This was a very fun collaboration between me and DFired took a while, but we both had a lot of fun! Short synopsis: two friend go on a nature hike in the Brazilian jungle and make the find of the century.
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It was another hot day in the Brazilian jungle. The sun beating down from above the thin canopy of the jungle as two amateur nature photographers, Ben and Zach continue their search. For the past week, they've been searching for an illusive reptile, said to be one of the oldest in the region. As their supplies started to dwindle, they try one more area close to the base of the mountain, before heading back to base camp.

"Man, I can't wait to get back and show them all these flower photos we have!" Ben says sarcastically. "Seriously, I know it's supposed to be hard to find, but I'm starting to doubt this thing even exists!" he says with a bit of frustration as he walks near Zach.

“It’s about the journey Ben.” Zach laughed as he snapped a photo of a…Nile monitor??? Yes. Without a doubt, the speckled 6 foot lizard he had just took a picture of was a Nile monitor. “Uh Ben? What is this lizard doing in a Brazilian jungle? Ben cranes his neck over to see the monitor, and struggles with a nearby bush. "Where? I can't see a thing!" he says trying to look passed the leaves. "Show me your camera?" he asks looking at the expensive equipment.

Zach shook his head. Indeed the out of place lizard had disappeared. No matter he had the photo. “Here…what the heck?” Zach said with surprise. “Look, something happened to the picture." He showed the digital screen to Ben.

Ben looks at the screen in surprise, noticing a that part of the photo was warped. "I think this jungle has got to both us and the camera equipment." he says with a chuckle. "Let's head up that small pass there." Ben says pointing toward a small rocky path that goes up the mountain cliff. "Just be careful of the ivy. I don't wanna pull ants out of you again." he says patting Zach on the back as he walks toward the open pathway.

Suddenly a strange lizard stopped in the center of the path, looking up at them. It was…well hard to describe. It looked like something that should be in the desert, not the jungle. It was covered in spines on its back, and...well Zach had no clue what it was. “Ben? What is this lizard?”

Ben looks surprised at the creature, and almost at a loss for words. "I-I'm not sure!" he says in a hushed voice as to not scare it. "It looks a lot like the description the researchers gave us..." he trails off as he readies his camera and starts taking photos of it. "This is really amazing.. Woah where's it going?" he says in surprise as the lizard creature runs up the path quickly, leaving a little dust kicked up in it's path.

Excitedly, Zach chased the lizard down the path…and stopped dead when he entered a clearing. There was a sheer rock wall in front of them, covered with trees and vines. Carved into the rock was a building that looked like an ancient temple. The door was framed by statues of humanoid lizards standing on two legs with intricate carvings of various reptiles covered the outside walls. Most interesting was a scene above the door. It looked like one of those ape to human montages one would see in a museum. But instead of an ape, this scene depicted a human gradually becoming a lizard. “HISSSSSSSSSSSS” Zach jumped. Two glowing, slitted eyes glared at them from inside the dark doorway. “Uh…Ben?” Zach pointed.

Ben dropped his camera in surprise, causing it to break and fall down the steep, rocky hill. "W-What is that?!" Ben yells out watching the over 6 and a half foot tall lizard man walk toward him. He's covered in dark green scales with a yellowish tint for the underside, and the scales on his spine separate in color with exotic blues and greens. His thickly muscled tail is just over half as long as his body, smacking the ground behind him, as he looks ready to strike. His face is covered in a variety of paints, possibly signifying his role in his society. He looks down on Ben and Zach, ready to defend his home from intruders, until his face changes tone and he lowers his spear, looking relieved.

"Just humans..." he says under his breath, hissing at the end. "Don't be afraid young ones. We will not harm you. I am Talon, guardian and protector of our sacred order. What would you be called?" he asks the two men with a curious look. "H-He's talking! Holy crap!” Ben says in excitement, trying to get his composure. “Oh! I'm Ben, and this is Zach!" Ben says, motioning to Zach who is equally surprised.

Figuring respect would be a safe way to go, Zach bowed to the lizard. “We are honored to meet you?” It was more of a hopeful question than a greeting. “Uh…please don’t kill us! All we are here to do is photograph nature!” he says pleadingly, making a polite, yet nervous bow.

