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Masked Intentions - Part 2

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Sianna sat, swinging her legs from the grassy outcropping atop the quarry cliff-side, her purple hair held gently aloft on the summer breeze. Seth stood far below in the dusty basin. He wanted to climb up to her, but it was steep. Nervously surveying left and right, he spotted a familiar winding path - obscured under thick leafy canopy. He sprinted for it, scrambling up as the gravel gave way under his feet. He grasped at branches and foliage and dug his fingers into the dirt; he needed to reach her.

Emerging from the narrow path, he rounded the corner. His eyes zig-zagged up the outstretched carpet of green strands, toward an upturned purple tear drop. Her vibrant frame perched at the edge of his world. She was silhouetted against the endless blue sky - brilliant plumes of white streaking through it.

Picking up speed toward her, he shouted. She did not turn. Instead, Seth dropped to his knees as Sianna slowly fell forward and out of sight.

Sombre smears of white loomed and sank into the hollow blue backdrop. He was alone again.

**********************************************************************************

Seth awoke at midday feeling raw, having stolen barely 4 hours' sleep. He immediately set about with a razor, shaving off all the fur that covered his face - it had worked before. It still seemed horrendously unfair that he had to wear a permanent winter coat, just because he'd failed one challenge twice. He sheared away at the facial fuzz, slowing down as he noticed a minor problem. To his horror, the skin underneath had altered complexion. It was much more pale, tinged pink and clearly belonged to a dog.

Shit. He would have to blame it on a freak rash or something. He had arranged to meet Rich near school to catch up following their awkward encounter in the toilets the other day. Actually attending class in his current state - was not going to happen. He left the house, wearing his most loose-fitting, breathable clothes and allowing his tail to wag freely.

Walking the same route he took every day, he marvelled at the assortment of scents on offer for his enjoyment. He could smell a tree-sized bouquet of different plant life, birds and squirrels, air fresheners inside distant cars. He could smell what people had in their carrier bags as they strolled down the street. He could even smell their emotions. His tail reacted to each smell differently, wagging at different paces or retreating between his legs, trying to trip him as he walked.

His sheathed manhood reacted to some of the smells too. It was all he could do to break out into a sprint in the opposite direction when he smelled a female dog approaching, about eighty metres in the distance. His instincts were sharp and difficult to control. What would happen if he actually ended up with a dog's nose? Better not lose that challenge, he thought. He heard a rustling from his bag. It must be time for the fifth one, Rich would have to wait.

" You are rested?"

"Uhh... Yes. Thank you." That uncomfortable feeling returned as it seemed as though the mask was trying to parent him again.

" Good boy."

Seth's tail wagged and his tongue pushed past his lips to pant. He thought he felt a sound rising in his throat in response, but quickly quelled it.

" Your mental fortitude will be tested in your fifth challenge. We will play for the torso and neck."

"Ughm... wrrf - okay." He coughed as his throat felt a bit rough. "What's the challenge?"

" You recall your childhood? You would lead your pack together in games of fantasy."

"Yeees. But how do you... Never mind. I remember it. And?"

" You have one hour to become a leader once more, to those who admonish you."

"Okay - so Joe and Adam? And only one hour... to become their leader. Let me guess - that is all?" Seth imitated the low rumbling growl of the mask's voice, sniggering a little.

" No. You must wear the mask every moment that you are with them. You will not reach them with words. That is all."

Only one hour. To deal with the most cryptic challenge yet. At least he knew Joe and Adam would be at school - maybe Rich would know where. Seth put the mask away and ran.

**********************************************************************************

"You're taking it a bit far now, don't you think?" Rich looked his friend up and down, his eyes catching on the grey and white-palmed furry hands as Seth stuffed them into his pockets.

"What do you mean?" A toothy grin grew as Seth's tail visibly kept a beat behind him.

"What do I - the pointy ears... the furry hands. The fucking tail! And what is wrong with your face Seth?! That's what I mean!"

"Rich... Honestly, I - "

"I'm sorry man. It's just - everyone's talking about the other day. How weird it was. They're asking me about it. I don't know what to say. You barked at me in the toilets... now you miss another morning of school and you've glued fur to yourself and got some weird rash on your face? What's going on with you?"

"Okay, okay. Seriously. Rich - I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to... bark at you. And you've got to believe me - I'm not trying to be weird. Some really strange stuff is going on at the moment. I need your help."

"Anything man. You know I'm here for you. It just felt like you didn't give a shit. Like you were taking the piss..."

"I know. I promise I'll explain as soon as I can. For now - I desperately need to find Joe and Adam."

"Why?"

"Please, Rich. Do you know where they'd be?"

