I tense, a snarl rumbling from deep within my throat. Around me stand the others who serve the Queen of Cats, equally ferocious. The Coven, beetle-like; huge in comparison to the tiny, frail humans. Ahead lies the Deadhouse; a fortress defended by an army of monsters, HIS creations, warped and pale imitations of life. And behind them, on the highest spire HE stands. Tall Jake.

Red clouds my vision, anger making thinking difficult. I hate him, HATE HIM, HATE HIM! I want so badly to tear him apart, crush him between my paws, to make him pay for what he did to my home, my race, my life…

Warm sun…

Rough tongue licking me, feeling of safety…

The Acropolis, giant arches and domes, fountains and murals; all sparkling in bright sunlight. Cats, some pale and hairless, others like me; shaggy mane and fur the colour of fire. All running for their lives.

On the far side of the Acropolis, a shadow rises, and Tall Jake looms over the city, face hidden beneath a tricorn hat. The staff he holds pulses and a sense of WRONG settles in the air. I mewl in terror, something bad is about to happen, I need to leave, get as far away as possible. I streak away toward the cold, thick jungle. Unnaturally dark clouds cover the sun, and from them fall long, wavering ribbons of light; reds and blues and yellows; cloaking the city, sinking into the buildings and ground.

I run faster, fear lending me speed I never knew I had. The light snakes through the city, licking at mosaics; the tiles shuffle, rearranging, becoming monstrous lizards that detach from walls and scuttle after us. One jaguar falls behind, and they are upon him. I can only run, abandoning him as tiles spread across his fur until he is nothing but a mural that collapses with a clink of dust and stone. Around me others fall, engulfed by the lizards. Terror blurs everything, and I run until I am startled to find that I have made it to the safety of the jungle, along with a handful of others and our Queen. We watch in silence as our home crumbles and the last survivors are picked off; while Tall Jack watches the chaos and death he has brought upon us…

Wrenched from my memories, I roar and follow my comrades; aware only of the monster felled by my teeth and claws, and the figure atop the Deadhouse; watching the carnage as he did all those years ago.

You will pay…