back into the gore and Bitch, in the midst of her relentless advance, froze midstep. Her head twitched to the side, hollow eyes catching the massive paw as it came toward her. In a fraction of a second, she darted back into that skittering, spider-like movement, her limbs bending at unnatural angles as she darted out of the paw's path.
But she wasn't retreating—she was repositioning.
As Bast's paw passed in front of her, Bitch leaped up with terrifying speed, latching onto the side of the massive limb with her claws. She skittered up Bast's leg, her movements disturbingly fluid, like a grotesque insect climbing up a tree. Her claws dug into Bast's fur and flesh, using the momentum of Bast's movements to propel herself higher.
As Bast's paw came crashing down to the ground to regain her footing, and before it could even settle, Bitch sprang off the limb at the exact same moment Bast leaped into the sky to avoid another horde of dog-trees that tried to ensnare her. As Bitch launched herself into the air, her body twisted midair with inhuman agility and landed on all fours with a soft thud, her hollow eyes fixed on me.
At the same time, Bast landed back on the ground, her front paws coming down without a sound on top of another dog-tree, before her back legs quickly followed, and I had her quickly turn around, and leap back towards me, but Bitch had already started moving again before Bast even left the ground.
I didn't hesitate—I couldn't. I started redoubling my efforts at moving backward, my heart pounding in my chest as I realized just how close she was. Every step I took felt like a race against time, the squirming ground beneath me threatening to pull me under if I didn't get off it soon. I sent everything I had at Bitch, a wave of desperate fury to buy myself more time.
Birds dove from above, their talons aimed at her eyes, while bats swarmed around her, trying to obscure her vision and disorient her. Insects buzzed in frenzied clouds, their stingers and mandibles ready to tear into her flesh. On the ground, rats and crawling bugs surged forward in a relentless tide, trying to slow her down with sheer numbers. I knew most wouldn't make it past the defense of the dogflesh around her, but if it even slowed her down just a bit, it could buy the time I needed.
But Bitch was relentless. She darted between the packs and swarms and flocks, her speed and agility making her nearly impossible to pin down. Her menagerie of limbs slashed through the air around her, claws cutting through damn near everything as she continued her relentless pursuit and skittered ever closer.
I poured every ounce of my will into the creatures under my control, throwing everything I had at her just to slow her down, to give me just a few more precious seconds to reach solid ground. I could see the edge of the Dogscape just behind me, the dark, corrupted flesh giving way to normal earth, even as it spread, it wasn't spreading faster than I could run. I just had to make it.
Already, Baskerville and Sasha were off the dogflesh, standing on solid mud and dirt and soil, as were most of my dogs, they would be my real guard, unlike everything I just picked up which at this point was little more than a distraction.
Suddenly, I felt the ground beneath me tremble as Bast finally hit the ground, her massive paws landing with a silent, earth-shaking force just behind Bitch. The impact sent shockwaves through the Dogscape, causing the twisted flesh to ripple and quake. Bast's jaws opened wide, her massive, saber-like fangs gleaming in the dim light as she prepared to bring them down on Bitch.
But then, time itself seemed to slow down, and the world around me moving in a sluggish, surreal way.
I could see every detail, every movement, as if the entire battlefield had been submerged in thick syrup. My heart pounded in my chest, the sound deafening in the unnatural silence that had fallen over everything. Confusion washed over me as I tried to make sense of what was happening, my mind struggling to comprehend the sudden shift in reality, was Bast in trouble? That was the only thing that would cause this, but… what?
And then I saw it.
Beneath Bitch, the Dogscape began to change as her powers did something to it. The twisted flesh that had been squirming and bubbling moments before suddenly hardened, the flesh solidifying, becoming smooth and glossy like a blackened shield-like carapace that gleamed in the eerie light. The transformation was quick, even in this state where time had slowed to a crawl. It was then that I noticed the rib-like spires erupting from the ground around Bitch, sharp and jagged, ready to skewer anything that came too close.