"Well - it's rugby practice, so I guess they're probably just finishing up at the pitch by the woods. You got the urge to wrestle again that badly, huh?"

"Pfft! Nope. I need to discuss something with them." Seth pointed himself in the direction of the pitch and began a jog, shouting over his shoulder, "Cheers Rich!"

"No worries man. But Seth?! Take a shower! You smell like my old dog!"

He could smell it too as he ran. He stank of dog. It must be the fur trapping the odour from his canine scent glands.

"Agh - I almost forgot!" Seth exclaimed, remembering the condition that he needed to wear the mask when confronting Joe and Adam. He fidgeted around, grabbing it and placing it on his face while still in transit. The condition seemed stupid - how was he meant to become their leader while wearing a silly dog mask. He sighed.

The rugby pitch was nearing into focus, with tall white goal posts set in bright contrast against the thick dark mass of trees beyond. The woods.

Roughly thirty or so sturdy bull-necked boys tore back and forth, slamming into one another, wads of turf flying from beneath their feet as they clashed. As Seth came to a halt, he sat down in the grass and managed to pick out Joe and Adam amid the vortex of mud and muscle. The game didn't have long left, so he was happy to sit and watch, despite his distaste for sport and the looming time limit. They were actually pretty good! Joe, in particular, sped through five or six other boys on his way to planting the ball in the try-zone. He was a tank.

Seth noticed his tail clipping across the grass as he got into the game. He even tried to clap, but found it difficult to make any appreciable sound with furry hands.

**********************************************************************************

As the army of chunky boys began filtering from the field, Seth bounded over - shouting to get Adam and Joe's attention - all while wearing the mask. The two lads halted their post-game tactical breakdown as they saw the masked boy springing toward them, tail flailing. Not wanting their teammates to see them interacting with the furry lunatic, they veered around and toward the treeline of the woods. Perplexed, Seth continued his chase and caught up with them as they drew level with the trees. At least here they wouldn't be seen.

"Hey Seth. It's obviously you - take off that mask." Joe spoke first, as usual.

"Yeah, don't act so lame with that stupid furry stuff or whatever! What do you want?" Adam provided punctuation.

Seth stared at the two heavy-set lads, wondering how best to 'become their leader'. He assessed what he was dealing with. They both wore matching striped jerseys, which, despite being extra-large size, hugged their physique. Worse still, their obscenely tight white shorts were barely containing their huge muscular thighs and didn't leave very much to the imagination. Adam was the clear winner in lack of subtlety, as his bargain bin pair were made from a cheap semi-transparent polyester. At least Joe had paid for canvas. Seth felt a small tickle from within his sheath. Must be reluctant admiration. This would not be easy, he thought.

"Hey Adam, shall we wrestle that little pup's mask off him?"

"Huh-ha-ha, yeah bro!"

Seth braced himself, as the human tanks approached. His tail began to cut through the air aggressively as he mustered his words and...

"Wrrrrgh-OOF! WROOF!"

Oh fuck, no. Seth heard his bark echo through the trees and in his ears as it dissolved into a hostile growl. He stopped.

Joe and Adam, who had momentarily stopped in their tracks upon hearing the authenticity of the sound erupting from Seth's jaws, looked to each other. Their hands fell to hug their bellies as they guffawed with laughter. Seth's tail tickled the inside of his knees.

"God fucking damn it, Seth! Not bad! You been practising? Pretty good job. Whooo-ee! Just like a real doggy! Had me there for a sec. Right, now take off that - "

"Joe... Joe?!"

Joe stopped mid-sentence and looked to the direction of the frightened squeal. Adam was holding a hand in front his face, gripping his wrist with the other.

"Joe, my hand - what the fuck is wrong with my hand?!"

"What the hell bro? Looks normal to me. Stop whining."

Seth tentatively looked on.

"I can't fucking bend it, bro. It's... stiff!"

"Huh?"

All three watched as Adam's stiff fingers began to shrink and recede toward his palm, merging together. The whites of his eyes flared with terror as he watched the digits on his other hand lose their grip and straighten, against his will. He flashed a teary look at Joe, begging for help with his eyes alone.

Joe was unresponsive - watching his friend's fingers shrink away and become useless nubs. Then the fur came - a coating of brown across his hands and wrists, while his thumbs migrated and shrank, becoming dew claws. His palms swelled, forming four callous pads on each. Small black claws poked through between the nubs that had been Adam's fingers a moment ago.

The trembling boy stared at his paws.

"What is this Seth?! Some fucking furry shit?! Change him back now, you prick!"

Seth fixed his glare onto Joe.

"WRUFF RUFF!"