Ben lost in awe of the sight, snaps out of it and realizes what Zach is doing and follows in bowing. "Y-Yes! This is extraordinary! I-I mean, we've never... Are you real?" Ben asks, walking cautiously up to the lizard, who lets out a strange noise that could only be interpreted as laughter. "Oh, it's been a while since we've had humans. I forgot how inquisitive you are." Talon says, sitting down near a rock, propping his spear up nearby. "Come! You must be thirsty." he says, lowering his claw into a nearby pool of water. "It's safe to drink, I assure you."

Cautiously, Zach stepped forward first. He bent down, keeping an eye on the strong looking lizard-man. He cupped his hands in the crisp, cool water and drank. It was instantly refreshing. Looking back, he motioned to Ben. “It’s okay Ben, this is spring water.” Ben joined him. After they had their fill, they stood up. Zach stared at the lizard with an awkward look. “So…what now? Can we leave?” Zach asked nervously.

Talon looks down at Zach with a toothy smile. "Of course, the path back is just the way you came. Watch your step..." he trails off, as a loud sound comes from the path they walked up. "Oh my, it sounds like a storm is coming..." he says looking at the sky with concern as a strange set of dark clouds form on the horizon. "Huh, I've never seen a storm like that... looks wicked." Ben says with a bit of worry. He leans over to Zach who's also watching the coming storm. "I wouldn't want to leave without finding out more anyway..." he says in a whisper to Zach.

“Agreed. Can you believe this? How does no one know about these creatures? Just imagine the publicity our organization will get!” Zach whispered back. Then he turned to Talon. “Okay, Talon, we’ll stay until the storm is past. Lead-“ Zach blinked. He swore he just saw the Nile monitor he saw earlier looking down at him. He shrugged. “Lead on.”Talon chuckles with a strange animalistic growl as he motions them to follow him. Ben points to the large tail on Talon and looks at Zach. "Digitigrade stance with enlarged tail for balance. I bet they also use it as a weapon." he whispers to Zach, trying to take notes of what he sees.

As they enter the courtyard, they're greeted with the sight of a small colony. Several other lizard people can be seen working, cooking or feeding smaller feral lizards of different species. "My god... how have you stayed hidden? There's so many!" Ben says in wonder as he looks around the monastery courtyard.

Talon looks over at the walls and smiles. "We stay hidden from the other races, as we are not ready to share out world..." he says stopping and turning to the two men, showing them a small area that has a few feral lizards roaming around, sun bathing, or being fed by one of the female lizard folk. "We treat all of our ancestral kin with respect, and we learn from their ways. It's how we learn about our past and maintain our future." He says, petting one of the lizards that appears to be a komodo dragon, but with red and black scales.

Zach took a long look around the courtyard. These people seemed so peaceful. So in harmony with nature. He smiled at a female lizard playing with what appeared to be a child. No one even wore… A question came to mind. “Talon? Do you not ever wear clothes?” Zach said…then gulped. He hoped he hadn’t gone too far.

Talon gives Zach a toothy smile. "The most my people wear are holy garments meant for special occasions. Clothing is a human trait. I hope that does not bother you." he says looking a bit concerned at Zach. Ben bends over cautiously and pets one of the feral komodo dragons, scanning it over it's beautiful and exotic look. "I never thought I would see one so colorful... let alone touch it!" He says looking up at the other lizard folk roaming around, catching the eye of a few of them.

Zach suddenly felt a tongue tickle his leg. Looking down he saw the Nile monitor. Now he noticed it was clearly female. Many of these reptiles didn’t belong in Brazil. “Talon? Most of these reptiles aren’t from this continent. What are they doing here?” Zach asked, stroking the scaly head of the monitor.

Talon sits down nearby on a warm rock, as he watches the clouds roll in. "They came here on their own. Their souls are attracted to this place, and we take care of them." he says looking at Zach, giving him a strange feeling. Ben sighs and looks around, taking in the view of the colony. "It's amazing really... and we don't even have a working camera anymore..." he says with a chuckle looking over at Zach. Ben stretches his arms and sits down nearby on a warm rock, which has several other lizard folk also sitting. "Man, the sun just feels so good here..." he says laying back. "It's no wonder they love it here."

Zach’s stomach grumbled. “Urgh…Talon I just realized we haven’t eaten in a while.” He looked over at Ben. “You hungry bud?” He asks, rubbing his stomach. "I haven't eaten since yesterday. Someone took all the power bars..." Ben says, looking over at Zach, who's smiling widely in feigned innocence. Talon perks up at this. "Of course after such a long journey you two must be hungry! Please, we have plenty to eat. Follow me." He motions, as he leads them into a small part of the main building which has several stone stables and stools. "Here, sit." Talon says, pointing at an empty spot as he walks over to speak to one of the other lizard folk.

