As you open your eyes, you realize you are lying down on a cold, stone floor in a dimly-lit room. Raising your head and glancing around, you see only some dim flickering candles, but no windows, and only one door. You are more intrigued by the fact that before your eyes is a furry muzzle...yours. Trying to get up, you find that you have paws instead of hands, and are clearly meant to be on all fours. Your hairy body ends in a bushy tail, and under your hindquarters you spot evidence that your gender is male. Wondering at your current predicament, you stand up and walk forward to explore, only to discover, by a sudden choking sensation, that you have a heavy iron collar around your neck, attached to a thick chain which is firmly bolted to the wall.
Before you can contemplate this development, your ears prick up at the sound of footsteps outside, and some unfamiliar scents, one of which is making you drool with hunger. The door opens to reveal a short, stout man dressed in rather flouncy clothes and even heeled shooes, followed by a tall, thin, dark-skinned woman dressed in rough clothes and leather armor. However, the most arresting thing to you is that she has pointed ears. An elf, perhaps? This really is a fantasy world. The man tosses something on the floor in front of you, obviously the item giving off the mouth-watering scent. Even though you identify it as raw meat, surprisingly, the thought doesn't turn your stomach, and you gobble it down eagerly.
"Disgusting mutt," the woman grumbles. "Why do you bother keeping it alive?" From the insult, you gather that you are some form of canine. Comparing your size relative to the two, you find you are fairly muscular, and would probably be about the height of the woman if you stood on your hind legs.
"It has its uses," the man responds evenly, placing his lantern on a desk and sitting down in a wooden chair. The woman takes a seat across the desk from him, somewhat closer to you, and glares at you disgustedly. "Now, down to business," the man continues gruffly. "I take it you understand the terms?"
"It's a single target," the woman turned back to the man and replied. "But there's a high chance of interference, so you'd better fulfill your end, or your neck could be next."
"Then I trust the princess will be dead by the end of the week," the man didn't bother responding to the threat, but rather finalized the deal. The woman nodded, and the man handed her a pouch which, by the sound, you assumed contained metal coins. After peering inside the pouch, the woman nodded and placed it under her cloak. Before you can process what you have heard, the two get up and exit, leaving you alone with your thoughts.
You've obviously just heard an assassination being planned, and obviously it is the murder of someone important in this world. It shouldn't matter to you, as you have no relationship to anyone in this world, and you're treated as a beast, but the romantic side of your imagination takes over. You're tempted to try to rescue the princess, as a hero might do. Sitting back on your haunches, you decide to...