A harsh bark deafened the rugby lad, who immediately covered his ears. Suddenly, he felt an uncomfortable stretching at the sides of his head. Joe's ears and the surrounding skin pulled upward, dragging his hands with them. He shakily patted around the top of his head as the ears flattened and grew much longer, folding over and draping down to frame his face. White fur fluffed into existence all over their surface as Joe pinched them at the tips and held them at ninety degrees in shock.

Seth chuckled as the jock looked like he was playing aeroplane with his huge flat canine ears.

**********************************************************************************

So, this is how he would 'become their leader'. Using the power of the mask to turn them into dogs. Seth felt conflicted as he watched his estranged friends falling over themselves in terror at their changes. He wondered what lesson this challenge was teaching him. He thought back on their waning friendship and all of the pseudo-bullying he'd endured from them in recent years. With an uneasiness in his stomach, he steeled his resolve.

Seth looked at Adam, now down on his knees in the dirt - his eyes vacant as he beheld his brown paws.

"WOOF!"

The fur continued up Adam's arms, advancing under his sleeve and appearing again as it crept out from under the jersey and up his neck. The jersey hung loose as the boy's torso contorted into a dog-like barrel-shape.

"WOOF!"

His arms fixed into an inflexible position, good for walking on all fours, as his legs were overcome with fuzzy brown hair and began to warp too. He tried to remain kneeling upright as his back legs formed, but the changes to his hip alignment forced him onto his front paws. He hopped, trying to gain momentum and stand up again, but it was futile. His neck began to thicken relative to his torso as his face elongated.

Adam held his head outstretched, bearing his teeth as they sharpened and found their new homes - lining his extending muzzle behind black lips. As his ears reached the top of his head and his nose darkened, a sorry high-pitched whine crept out of his throat.

The cause was obvious as Seth and Joe watched the transformation unfold. Tight white polyester shorts were not tailored for a dog's hindquarters. The fabric could be heard straining as it clung taut to the beast's hunched behind. The whining grew louder as a lump appeared at the back of the shorts. Simultaneously, Adam's dangling manhood was scooped up into a fold of skin which stitched to his stomach and began pushing against the failing elastic at his undercarriage. The lump grew into a bulbous mound; the semi-transparent shorts showed a thick-furred bunched-up tail rapidly expanding underneath.

It was clear to Seth that Adam was in a great deal of discomfort. He wavered, before imagining that another transformative bark might now be akin to putting an injured creature out of its misery at the roadside.

"RUFF!"

The shorts stretched, reaching breaking point. The tail bulged, eager to escape into the woodland air. The brown Shepherd whined, as its red cock rocketed from its sheath and into the white cloth barrier.

With a great tearing sound that reverberated off the surrounding trees, the dog bucked its hips and the shorts gave way. Adam's swollen red cock stabbed through the fabric at his groin as the huge bushy tail burst free through the taut white threads at his rump. The ragged remains of his white shorts affixed to his furry rear via the holes carved by his tail and cock, Adam barked happily and began lapping at his turgid phallus.

**********************************************************************************

Joe, still fondling his flat ears in disbelief, witnessed his former teammate - sat on his haunches and licking his cock. Simply a frustrated canine. He turned and met Seth's eyes through the mask-slits.

"Seth! Bro! I won't tell anyone about Adam if you just let me go."

"..." Seth waited silently to hear the plea of his old friend.

"Honest. I'll just forget I saw any of this - I've got these ears now, and that's fine! I get it! It's cool being a dog and everything - but the ears are enough, bro! Please! Ple - Please, Seth... Seth?"

Seth couldn't believe that Joe was willing to just abandon Adam - his closest friend. Aware that he wasn't exactly the epitome of substantive morality himself right now, the half-Husky chewed over Joe's words. Was Seth currently doing the same thing - sacrificing others to save himself?

No - this was different... it had to be. He'd come this far anyway, and Joe's words were confirmation that he would do exactly the same thing! His selfish appeals weren't going to cut it!

"Grrr-WRUFF RUFF! WOOF!"

Letting loose a particularly vicious string of barks, Seth waited. Joe covered his eyes and began sobbing and moaning - which quickly morphed into whining and hushed barks as his vocal chords shifted. His clawed paws scratched at his own face as they formed, and were swiftly pushed away by his stretching muzzle.

His whining ceased for a moment as he inhaled sharply and began pawing at the back of his shorts. He could feel the bulge forming and knew what came next after watching Adam's ordeal. He desperately fumbled with his clumsy paws to push his shorts down and off, but it was too late. They were too tight and he no longer possessed the dexterity in his stiff padded-paws.