"Man, I wonder what kind of things they eat. We should be taking more notes..." Ben says, pulling out his notepad and scribbling madly. Zach agreed. This all needed to be documented! Suddenly they were distracted by one of the most beautiful things they’d ever seen.

A young lizard woman about five foot five walks over to the table carrying two bowls. Her scales are bright green with red flecks and black spine spots. Her underside is a bright yellow and white with a thick and powerful tail, with an array of colors painted on the tip. Her eyes are a deep purple, which is offset by her lightly painted face. She sets the bowls on the table and sits down across from us. "Welcome to our home. I am Sky, daughter of Talon." she says nodding bashfully.

"Remarkable! I am Ben, and this is Zach. We study and document creatures of nature." he says with a smile until he looks down at his bowl. Small grubs and insects can be seen squirming around in the inside, making his stomach turn in unison. "Oh... I-I haven't had grubs since I was in Africa..." he says politely, looking a little green in the face from the memory.

Zach didn’t hear Ben. He was staring at Sky. Her smooth, supple scales seemed to glint in the light and her purple eyes were mesmerizing. Suddenly he felt a nudge. Ben was looking at him with a smile on his face. Zach shook his head. “What?”

"Like what you see, huh?" "Ben says in a whisper, looking back at the bashful lizard girl with a polite smile. "Do you have any fruits? I'm not much of a grub guy..." he says looking down at his squirming bowl as his stomach gurgles with hunger. "Well... I guess if I eat it quick enough..." he says as he reaches down and grabs a few really fast and shoves them into his mouth, wincing and closing his eyes as he chews. His face turns from one of disgust to one of relief. "Woah, these are actually pretty good! What are they exactly?" he says, pulling a few more in.

"We cultivate them in our gardens. They thrive in the roots of our sweet trees. They're very tasty." she says giggling as she watches Ben eat. "What about you? Are you not going to eat?" she says looking at Zach with a bit of concern. Zach stared at the grubs and covered his mouth trying to avoid gagging. “I’m sorry Sky…I can’t do it. They are so squirmy!” He heard munching next to him. “Ben? How are you eating those?” He asked as he watched Ben take another bite.

Ben shrugged his shoulders as he finishes eating another, sighing in relief. "It's not so bad! They actually taste really good! Kind of like sweet meat or something." he says as he puts another one in. Talon walks over to the table and sits down, looking pleased at Ben.

"I see you're enjoying our hospitality! I just arranged for a place to sleep in the corner over by where the sun is. It's a great view of the valley." he says with a smile, as he watches Ben eat more, then turning to look at Zach. "You should try to eat young one. It's really all we have to offer, and that storm doesn't seem to be breaking..." he says with a bit of concern toward Zach.“I appreciate what you are trying to do for me, but I can’t eat worms!” Zach said resolutely.

Talon shrugs his shoulders "Very well then, they will be here if you change your mind." he says, as he picks Zach's bowl up and hands it off to a lizard boy who's quickly grabs it and runs it to the back room. "You both study nature? How interesting. Our nature is something we hold so dear to us." Sky says, looking over at Zach with a bit of interest. "You both should come with me later and see the gardens. It's where we take care of our ancestral young." she says, pointing out of a stone window to a small green area near the edge of the wall. Ben stops eating for a moment, and wipes his face with a satisfied look.

"This is probably one of the best meals I've had in a long time. Definitely beats Africa!" he says, patting Zach on the back. "Tell me, what part of nature do your people connect with?" she asks, looking over at Zach.

Zach thought hard. “Unfortunately, most of my people think of nature as something to be exploited, something that gets in the way.” Zach said nervously. Ben kicked him under the chair. “But I've never seen nature produce something so beautiful!” Zach quickly said, taking in the shiny scaled form in front of him. It was true. Sky was as good looking as any human woman. Even with the lack of breasts. There was something about her curves, her strong tail, and expressive muzzle that was extremely attractive.

