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Zach was not a sterling example of sanity himself. The strangling incident weighed heavily on his mind, making him feel vulnerable and nervous. He only went into the jungle now for food, and his stomach was empty once again. Still being somewhat human, he couldn't just go back and continue eating the deer he'd mangled and partly eaten. He gave it a burial of sorts instead, pushing it off the cliff into the sea and scurrying away. He subsided on whatever looked edible, small creatures like mice and lizards and even (he was almost ashamed to admit it) the occasional large bug. But survival was survival, and as long as it was palatable...

He heard a howl and instinctively froze, his tail flicking slightly at the tip as if looking about for an exit route. His human mode of thinking moved to the forefront to calculate. Snakes didn't howl, bears didn't howl, and lions didn't howl. Certainly anything that howled wasn't a native island species of animal either. He breathed a sigh of relief, and called into the brush where the sound had originated from. "Hello?"

The sudden appearance of what looked like a wolf startled him. In a flash he was up against the nearest tree, digging his claws into it in a failing attempt to scramble up to the safety of the treetops. When at last his poor grip made him slide down amidst a scattering of tattered bark, he turned toward the monstrous thing again, wide eyed, fanning his frill out in a last ditch attempt to scare it off. His eyes traced the necklace around the creature's neck and it slowly dawned on him that this was - or had been - a human being. No longer, it seemed. How odd... he could have sworn that it was familiar.

Still, the shock seemed to scare the speech right out of him. For a brief time he was utterly lost for words, resorting only to hissing and growling in a fluctuating pattern that bore little resemblance to English. When he regained his voice, it was tiny and hoarse. He tried to shoo the coyote away with one hand. "Aah... G-get away... get away from me..."

He reached very slowly toward the tree again so he could rise to his feet. His mind screamed to get away, but he just couldn't. The creature seemed to stop its growling and threatening after he spoke, so he tried again. "Pleassse, go..."

He peered anxiously at the coyote when it moved away. A thought occured to him - it was circling for an attack! One hand leapt protectively toward his throat. It was a wonder when the thing seemed to be completely unaggressive. Words were pouring from its canine muzzle. The voice made things finally click. It was no common animal, it was Pyroth!

... Pyroth!?

His jaw hung open slightly. He remembered seeing Pyroth once, a long time ago, but he'd only been slightly dog-looking. A little hunched over, had more pawish hands than normal, but he didn't look anything like this. It was quite a shock. "Pyroth. You- you're- what happened to you?" He pulled away from the tree, standing shakily on two legs. "It'sss okay. I must look like it. I've been feeling the sssame way, though. Sssome lunatic almossst choked me to death recssently, I haven't been felt very sssafe sssince."

"Ah," he said mutely, pursing his lips till the teeth behind them were making ridged indentations in them. He didn't know what to think about the labs right now. They'd just recently kicked him out over a complete accident, so he was less inclined to side with them on any matters. Still, Sabin had helped him many times in the past... He chose to breeze past the issue, letting his tail swish behind him. "How many changesss does that make? They can't change you again, can they?"

"Yellow and black ssscales. He looksss like a sssnake, sssort of," Zach said, his voice thinning out again. Even the thought of that psychopath made him fear for his life. He shook his head, trying to reassure himself the cobra was not around.

"But he shouldn't bother me again. I asssked Sssabin to deal with him before thisss," Zach suddenly grinned triumphantly, forgetting for the time being that the majority of the island did not share his sentiments. Though most of that night had been drowned in panic, he'd rather enjoyed hearing the fragments of ranting that hinted at the snake-man's evident 'punishment'. "He'll regret what he's done to me. Before, and thisss time."

"I can't believe that you... that this happened to you. I mean, you... you look ssso different..." His tail stopped moving. "Oh, be careful around him. Him and Rexss, they're crazy and violent."

He blinked and stretched his wings. He had an answer to Pyroth's question, but put into words it sounded odd. "Uh, I guesss that'sss one way to put it. But Sssabin jussst... he'sss trying to protect me." As an afterthought, he added, "I just can't shake the feeling everyone'sss... after me. I think I'm sssafe and someone comesss along and attacksss me."

He watched Pyroth get closer. It was so odd, speaking to him and hearing him reply, when he looked like that. Like a dog. He could only imagine how horrible it must have been to get changed so drastically, and lose so much of one's old self. He found a little more to appreciate in Sabin's words months ago about his luck with serums. He wasn't this, he wasn't an octopus, he wasn't a snake... he was a dragon, far better than any of those.

He shuffled his feet. "I, er, accssidentally gave Alec sssome food, and a few daysss later I found myssself thrown out here. Moreau made sssome announcssment about it, I guesss. Haven't dared to try finding my way back anyhow, I'd jussst get lost. And even if I did go, I don't think I can get into the village any more. I really misss having a door with a lock."

The paper was beaten by wind, rain and filth, but was still legible.

The handwriting was a blocky script, presumably written by a man.

My Dearest One,

It pains me to write this letter, as these words may be the last I’ll ever speak to you.
You know I am bound for England, to help Ketta through her mourning.
This is a ploy.
I am not getting on that plane.
Even by the time you read this, I may not disclose my location to you. I do not want to get you involved. I cannot lay the burden on you which I have already brought upon myself.
I was foolish, so foolish.

I wish, oh, how I wish I could tell you more. I simply must insist - do not look for me anymore.
My fate has already been sealed. Whether I may see you again remains to be seen.

I will try. And, something inside me tells me that I will. Yes. We will meet again, Emerwyn.

This is a promise.
I'll hold on for you.

Forever in you heart, as you are ever in mine,
Jerrick

P.S. It's in the books.

Though little of this would make much sense to Lucas, the name mentioned would at least ring a bell, for he had indeed met the strange young woman named Emerwyn.



Not too far off, a slightly rejuvinated deer wandered through the thick jungle brush.

Emerwyn had nearly completed her collection of the papers. She was now missing only three.

Two pages of notes - and Jerrick's letter. The photograph she was cherishing as one would cherish a lost pet that recently found its way home.
And speaking of lost pets, Emerwyn's ears perked as she heard something that sounded distincly like the bark of a dog. She knew there was someone turning into a dog hair... really long hair, cried a lot...
This was a dog though. A real, natural, dog.
Emerwyn discovered the truth about this animal when it ran to her, jumping excitedly about her.
The deer panicked, and Emerwyn tripped, falling backward. Her heart beated and she tried so hard to calm herself. The person knew there was nothing to fear, but the animal, the animal needed to run, to protect itself from this demon that was one tenth her size.