Bast's jaws were still descending, her fangs aimed directly at Bitch. But I could see what was about to happen, the deadly spires that had erupted from the ground—they were all designed to turn Bast's strength against her. I could see Bast's jaws descending, the powerful muscles in her neck and shoulders rippling as she prepared to close them around Bitch. The rib-like spires grew closer to her maw with every passing second, and I could feel my heart drop as I realized what was about to happen. Just as the spires made contact with the palette of Bast's mouth, she disappeared, and time seemed to snap back to normal, the world lurching forward as reality itself caught up.
"f*ck!" I called as Bitch exploded in speed while I was momentarily disoriented, and then, Bitch was upon me.
I barely had time to react before I felt her claws rake across my neck. The force of the blow was like being hit by a sledgehammer, the impact so powerful it knocked the air from my lungs and sent me flying backward. Pain exploded in my throat, sharp and searing, and for a heart-stopping second, I thought my neck had been split open. The world tilted as I was thrown off my feet, my vision blurring as I struggled to breathe.
I hit the ground hard, the impact jarring my entire body. But even as I lay there, gasping for air, I realized something crucial—by some miracle, I had landed on solid earth. I wasn't on the Dogscape anymore. My hands flew to my neck, clutching at my throat as I expected to feel warm blood gushing between my fingers, certain that I was about to bleed out.
But there was no blood.
I couldn't breathe, panic surging through me as I clawed at my throat, expecting to find it torn open. But as my fingers probed the area, I realized the cut wasn't deep—Bitch's claws had struck hard, but they hadn't torn through. The spider silk of my suit, woven so tightly, had protected my trachea, preventing the slash from opening my windpipe. The impact had been brutal, enough to leave me gasping and disoriented, but I was still alive.
I coughed, my chest heaving as I struggled to draw in air. The pain in my throat was intense, every breath felt like I was inhaling shards of glass. But as I forced myself to sit up, I saw Bitch standing a few feet away, her expression unreadable. She was staring at her own claws, her head co*cked to the side as if confused, as though she expected to see them dripping with blood.
That moment of hesitation was all I needed.
Even as I struggled to breathe, I forced myself to focus, to push past the pain. Bitch was too close, too dangerous, and I couldn't let her get the upper hand again. I reached backward in time once more and pulled.
The air around us shifted, the familiar tremor in reality returning as the colossal panther began to reemerge. Bast materialized behind Bitch, her massive form towering over the battlefield, eyes glowing with cold, pale light. I felt a surge of relief as the connection between us solidified once more, the giant panther responding to my will as though she had never been gone.
Bitch turned just in time to see Bast's jaws descending once again, her confusion giving way to a flicker of awareness, but it was too late. Bast's massive fangs snapped shut with a force that shook the ground, and this time, there were no rib-like spires to protect Bitch from the panther's wrath.
I could still barely breathe, but the sight of Bast reasserting herself gave me the strength to push through. I forced myself to my feet, one hand still clutching my throat as I struggled to keep control of the battlefield. Bitch had thrown everything she had at me, but thanks to my suit, I managed to survive.
Then time decelerated once more, plunging the world into that viscous realm where every heartbeat stretched into eternity. Through Bast's keen senses, I could feel Bitch's form trapped within her colossal maw. But instead of succumbing Bitch was on the move. I felt the unnerving sensation of her claws scraping against Bast's inner flesh, skittering with insect-like agility deeper into Bast's gullet. Each scratch was a jolt of discomfort, like needles dragged across sensitive skin.
But I couldn't afford to focus on that. I knew Bast's limits and trusted that before any irreversible harm could befall her, Prehistory would whisk her back to her rightful time. Instead, I channeled my attention to the battlefield, to the ever-encroaching Dogscape that threatened to swallow the trainyards whole.
With urgency, I rallied my remaining creatures. Birds and bats swooped in from above, while a myriad of insects, rats, and other small beasts surged from the shadows, converging around me. Sasha and Baskerville, ever loyal, flanked my sides, their hackles raised and eyes alert. My other dogs, though weary, followed suit, forming a protective perimeter as we moved to get deeper into the train yards.