The pressure mounted in the seat of his white canvas prison, as the firm tail grew longer. He felt the flesh of his crotch re-shaping as he began to get hard, his rigid dog cock tenting at the front of the white textile. He could hear the cotton flexing and tearing at a microscopic level with his sensitive floppy ears.

"WROOF!"

Joe's red cock pumped up further in response to Seth's bark, pressing hard against the cotton and dousing it with precum. His half-length tail continued its advance at his rear, fighting an erotic game of tug of war with his dog-ness via the tight white shorts.

He could feel his knot inflating and stood bolt-upright in the hope that his tail might simply travel down a short-leg and relieve the cruel pressure.

"WRUFF!"

He felt himself being uncontrollably bent forward at his waist. He gritted his sharp teeth and muzzle, face wrinkled with the strain of fighting the changes. Any attempt he made to resist was overpowered as his posture was dictated to him. He was forced to the ground.

As he folded forward, his shorts were pulled tighter and tighter by the motion and angle of his hips. They held fast against his groin like a pair of speedos as his powerful canine cock throbbed and fought to rip through. His tail had nowhere to go. Still, it inexorably extended from the point above the valley of his butt cheeks. The pressure ripped small tears along the grain of the cotton weave as the squirming tail threshed outward.

Joe heard his own heartbeat quicken, the ruined fabric at his behind giving way, and howled in pleasure as his tail ruptured its confines. The furry baton pierced the air and swished around as wisps of collateral fur peppered his butt. A second later, his knot swelled to massive proportions as his aching canine cock spasmed, splashing the pristine white shorts with sticky dog seed.

**********************************************************************************

Seth kept the mask on, just in case, watching the results of his barking. Before him lay an exhausted white Labrador Joe, prone on his belly - next to a puffed up German Shepherd Adam, enthusiastically lapping at his red cock with a long thin tongue. The mask began to glow with moonlight around Seth's face.

" You win."

"What's going to happen to them?"

" Irrelevant. They are dogs."

Seth creased his lips as he internally questioned his actions.

"You will keep your torso and neck."

"So I can keep my human speech then? No more barking?"

" The vocal chords in your neck will not change."

"You dodged that one."

" Your sixth challenge begins now."

Labrador Joe could be heard yelping nearby. Seth ignored the dog.

" We will play for the head."

"Whoa! Slow down - can we be clear on this? My head. That doesn't include my brain, right?"

" You are slow, boy. I have told you. With each change to your body, you are gifted more of my instincts. Instincts take root in the mind."

"So that's a no? You're saying my brain has already been changing this whole time?"

" You will see. Your sixth challenge is to deny your instincts until the seventh. That is all."

Seth felt a nervous jitter spark through him. It didn't go so well the last time he had tried to deny his instincts with Sianna. He wondered what temptations he'd have to endure this time round. And 'until the seventh'? Seventh hour? Seventh of June? Seventh... challenge? How was he meant to know how long that would be?

Seth broke his contemplation and removed the mask as he felt a prickling sensation in his nose. The Shepherd that had previously been Adam began to sniff around the tail of Labrador Joe, its pointed red cock still erect and dribbling. The Lab rose to all-fours as his ex-teammate attempted to mount him and both dogs ran deeper into the woods, indulging a horny game of chase. Seth felt sorry for the poor creatures - he hoped he might find a way to change them back after all this was over.

His nostrils flared. He rubbed them with his furry hand and sneezed.

"What is up with - aaahhh aaaaaahhh - choo!" He rubbed his nose again, closed one eye and focused on it at the corner of his vision. It was turning black and shiny, bloating in size.

"Fuck sake! God damned mask doesn't stick to the fucking rules!" Seth flung his arms around as he let loose a small tantrum. "It's just like with my dick! Transforming me before I've even - "

He stopped, sniffing the air. There was a hint of something familiar drifting through the trees. His tail got a mind of its own - bashing his flanks wildly. A jiggling within his sheath caught his attention. Oh, NO! Just like with the female dog in the street earlier. As soon as the thought occurred to him - he noticed that his body was already running deeper into the maze of trees.

With difficulty, he skidded to a halt. Every fibre of his being was willing him forward. He noticed his dark puffy nose was more now more visible - raising a hand to confirm what he already knew. It was travelling farther from his face as his jaws slowly pushed forward.

After trying to pinch his stunted canine snout, he settled for plugging each nostril with a finger and walking with purpose toward the rugby pitch clearing. The stress of the situation, his concentration, the clothing and the dense fur all conspired to force his tongue from his lengthening maw. It draped over his chin, rolling free of his mouth - flat and wider at its end.

*Pant*

He couldn't spare the attention to rue this change as his focus was dedicated to keeping his nose plugged and escaping the woods.

