That’s not an optical illusion. The animal’s paw was in fact the same size as Keith’s entire torso.

There are quite a few beasts in the annals and bestiaries of the twilight realms. Some are famous, some aren’t. However, trifles like the square-cube law often don’t matter to them a tinker’s damn. The beast that’s got Keith’s scent in particular is frighteningly fast on a strike, despite its girth and mass. And, of course, Keith is already down.

The question, of course, is what happens next. If the beast is as much a dog as it appears, then it will likely slam its weight into Keith on its paws next, in hopes of stunning Keith or even breaking his back. Next, it would probably snap its jaws around Keith and shake as hard as it can, in hopes of breaking Keith’s neck. It’s not likely to overly slash and bite, as it wouldn’t see him as a threat so much as small prey. Think of a terrier fighting a small vole — it tries to get the vole to run, stuns it, and slams it about. It saves biting and clawing for animals that can actually fight back.

Sadly, Keith doesn’t seem to fit that category, does he?