Meanwhile, in the portal, David found himself suddenly transported to a moonlit plain. The ground was sticky with blood, and bodies were strewn as far as the eye could see. And there, only a few feet away were three hellhounds, feeding on the corpses. The stench of sulfur was strong – it stung his eyes slightly, but it would have blinded a lesser man, David was sure.
The largest of the three hounds, the male, raised its head. It sniffed the air, and slowly approached him. “I am here for us to finish our bargain,” David said. Smoldering eyes appraised him. It got close, reeking of death and pure evil. He expected it to growl, to try to intimidate him in some way, but instead it simply sat patiently in front of him. It recognized his intent. It knew that their goals were the same – for it to be freed from this plane, and to rule the realm of man. It lowered its head.
“I hereby take this collar of damnation and claim it as my own,” David said, unfastening the collar from the hound's neck. It disappeared in a cloud of brimstone smoke as the collar opened. David's hands were shaking with excitement – this was what he'd worked so hard for. What he'd so perfectly kept hidden from everyone he knew on earth.
“In the name of the realm of Gehenna, and in the name of myself, David Magus, I hereby sacrifice my humanity in the name of infernal power granted to me. I take this as my crown, and it shall be the crown of the new kingdom I forge!”
The two other hellhounds approached, though they kept their distance from him. They were submissive, almost reverent. They sat on their haunches, watching him with eerie green flames burning in their eyes. They let out simultaneous howls, answering and acknowledging his vow. It had been witnessed. It was time.
David fastened the spiked collar around his neck, feeling the energy beginning to swirl around him and into him. He didn't fight it. He was born for this. His bloodline had been working toward this end for centuries, allowing the Atwell women to believe the war was over. And now, he was about to lead his family to victory in their crusade. A warm, pleasant sensation began to fill his body as more and more of the energy began to pour into him. He didn't fight it. He knew that to win, he had to give up some of himself. For the vow to be fulfilled, he couldn't resist, not even a little. “Yes, yes, join with me,” he thought, consciously projecting the idea to the disembodied intelligence in the energy.
The other two hounds let out a longer howl, growing in volume. The sound itself seemed to magnify the energy in him. He loved the sound. It began to change, still sounding like an animal's howl, but gaining a tone, a sense of femininity. His cock immediately hardened, and his muscles began to swell. He could feel his body beginning to stretch as the energy was all around him and in him, beginning to grow stronger as it reached his soul. He felt the first tendril of it reach his abdomen, the seat of his soul, and he silently called to it, wanting it to feed on it, grow from it, bond with it.
He heard the rips of his clothing beginning to strain past the durability of its seams and threads. It only got him harder. He was changing, becoming the embodiment of the union he'd bargained for. He was aware now of the thoughts of the hound as it merged with him. Memories and desires, starting out as the hound's, and now becoming HIS as the bond strengthened. The howls of the other two hounds continued to change, as his mind began to understand the language of the demon beasts. “Rise, master! Rise master!” Over and over, their voices sounding less animal and more like that of beautiful and powerful women.
Coal black fur erupted from his skin as his clothing practically exploded off of his body, another remnant of his humanity gone. He was now seven feet tall and still growing, and his cock was every bit of a foot long, black and hairy, thick and oozing precum from a combination of arousal and sensation, as well as eager anticipation of his grand purpose on the verge of being fulfilled. He was meant to rule. He was no mere minor demon or supernatural creature, he was the Hound of Pride!
“Rise, master! Rise master!” their voices no longer even sounded like howls, just a never-ending chant and exaltation. They were the voices of the Hound of Lust and the Hound of Greed. It had taken centuries, but he'd finally been able to get them to submit to him, AS THEY SHOULD. The Hound of Lust approached, using her muzzle to lick his rod as her sister continued her ritualistic chant. Hot drool covered his shaft as his body continued to warp, her eldritch energy only strengthening his own.
He was eight and a half feet tall once he quit growing, more massive than any of the other Hounds would be when they received their vessels, save for the Hound of Wrath. As his muzzle snapped into place, and his massive form gained true perfection, he let out a thunderous roar. To a human (or anyone not fluent in the language of the hounds) it would have been simply a giant wolf's howl of fury. To his two hound companions, however, it was clear what he'd said. “I AM COMPLETE! JOIN ME, BROTHERS AND SISTERS!”
The Hound of Lust turned and offered her rump to him, and he immediately inserted himself in her without pretense, caution, or gentleness. As he filled her hole, her cock hardened; as the Hound of Lust, she was equipped to entice or satisfy male or female. “I've found you fine vessels, sisters,” he said in the language of the hounds, while pounding rhythmically. “Soon, you will be as I, able to walk in the realm of man once MOREEEEEE!” he erupted into her, showing what one would presume to be a shocking lack of stamina. The reality was that as the Hound of Lust, her orifices and genitals were simply, quite literally, the best experience any creature- man, woman, or animal- could experience. And this vessel's flesh was still inexperienced in the sensation of being with an immortal.
“Oh brother,” she said with a laugh that still had the rough, growling edge of the hound body she still inhabited, “Is that what I can expect from you in the human realm as well?”
“The bond is fresh, the shape is new,” he said in annoyance. He bit back his anger at her disrespect. How dare SHE insult him like that, after his flawless, PERFECT plan had come to fruition.
“I better get a vessel too,” said the other hound as she wandered over.
“I just told you, I found you BOTH suitable vessels,” he sighed in annoyance.
“And I want territory of my own,” she added.
He sighed again. “Yes. Which you will have.”
“And servants.”
“Yes, and servants,” Pride said, reminding himself that Greed couldn't help herself when she got hyperfocused on things like this. It was just who she was. Which was more proof of exactly WHY he was the one in charge. He was the BEST one for maintaining the order of things.
He turned back toward the portal. “I will return soon with your vessels. Wait for me here.”
“Oh, I can assure you that I will,” Lust said, flopping onto her side and giving him her best come-hither look.
And then the Hound of Pride stepped back through the portal and emerged back in the room where he'd left his two werewolf servants. He almost regretted having promised to bring his sisters each a vessel; he knew that once Envy found out, he'd never hear the end of it until he got her one as well. His brother Wrath would probably be upset that he'd be given one so late into matters, but once Wrath got going, things often went rather scorched-earth. They already had their realm of corpses and charnel, no need for a second realm of that. Gluttony and Sloth would be along eventually, he was sure, though he wasn't overly concerned with either of his other two brother's feelings or plans. They were simple enough to handle.
Pride was actually quite sure he could do a more efficient job here on Earth without any of them “helping”, but rules were rules, and they travelled as a pack. He turned toward the portal and made a gesture with one hand, the long taloned fingers weaving a complex series of patterns, and creating a complex latticework of energy. The sound of a lock clicking echoed in the room as the portal now was fully anchored to the Earth's plane. A soft hum could be heard as the energy began to amplify; it was using the ley lines to feed itself, and the field of energy began to slowly expand, pushing out of the boundaries of the room in all directions. Pride smiled a wolfish grin. The portal of Pride's energy didn't just fuel his acolyte's transformation – anyone, human or otherwise inside of the field would have their will broken. This was HIS territory now, and they would have no choice but to listen to him. AS THEY SHOULD.
Rusty and Ben stared up at their master in awe, before kneeling. “What are your wishes, Lord?” Rusty asked, instinctively submitting.
Pride paused for a minute, using a bit of supernatural foresight to see the best course of action. (He ALWAYS chose the best course of action.)