Ben watches Zach with a bit of amazement, seeing his friend ogle over the lizard woman. He quickly interjects before the staring becomes awkward. "...Yes, well at least we, along with a decent amount of conservationists here in Brazil, try our best to protect and document nature to the best of our abilities..." Ben says, trying to clear up a bleak image of humanity. "I understand your people. Probably a little better than you do..." Talon says with a knowing chuckle. "I've seen the kinds of things your kind do, both evil and good, and I'm glad that we've not hosted to any menacing ones." he says looking over at his daughter with a toothy smile.

"You've met others? Oh my gosh, what am I saying, you're probably at least a century old..." Ben says with a bit of astonishment at his own obvious observations. "Tell me, why do they call you Zach?" Sky asks pointedly at Zach, who breaks out of his day dreamed faced for a moment.

“I-I-I…” Zach stammered. He couldn’t get over Sky’s beauty. He felt like a school boy trying to ask his crush out for the first time. Finally he came to his senses. “Why do they call me Zach? Erm….” He tried to remember the urban dictionary. “Well it fits my personality. In human culture Zach means cunning, smart, likes to have fun, social…those kind of things.”

Ben laughs, watching his friend struggle in front of the lizard girl. Suddenly, he starts to feel a bit tired, and a tiny bit cold. He almost wishes he could just go outside and lay under the sun for a moment and take a long nap. Talon, ever watchful, takes notice of this. "Let's go outside to the gardens, where you may see our ancestral young." he says standing up and motioning for them to follow. Ben shakes Zach, who breaks from his mesmerized state, and agrees silently with a little bit of a blush.

As they walk outside into the warm sun, it's almost rejuvenating to feel the warmth on their skin again. The storm seems to be raging off in the distance, but looks to be avoiding the monastery completely. Maybe it's not as bad as it seemed and they could return sooner than later.

However, the rocks in the gardens, which look like they've seen plenty of sitting, feel so inviting. "Please, sit! Relax and enjoy our gardens." Talon says insistently. The gardens were beautiful with several flowers that Ben takes note of being quite rare, and there were a few different species of lizard running around, sun bathing, or eating.

The two sit down on the warm rock, which looks to be at one point an altar of some sort that was overtaken by the overgrowth. "This place is so amazing... it's almost too unreal..." Ben says, secretly pinching himself. He lays back onto the rock, letting himself feel the warm sun on his chest, drying his slightly damp clothes. Sky looks over at Zach and sits next to him, examining him and giggling as she sits closer to the shy human.

Zach scooted further over away from the lizard girl. He cast furtive looks at her, hoping she wouldn’t notice. He felt so awkward around her. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her starting at him with a smile on her reptilian face. Hoping she would get up and leave he tried looking away….his eyes bulged as he felt a pressure on his leg. Looking down he saw a clawed, green scaled hand feeling his cargo pants. He looked into Sky’s purple eyes, speechless.

“Why do you where this stuff? Don’t you want to let your scales breathe?” She asked. Talon gave her a sharp look. But Zach didn’t notice. “We wear them to make sure our legs don’t get torn up or insects bite us.” Zach explains, blushing a little bit as he tried to avert his eyes to something else.

Talon gives Sky a hard look, which causes her smile to drift away as she pulls back a bit, scooting away. "I'm sorry, it's been a long time since we've seen your kind. You change so fast..." she says, causing Talon to sigh shaking his head. "Yes, your kind does seem to go from one thing to the next quite quickly. It's amazing to see how much your people have grown since I was in my ancestral form." he says looking down at a little iguana that runs by.

Ben lets out a sigh of relief enjoying the sun warming his body. "What do you mean ancestral form?" he asks, not lifting his head up. "Ah... at a young age, our kind must become one with our ancestral form. It's our way of understanding where we come from and it helps shape who we are." he says motioning to the feral lizards throughout the garden. This causes Ben to sit up slightly to look around. "You mean your kind go through some kind of metamorphosis? Uh.. a change I guess you could say." he says trying to make his words clear with a people he's never met before.

"Yes... It's one of our most sacred of rituals." Talon says reaching down to pet one of the iguana that have ran by him. "If you would like, we could demonstrate it to you later if you wish..." he says looking over at Sky with a nod. "That would be fantastic! Wow... this whole place is just fantastic..." Ben says idly as he lays back, feeling the warm sun on him once more. Sky whispers something to Talon while looking at Zach, who seems a bit per-occupied with a little monitor that wandered over to him.