*Pant*

The shaven-sore doggish skin of his face incrementally filled with grey and white fur once more. Piercing canine teeth now spanned the whole of his three-quarter-length muzzle.

*Pant*

"Aghk!"

A sharp fang pricked the underside of his thin tongue as he panted and marched. The brief jarring pain and Seth's reflexive yap shook one finger-plug free from its nostril.

He moved to replace the plug with lightning reflexes, but he'd already automatically turned to face the direction of the alluring scent by the time his nose was secured. It was hopeless. His dog cock was quickly expanding, protruding from his sheath and tenting up under his shirt. He was boiling hot with lust.

*Pant*

Too... hot. He couldn't concentrate. He wriggled his trousers to his ankles and kicked them away, tearing his shirt off as well.

Seth's inhibitions cowered in awe at how much stronger this smell was than the dog in the street, or even Sianna. It was just so suggestive. It implied that he should drink it in, rush to find its source, get on all fours, lick it thoroughly, and...

*Pant*

"STOP. Please... just..."

He couldn't control himself or his thoughts as his furry body gained momentum. Growing thicker as he sprinted closer - the scent became like anaesthetic, numbing every human objection.

**********************************************************************************

Seth nimbly rounded a few final trees, his tail whipping in the wind and came to a stop automatically. He was, at this point, a spectator in his own body. Every muscle was primed toward following the instructions of his puffy black nose, which now sat at the twitching, sniffing point of an angular whiskered muzzle.

The human part of him rationalised his behaviour as his monochromatic canine eyes set upon their prey - a female dog in heat. A white... Labrador... that looked like... Joe?!

Seth's suspicions were confirmed as a horny German Shepherd bounded out from behind some foliage, at full mast. Adam approached Joe's swollen vulva as the female dog, clearly succumbing to its own instincts, presented itself - tail high and cocked to one side.

A moment of wonder coursed through Seth's mind as he put it all together. Joe's gender-swap must have started just as the mask pronounced the start of the challenge - that yelping! Adam already had a muzzle at that point and must have smelled it first - chasing poor Joe into the woods. He felt pleased with his deduction.

Meanwhile, his nose had guided him to growl Adam into submission and mount Joe's oestrus-inflated canine cave. Seth freaked out - how was he now knot-deep in his transgender feral dog-friend without even noticing how he'd got there? He'd already begun pounding the Labrador by the time that thought had finished. It was too strong. The scent of Joe's sex in heat had hypnotised him. His canine instincts had taken control.

Down on his furry knees in the coppice, Seth rammed his knot deeper - feeling it balloon as he reached his finale. His fully-triangular ears roamed to sit atop his flattened furry head while he drove his cock forward a final few shuddering thrusts. His hips pressed forward against Joe's swollen dog cunt as he arched backward, tail tickling his balls and muzzle to the sky in delight.

**********************************************************************************

The mask, somehow by his side despite his bag having been lost during the heat-fuelled frenzy, started glowing. It had altered - it's wooden muzzle section having stretched to accommodate Seth's new canine proportions. Still tied to Joe, cock to rump, he donned it.

" I win."

"Of course you fucking win! You put my now-a-dog ex-friend into HEAT! And then you gave me a super-sensitive _MUZZLE_for sniffing him out!"

Seth was shocked by how loud he had shouted in his anger, before feeling a twitch atop his head and surmising he now had dog ears too. He stretched out his huge vicious-looking jaws. Speaking worked a bit differently with a muzzle, but he could manage.

" Your head is now that of a dog's."

"I know! But one question... one fucking question, mask. What the hell kind of lesson was that meant to teach me?!"

" If you do not know, then you have not yet learned it."

"Prick. Fucking prick. And 'until the seventh' - what kind of time limit is that anyway? This whole thing is fixed. I'm out."

Seth removed the mask, throwing it to the ground in fury.

" The seventh challenge. He is on his way. You would do well not to give up at this late stage, boy."

Seth looked at the moonlit mask as it spoke through his new muzzle. _Who_is on his way? He felt a creaking in his knees. Still tied to Joe and unable to move to look, he knew what was happening - his legs were transforming by default. His ankles lengthened as he felt his feet starting to constrict and re-mould into paws. Taking a stubborn second longer, he chucked the mask back on.

" Good boy."

Seth felt the inevitable rush of endorphins that now accompanied such patronising praise as his tail wagged.

" The seventh and final challenge. You must await it here. That is all."