The Dogscape's relentless advance was evident. The ground pulsed and writhed, transforming solid earth into grotesque expanses of canine flesh and bone as the land itself was being rewritten. I sensed Bast's distress, the sharp pangs of Bitch's invasive journey inside her became more pronounced. The sensation was akin to swallowing razor blades, each movement of Bitch's claws a fresh wound.
Gathering my swarms, I orchestrated them to envelop Bast in a living shroud. Birds with sharp talons and beaks, bats with their disorienting screeches, and clouds of stinging insects—all converged around her. This wasn't merely an act of aggression but a strategic move, when Bast inevitably vanished, Bitch's re-entry into the battlefield would be less than graceful.
The climax came swiftly. With a final, wrenching sensation, Bast's form began to shimmer, her time in this era concluding as Prehistory pulled her back. As she faded, Bitch found herself suddenly unsupported, plummeting from a considerable height.
The second Bitch reappeared, she was flailing in the air, her limbs twisting unnaturally as she fought to regain control. But I was ready for her. With a single, focused thought, I unleashed everything I had. Every bird, bat, and insect that had been circling Bast like a living storm now converged on Bitch, spiraling around her in a vicious, frenzied tornado of claws, beaks, and stingers.
The swarm hit her mid-air, the force of it enough to send her tumbling further off course. Birds tore at her skin with razor-sharp talons, beaks stabbing at her exposed flesh. Bats shrieked as they dove in, wings flapping wildly as they aimed for her eyes. Insects swarmed her, buzzing with relentless energy as they crawled into her mouth, nose, and ears, stinging and biting with a fury that left no inch of her untouched.
Bitch howled, a guttural sound that was more animal than human, as she tried to fend off the assault. Her claws lashed out, tearing through the air as she tried to swat the creatures away. But there were too many, and they were too fast. The more she fought, the more they closed in, pecking and biting and stinging as they tore into her flesh.
Below her, the Dogscape responded, but Bitch was too far from the ground for it to offer immediate protection. The grotesque limbs of twisted flesh and bone reached up, trying to form a protective barrier around her, but they were slow, sluggish in their response. It gave me the time I needed to inflict as much damage as possible.
As Bitch plummeted toward the ground, the Dogscape finally began to catch up, grotesque dog parts merging to form a massive dogs head, just as large as Bast's was, its jaws snapping shut to form a protective cocoon around Bitch. But the insects, still clung to her, even as the Dogscape closed in around her. They crawled into every opening, into her mouth, her nose, her eyes, biting and stinging with a viciousness that made Bitch thrash in agony.
The Dogscape tried to protect her, but in the confusion, the small dog legs it formed inside the dogscapes maw scratched and clawed at Bitch herself, trying to kill the insects that I had attempted to burrow into her. By the time Bitch finally managed to rid herself of the last of the insects, she was a mess. I could see through the gaps in the maw's teeth, that she was covered in scratches, welts, bruises, and cuts. Blood dripped from dozens of wounds, staining her tattered clothes and the ground beneath her. Her breathing was ragged, her chest heaving as she struggled to pull herself together.
Amidst this orchestrated chaos, I directed my steps away from the epicenter, taking the remaining animals with me. Each stride took me further from the Dogscape's reach, deeper into the maze of the trainyards. My throat throbbed, each breath a reminder of the close call earlier, but adrenaline and determination propelled me forward.
Glancing back, I caught a glimpse of Bitch, still standing in the open mouth of a giant deformed dog's head. And for the first time, I saw something other than that cold, hollow emptiness in her eyes. It was rage. Pure, undiluted rage, burning in her gaze as she fixed her eyes on me. The expression twisted her features, turning her into something even more terrifying, but I steeled myself, knowing that this fight was far from over. Bitch was hurt, but she wasn't defeated. And now, she was angrier than ever.
Navigating the twisted paths between train cars, I plotted my next move.