“What is this one?” Zach asks, looking at the speckled lizard. It was at least six feet long. “I saw it on the trail, and again at the entrance to your village. He bent down to rub its scaly head, and marveled at how smooth the scales felt. Almost like silk. “Her name is Mona...” she said in a whisper, causing Zach nearly fell on his behind when he saw Sky’s face next to his. She’d bent down less than five inches away from his face. “Oh sorry! You are so cute when you get scared my pet!” “Wha-?” Zach started. “Excuse me gentlemen. I need to have a word with my daughter.” Talon took sky by the arm and led her out of earshot.

“Are you trying to panic the humans? You are the shaman. You must act like one.” He said, fuming.
“S-sorry father.” Sky said mournfully. Talon looks at her suspiciously. “What makes you think they are going to stay feral?” he asked. “I don’t know.” She said, looking back at Zach, who was still petting the monitor, and Ben who was lazing on a rock.

“Something about them just tells me that they will never fully be like you and me.” Talon nodded. “Just be more careful, less obvious please. I don’t want to panic them.” He headed back to the two men. “I apologize for my daughter. She gets very excitable when new humans find us.” he says apologetically.

Ben chuckles a little as he lays there. "It's okay, my friend gets the same way when he sees a girl." he says teasingly, causing Zach to kick his leg which has been dangling a little over the edge of the rock. "You should really relax! It's been a long time since we've rested, and I just feel amazing right now." Ben says, patting the rock next to him for Zach to lay down on. Zach looks a bit cautiously at the stone and his friend. It seems so strange that his friend who was so inquisitive and excited to see a new culture is just now laying there. However, the urge to just relax was starting to overcome him and he lays there looking up at the warm sun. It did feel nice, and almost like a warm blanket, making his muscles relax and feel at ease.

Sky lays down on her belly on the other side of the rock, watching the two, as she bends her legs back. It looks almost is if she's enjoying some kind of show while laying in bed. "It feels so nice... I feel like I could lay here all day." Ben says with a smile on his face. He bends his head up and smiles at the lizard girl watching them. Unbeknownst to him, specs of dark green can be seen shimmering on his forehead, almost as if some of the scales from the others have fallen off and have stuck to him.

“Ha! Ben if I didn’t know better I’d say you were a lizard too. You are laying around like a lazy reptile.” Zach joked as he saw the scales on Ben’s forehead, making Sky laugh. Zach blinked at her. Her laugh was almost as beautiful as her. He found himself staring at her again. She was so…beautiful.

Ben looked sleepily over at Zach. He could swear something was different about him, but he couldn't put his finger on it. "There must be something about this place. Even I want to lay down on this rock and lay here all day..." Ben says smiling up at the clear skies. Zach couldn't help but eye the beautiful lizard girl, and she knew it. She kept smiling at him a toothy grin, making him feel a little bit uncomfortable. "What? What is it? Is there something on my face?" Zach says instinctively scratching a bit on his head. His fingers run across a few strange bumps, making him feel around them in curiosity. "Must be bug bites or something. Hey! Ben!" he says, kicking his friend who is able to moan a 'What?' in a sleepy daze.

"Do I have zits or something on my head?" he says in a whisper. "Yeah, sure. Whatever okay, just let me rest." Ben says with a bit of irritation, pushing his friend back a bit. Talon sat across watching the two, watching silently, smiling a knowing smile. The first signs of change have already started and were increasing. Sky was no different. She watched them with interest seeing their skin start to change, little by little. Zach feels around his head some more, and can feel more bumps than last time. "Sky, do you see anything on my head?" he asks her, pushing his hair out of the way for her to see. "No, nothing that I can tell... It looks normal to me!" she says with a giggle.

"Gah! This is ridiculous, I'm just getting eat up out here!" Zach says laying back on the rock and staring a bit angrily up at the sky. The warm sun felt great to just lay under. He wondered how Ben could sleep like this. It just felt weird. He turns to look over at Ben and is shocked when he noticed more green on his face. Almost as if he's growing scales! This makes him concerned and reaches for his own forehead in a shocking realization.

Feeling his forehead, Zach finds a few flecks of skin that were incredibly smooth…they reminded him of the monitor he felt earlier. Suddenly, under his finger he felt some more skin on his forehead gently harden and smooth. “What the!” Zach exclaimed, sitting up. That was definitely not normal! He had to get out of here! Suddenly, a scaly hand lay on his shoulder and all his worries slowly evaporated.