Seth huffed in anger at his forced obedience. Sitting on the ground, with Joe attached to his lap - he searched his mind. He was trying to piece everything together - to make sense of the mask's words. Discern its lessons. To work out who was on their way. He thought about Sianna too. In that fucked up mansion with god knows what kind of creeps. 'Lost souls who refused to change'? Why had she wanted him to leave so badly?

With a pronounced suctioning sound, Labrador Joe happily bounded from his lap and padded a few steps away. Relief overtook Seth's mind and his tail began to wag. Phew! Wait, what? While indulging in the moment of separation, his nose had led him to Joe's sopping wet vulva. He was on his hands and knees, gluttonously slurping at Joe's canine juices.

"Pthhhh-flurgh!"

Seth spat as he came to his senses and retreated. Clearly, his nose could not be trusted while Joe was still in heat. He looked at his stiff red cock as it began to slowly deflate and sniffed. It was covered in Joe's fluids. Seth knew he'd be licking his dick clean too by now, if not for his torso lacking the requisite flexibility.

He got up and almost fell back to the floor. The stubborn second spent refusing to wear the mask had cost him. His feet were padded-and-clawed paws, while his ankles were now permanently suspended almost a foot from the ground. His thighs had reshaped too. Overall though, his legs somewhat kept their human dimensions.

Reflecting on the fact that he now looked exactly like an anthropomorphic Husky dog, Seth giggled to himself maniacally. Minus the whole losing his mind and fucking his friend thing - this was something he'd dreamt of for a long time.

Feeling the breeze massage his fur, he noted his nonchalant nakedness. The body he occupied had become so canine - he was confident that clothes didn't really matter anymore. The mask began to vibrate and glow in the undergrowth.

**********************************************************************************

" Your final challenge. We will play for the waist and hips."

"So this is to decide whether I can walk upright then? It's a big one..."

" The gravity of this challenge cannot be understated, yes. But..."

"What?" The mask had not done this before. It paused as if to think. "What?!"

" Shall we up the stakes?"

"How? What do you mean?"

" Currently, I have won four challenges. You have only two."

"So?"

" Hence, even if you win this final challenge - you cannot succeed."

Seth growled without meaning to.

"Grrgh - Here we go. So it's just another new rule, right when it suits you? No matter what - you get to turn me into a dog on all fours and take my body? Why am I even bothering to play your game? Why don't we just get it over with?"

" Fool. Your words are wasted. I am offering you an opportunity."

"..."

" This final challenge shall decide it all."

Seth looked shocked at the concession.

"Like - a tie-breaker?"

" No. A gamble. If you win - you will be free of me. If I win - you will become, in every aspect, a dog."

"Every aspect... But, why would you offer this if you're already in the lead?"

" I cannot transform what I have not won. An incomplete body would displease me."

"Really? I kind of like this half-way sort of thing. Best of both worlds... y'know? Apart from the..."

" Cease. Do you wish to gamble?"

"If it means I have a chance at keeping my body - then yes."

" Good. I will be explicit. The final challenge will begin in sixty seconds. A human will arrive here. One of you will leave as a dog. You will choose."

"Sounds... easy. What's the catch?"

" The choice is absolute. If you wish to transform the human into a beast, you need only bark at them - as before. If you wish to become a beast forever, you must receive the human's commands and obey. If you do not choose - I will have two dogs."

"Clever. Not much of a gamble for you, is it? You get a body either way. Oh well, obviously I'll just bark a couple more times and then never again - easy. Everyone wins. Sixty seconds from now, yeah?"

" Thirty-five seconds remain. That is all."

Upon slipping the mask from his muzzle, Seth caught a scent he recognised well. His tail began to wag in excitement, then fell still with dread as he realised who was approaching. Rich. He was probably searching for his three friends.

**********************************************************************************

"What the FUCK?!"

Rich slowed to a stop, finding the breath to exclaim his confusion at the outrageous scene before him. There stood a grey and white half-human-Husky, naked with its neat furry package on full display. And nearby, a whimpering German Shepherd enthusiastically penetrating a white Labrador like a jackhammer. What kind of satanic, full-moon, werewolf orgy shit had he stumbled upon?!

"Hey Rich."

The bipedal Husky spoke with Seth's voice - a slight gravel in it.

Rich looked the creature up and down maybe three times, taking a couple of slow steps backward. He mustered the courage to respond.

"S-Seth? Is that really... Are you a werewolf?!"

"HA HA HA! Good one Rich. I thought you'd be freaked out or something. A werewolf! HA!" Seth bore his fangs on full display as his muzzle snapped with laughter.

Rich's eyes flinched with fear. He hadn't been joking.

"Stay away, Seth! You're not turning me, okay! It's gone too far! I've had enough of this crap."