Looking back he saw Sky with a bowl. “Zach, I can hear your stomach grumbling from here. Isn’t it time you had something to eat?” Zach looked into the bowl and saw the squirming worms from earlier. “I already told you I didn’t want bugs.” he says insistently. “Oh? You are staring at them like they are the last food on earth. Come on Zach, give one a try….for me?” Sky fixed him with those beautiful purple eyes and his heart melted. Picking up a particularly plump worm, he popped it in his mouth. His eyes shot open. “Oh! Sky, these are wonderful! Did you make them?” he asked. “Of course.” Sky said as she looked back to her father. Talon gave her a smile.

Zach tears into the bowl, eating down the entire thing hungrily. The sounds made Ben snap awake, realizing he fell asleep. He groggily shakes himself off, and looks over at his friend who's eating and smiling with Sky. "Wow, I didn't even realize I fell asleep..." he says rubbing his forehead, feeling the smooth scales under his hand. "Wh... what the heck..." he mutters to himself, as he feels around his face. Looking down at his nose, he notices it's a bit shorter, and green. "W-Woah what is going on?" he asks, feeling a bit itchy all over. Zach slurps up another one and looks at him, chuckling lightly. "Wow, you were right! These bugs are amazing!" he says, as Sky puts another into his mouth playfully, causing the two of them to giggle. Ben however, was not in a giggling mood. He looks over at Talon, who seems to be pleased with what's going on.

"Wh-what is going on?" he asks, almost afraid of the answer. "You're just tired. Maybe you should lay down, and get some more rest. Wouldn't that feel good?" Talon says, with a bit of a calm hiss at the end of his words. Ben slowly stops rubbing around, and makes a groggy little smile. "Y-yeah... I must be... I..." he says falling back slowly, laying on the rock. Talon gets up from his rock and kneels over to Ben who's laying, looking up at the sky with a groggy half smile. "Wouldn't it feel nice to get some sun on your back? You should take your shirt off. It would feel so nice to just feel the warm rays on your skin..." Talon says, making another calm, almost hypnotic hiss in his words. Ben nods, and takes his shirt off, revealing most of his skin has started to become green with scales.

Zach has been paying most of his attention to Sky to notice. That is until he saw the crumpled shirt land near his leg, making him look over at his friend in a bit of a wide eyed shock. "Woah! What the heck man! You have sca...!" he starts to say, but sky puts one of her sharp talons up to his mouth in a shushing motion. "He's sleeping. You wouldn't want to wake him. Besides, aren't we having fun?" she says, rubbing one of her hands down his back a little. "Oh... yeah! U-umm it's just th..." he trails off, looking a bit conflicted with his emotions.

"It's okay. Lie on your stomach. I will take the stress out of you." she says instructing him. He looks over at Ben, and wonders if the same is happening to him. Is something changing him, but at the same time, another emotion seems to contradict him. Making him think this is normal. He couldn't explain it, but without much of a fight, he found himself laying down, and removing his shirt as well.

Small scales have started to form around his spine and around his stomach. He could feel new ones growing in, feeling a bit of a thickening as they do. On one hand, he wanted to run away in fear, but on the other, it just felt so good, and natural. He found himself caught in the middle of this conflict in his mind, but his body was already making it's own decisions. "I know you've wanted this. I could tell by the way you were petting that monitor..." she says, rubbing his back with a bit of a massage. He groaned a little, her hands seem to wash away the worries and pains. "Wouldn't you love to just crawl around on your belly? Enjoy the warm summers, lazily laying around?" she says as her hands reach down to his lower back. "Wouldn't you just love to have a strong tail..." she says, making him moan a half 'yesss' back with a little hiss.

In his mind, he could imagine it. See himself crawling around, escaping through the jungle as a monitor. Living, hunting... it just seemed so appealing. She reached and pulled on his lower back, forming a small bump near the base of his spine. It made him wince a little, he knew what was coming, and a part of his mind tried to fight it. "Don't resist. Let it grow... it's just begging to come out..." she says as it pulses and pushes out a little bit. His mind struggling to keep himself from giving in and pushing the whole tail out. "Shh... just let me see your tail. Show me your inner reptile..." she says, pulling and feeling another jolt pulse through as more bone pushes into it. He felt a bit of a wild excitement, and a great fear. He could feel it in her hands, and it was growing slowly, bones forming, and he could almost feel it wiggle. He tried so hard to fight, but it seems like his struggle was in vain, as another bone formed, making the tail grow larger. "That's it... we need more... come now, don't hold back. Do it for me..." she says with a hypnotic hiss.

The strange feelings were too much. “No!” Zach suddenly stood up. Sky gave a frightened hiss as she stumbled back. She watched in frustration as the tail receded to a mere bump in his pants, and the scales turned back into ugly pink skin save for the few on his forehead. “Zach…you hurt me.” Sky said, showing him a place where some scales had been ripped off from her fall. This broke Zach’s heart and made him forget about the incident. “Sky, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me...” He said helping her up. Sky still looked hurt, and she returned to her father, leaving Zach standing there with scales on his forehead and lump in his pants, looking confused.

“What happened father?” Sky asked, distraught. “It’s okay... Some humans are more resistant than others. You were right, these two will forever be feral. I know you wanted a new friend, but just be patient.” he says petting her head as she hugged him.

Sky nods at her father. She thought that she could see a fire in Zach's eyes that she could connect with, but looking over at him confused and reluctant, she realizes that he's not ready to be like her people. Zach stares at his scales slowly retreating with a curious eye, almost unaware that Ben has started to slowly shift next to him.

Ben was fast asleep, his mind filled with images of being so low to the ground, looking and hunting for something. However, something felt off. His body just wasn't meant for this kind of hunting. It felt hard to move on all fours, making him grunt in unhappiness. He just wished his legs worked like they were supposed to. Suddenly, he could feel himself stretching. A strange feeling of pushing. He concentrated harder, thinking of being closer to the ground.

Zach looked over at his sleeping friend, who was oddly laying on his belly. He saw his legs move slightly, almost as if they're shifting. Ben focused on becoming better, faster and stronger. He grunted more, feeling a nub push out, growing slowly into a thick tail. He felt new bones form in it, connecting them, and sending waves of pleasure through his body as it grew inch by inch.

Zach watched in shock as the nub grew to the point where it broke passed his pants and started to wiggle outwards. He was about to say something when a warm hand started rubbing his shoulders. Zach's worries seem to just melt away, making him moan in happiness. "Your friend wants this... let him change..." she says whispering into his ear. Zach felt strange about it, but agreed, watching his friend change. He felt a certain peace about it, subconsciously cheering him on. Ben in his dream, felt the tail grow longer, and finally drag against the ground behind him. It finally felt like it should, and his hips began to crack and take form, allowing his tail to connect to his underside, and pushing his legs up closer.

Zach started to feel a change of his own. He reached behind and pinched lightly at the nub, causing it to grow between his fingers. He smiles as he felt it start to push out and fill his hand, starting to twitch with new feeling and change as it grew out. "Yes, feel your form return... become your true self." Sky hissed into his ear, making him feel calm and at ease. A certain level of elation filled his heart ans he felt it push tightly against his pants and start to snake a bit down his pant leg.

The feeling of pressure broke Zach from his trance-like state. But this time the pressure stayed. Looking back he saw a thick bulge running halfway down his pant leg. He could feel the cool scales against his skin. A completely alien feeling. Inhuman. He looked at Ben. He was on the rock laying on his belly with his eyes shut, arms draped over the sides. Scales covered most of the skin that Zach could see, and he could see scales slowly spreading over the remaining human skin. His lower back was shaped oddly. His legs connected directly into his body instead of facing downwards…and they weren’t human. They ended in wicked looking claws. A long tail connected directly into his back, the tatters of his pants clinging onto it pitifully. “

Zach took a look at Ben, whose face was now protruding slightly. He felt his spine add another link to the tail. “But what about my job…” He asked. He had a high paying job at home after all, and this would have been a huge score in his photography career.

Sky hugged him from behind, letting him feel her cool scales against his back. "You would gain so much more..." she says whispering in his ear, sending tingles through his body. A few more links connect to his tail, and it starts to push even further down his pant leg. He could feel the warm appendage wiggle slightly. "You could live a life here without the worries of your work, and allow yourself to explore a side of your body you've never known..." she says with a light hiss.

“A side of my body I have never known…” He felt his pants begin to rip. “What do you mean exactly, Sky?” Zach asked. “Not that I want this, mind you, I want to go home. But I’m just curious.” He said. But it sounded like he was more trying to convince himself than Sky.