His words reminded Seth of the challenge. The choice. His heart sank. Could he really just bark and condemn his best friend to a life crawling on the floor? Rich was the most genuine person he knew. He'd always been there for him.

Seth thought about the fate of Joe and Adam, turning over his shoulder to see the eager canines fucking by a tree. He recalled Joe bargaining for his own safety - abandoning Adam. Rich wouldn't do that. Rich doesn't deserve that.

"Listen to me. I know this is fucked up - and I'm still not sure if I'm allowed tell you how it has happened. I don't want to risk barking right now - put it that way. But you need to just listen to me..." Seth held his furry palms up in front of him, trying to calm the frightened human. "You need to treat me like a dog."

Rich' eyes widened.

"Seth! Man! This is not the time for preaching that furry equality crap! I can see that you're very serious about - ..."

"No! I mean - right now. Give me... the sort of commands you might give to... a dog, yeah?"

"Is this a sexual thing? Because - ..."

"Grr-RICH!" Seth accidentally growled, quickly softening his tone again as he smelled fear in the air. "Rich. Just do it. Please."

"Oh - o - okay. Just don't bite me, please. Umm... Heel!"

Seth felt a shiver run down his spine and continue through to the tip of his tail. He launched forward on his springy padded paws.

**********************************************************************************

Rich jerked his hands to his temples as his eyes clenched tightly shut - waiting for the great beast to sink its teeth into his tender pale flesh. He waited. And waited. He could hear... panting? He opened his eyes and looked down to see the huge human-Husky on its hands and knees next to him, panting excitedly and tail swishing.

"Seth?"

Seth shook his head and retracted his tongue.

"That's good, Rich! More!"

He could feel the canine instincts flooding his mind and drowning his thoughts as he obeyed - he could feel minute changes sparking throughout all the cells in his body. Soon, he would be a dog and Rich would be safe. His mind flashed briefly back to Sianna - he felt regret.

Rich began to edge away from the large furry creature.

"This is too weird for me, Seth. I can't..."

No, no, no! He needed to make sure Rich would see it through to the end, before there wasn't enough left of him to communicate properly. He reluctantly settled on a different tactic.

"Grrrgh-RICH!" He snarled with menace. "You better do what I tell you, or... I'll turn you into a dog like I did Joe and Adam! WROOF!"

Rich snapped his vision to the two copulating hounds - not believing what he was hearing.

"Those dogs are...?"

His confusion was interrupted by a sharp stab just above his rear. His hands flew back to investigate, his jaw drooping as he felt a small bulge wriggling around above his butt. Worse - he could feel his touch upon it. The burgeoning tail belonged to him. He felt faint.

"Okay! Okay, please! What do I need to - ..."

"Treat me like a dog! Grrrgh."

"Yeah, s-s-sorry! Uhh... SIT!"

Seth felt his legs going weak as he almost automatically lowered to the ground. He placed his hands neatly in front of him and stuck his tongue out to pant in obedience. He felt his tail sweep the leaves around behind him as he watched his curled-up hands melt and reshape into paws.

"Good dog?" Rich hesitantly praised him, with growing enthusiasm as he noticed Seth's tail wagging quicker. "Good doggy! Yes! Good... boy!"

Seth's mind fizzled with euphoria as he began to drool - saliva dripping from his panting tongue. His legs began to shrink, losing their human length and making it much easier to sit like a dog. He felt the urge to pad over to Rich and lick him, to show how happy he was. Rich saw the canine lifting up from his furry haunches and reacted to keep it at bay.

"STAY!"

Seth fell back to his hind legs, sitting proud with a puffed-out fuzzy white chest. He was rooted to the ground, though he felt an ecstatic energy coursing through every inch of him - he wanted to run and play and lick his master. He raised his right front leg, adorably pawing at the air a few times and faintly whining. Rich couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor creature, nearly forgetting that it was Seth due its doggish gestures.

"Good boy! Roll over, Seth!"

Seth barked happily and flung himself onto his flank, rotating until he was on his back - white fluffy belly on show. His legs were folded near his haunches and flailing as he writhed around in excitement - his hips fully morphed into a quadrupedal arrangement. Rich's budding tail advanced further into his pants.

Rich approached his playful furry friend and knelt down, rubbing his belly. Seth felt pure joy as he kicked three of his legs in the air, the fourth pounding the ground while he was tickled. His pointed red dog dick put in a subtle appearance, poking out from its sheath an inch without his knowledge. Rich noticed and withdrew.

"Uhh... Okay, boy. Stand?"

Seth twirled back to his four feet in a whirlwind of fur. His red penis hung from his sheath and he didn't care.

"You need to cool off, huh? Down!"

The Husky fell flat to its stomach, paws outstretched in front, and placed its muzzle to the ground - staring up with puppy dog eyes. The mask that had led Seth to this moment of pure abandon began to gleam with the gentle light of the moon - his decision had been made. Seth the Husky didn't even notice, as he keenly anticipated his master's next command. Rich, now smiling with memories of his old Retriever and wishing he had a bag of treats with him, stood straight and raised his hands - his own stubby tail wagging.

"Now... here we go, boy... on three..."

Seth pawed at the floor with his front legs.

"One..."

His tongue jutted from his muzzle as he raised up from the floor expectantly.

"Two..."

Seth's back legs began to squirm and fidget uncontrollably as excitement frothed up inside him. He could barely contain himself.

"Three - SPEAK!"

"WOOF!" He sprang up onto his back legs, hoisting his front paws to his muzzle and snapping at the tree-tops as he erratically barked with joy.

"WROOF! ARF!"

"Good dog, Seth."

The moonlight emanating from the mask intensified, exploding into a solid pillar of white light and engulfing the area. Animal calls of every kind echoed out all at once, making the trees vibrate with sound and deafening both boy and dog. Rich and Seth's vision faded to pure white.

**********************************************************************************

" You win."

Seth neither woke nor stirred - but simply knew the mask's words as they passed through him. A diaphanous blanket of moonlight enraptured each sense in a blend of thought and feeling. He had no body. His being existed only as a collection of experiences. It spoke.

"I... win?"

" Yes."

"But... Rich?"

" He is fine."

"So, then... the choice was..."

" When first we spoke, I said - 'let us see who remains'. I had never intended that it would not be you. The question was, simply: 'which version of you?'"

"..."

"You have grown. You have willingly changed. My lessons have become a part of you. Use them as you see fit. That is all."

"Mask? What's that supposed... to... t-to... mean?"

Seth felt himself fading; unravelling into the mist of his memories. He didn't understand. He was scared. He clung tightly to an image of Sianna as his thoughts failed.

**********************************************************************************

Rich awoke in the gloomy clearing, the low afternoon sun glinting in translucent shafts amidst tree-branches. He rubbed his head as events played back in his head up to - nothingness. What was that? He ran his hand over his lower back, feeling for the tail that had started growing. Nothing. Twisting his torso around, he scanned the area. Where was the grey and white Husky? Where was Seth? The wind blew gentle and slow, as if to whisper what he knew to be true. Seth was gone.

Rich sighed, climbing to his feet. Hearing movement behind an ancient-looking monolithic tree trunk, he jumped.

"What now? F-f-fuck sake... Seth?!"

He crept carefully and quietly, sidling round the huge trunk - his hand tracking across the rough bark. His breathing stopped, his hand fell limp from the tree.

There, sprawled in a heap on the ground, was Adam - led squarely on top of a face-down Joe, as if mounting him from behind. Both were completely naked to their bare skin and dreary-eyed, only just waking from their bad dream. Rich recalled the Shepherd and Labrador he'd seen going at it before the flash of light and sniggered to himself.

"Wrestling again, boys?"

**********************************************************************************

The dilapidated mansion stood tall, windows cracked and paint peeling from its walls as the alpine trees kept watch. Its courtyards were empty but for the weakening light of day as the sun fell, dipping beyond distant hills.

A flake of paint caught the breeze and chipped free of the vast wall it had clung to. And another. More followed. The white window frames began to fray into splinters and fall from their fixtures as brick and mortar crumbled. Vestiges of rainbow light beams started from within the disintegrating walls as the entire structure was carried, bit by bit, as dust on the evening zephyr.

The grand edifice washed away to nothing, revealing countless bodies strewn across the grass where it had stood. All shapes, sizes and colours of people lay motionless. And next to each one, in equal number, were myriad cracked masks - each a different totem to some type of creature.

A broad-shouldered young man stoically advanced toward the scene with unwavering stride. Placing his feet between the paralytic bodies, he stood above one in particular and held out his hand, watching as the purple-haired girl drew breath.

Her image flickered as her lungs filled and emptied. For a split-second, the man glimpsed ginger fur, long whiskers and a petit muzzle as he stared. Her ink-dipped paws flashed into being, shedding their fur and becoming hands as quickly as they had appeared. A bristling white-tipped tail materialized and receded. Next to her head, glowing in the grass, was a fractured wooden fox mask. She blinked her eyes open, focusing on the man.

"...Wha - ... Backpack... boy?"

He smiled with his eyes and replied.

"Nope. Dog boy."

Seth placed the Husky mask to his face, silvery fur sprouting all across his skin as he took his canine form and embraced Sianna.

~ END ~