Sky turned him around and looked him into his eyes which have become slitted. "Look at me... look at what you are..." she says, making him stare deep into her beautiful eyes. He found himself almost downing in the deep darkness of her iris. He could see himself swimming, but not in a way he was familiar with. It felt great, being able to just sway his body back and forth, feeling the warm water on his scales. He found himself ashore, digging his claws deep into the sand, and felt his heavy tail drag behind him. He looked up at the stars and smiled. This was right and where he belonged. It made sense. Zach came back to his senses, and found himself face to face with Sky, looking into her eyes, and almost seeing a little Nile Monitor looking back at him.

Zach thought of his life back in the states. Yes, he had a decent job. But it was stressful to be sure. He continued looking into Sky’s eyes. “No worries… it sounds good.” Suddenly he was confused. He didn’t know why, but he wanted this beautiful lizard woman to help him. All he could think of was one thing. He kissed her hand, and it turned into a lick. Her scales were slightly salty, but very cool. “Sky…I don’t know what is going on…help me.” he said pleadingly.

Sky put a scaly hand to Zach’s face. “Don’t my scales feel good?” She asked. Zach leaned into her hand…they were so smooth…so cool. “Yes.” he says idly, feeling them closely. “Wouldn’t you like some of your own?” Sky pressed. “Let them out!” She hissed in his ears and began rubbing his head. She suppressed a hiss of joy as she saw his skin hardening under her expert touch. “Now, what about my tail?” She turned around and offered it to him. Zach ran his hands over the muscular appendage. It twitched under his grip. “Let yours out!” She hissed softly. “You’ll keep better balance if you do.”

Zach agreed with her, he certainly was wobbly and a third leg would help with that. He strained the muscles in his back… and fell to his hands and knees as an intense pleasure hit him. It felt like his spine was flowing backwards. It ripped through his pants and fell heavily to the ground. He made to stand, but found he was more comfortable in this position.

Sky smiled and knelt down next to him, making him feel comfortable. He let out a grunt of discomfort as his toes pushed hard against the ends of his shoes. "Your claws need freedom from this prison. Here..." she says calmly, as she removes his shoes. His socks were almost completely torn to shreds by the extending of his feet, as his toes became longer and the nails at the end became sharper. He felt the ground for the first time with his scaled feet and it just felt right.

His legs began to shift and form, as his feet elongated more, making him drop lower to the ground. She stayed close to him as to make sure he didn't fall. He noticed that the closer he got to the ground, the more his tail kept his balance. His hips re-shifted and his tail moved more to form with his lower body. He let out a hiss of happiness. He was confused at first, but it's making more sense now. This is where he wants to be. Here with Sky, and this wonderful garden. Living under the warm sun, and enjoying the company and the watchful and loving eyes of Sky.

Sky bent down next to the changing man. “Now, doesn’t being on the ground feel right?” Zach looked up at her and hissed. “Too much skin on me!” He tried to rub his head, but found his front legs too short. “Oh, let me help you shed it.” Sky gently began running her claws over his skin, But they weren’t bloody. A beautiful tan and black hide was being revealed. She then took his face and began rubbing it gently. With every caress, she had more of his face to rub. She could feel the skin hardening under he claws, looking over her soon-to-be pet, she could see scales visibly appearing on his skin. Time for a test. “Zach? What are you?” she asked him in a whisper. “I’m a Nile Monitor…” Zach replied. Sky gave a happy hiss, and gave him a lick on his short nose. Running a claw through his clothes, she relieved him from his body, revealing his completely scaled form. “Now Zach, stretch! Grow to your full length!” Zach pushed his back and front claws as hard as he could and hissed as he felt his body stretching. When the feeling stopped, it was replaced by bliss as Talon walked over.

Talon squatted down next to Zach, and smiled, looking at the change that he's accomplished. "Your friend has joined you... come." he says, as he and Sky carefully pick up Zach who is now half his original height, placing him on the rock next to a familiar looking komodo dragon. Zach couldn't hold back his joy as he saw his friend who was fully changed into a komodo dragon, looking back him with an expression of bliss. "Now young Zach. Let the changes finish. Become your true self!" Sky says rubbing under his chin with a little hiss. Zach felt himself pushing forward more, as his face elongated and stretched out before his eyes. He could feel little teeth sharpen inside his mouth as his tongue forked it's way out of his lips.

He could still feel himself, and remember his life. It felt out of place, and wrong in a way. He couldn't explain it. He felt a bit confused by the memories, as if they weren't real. Talon and Sky nodded to each other and held their hands over the two feral lizards. "Ancestors hear our call! Accept these two and show them the ways. Show them our ways. Make them whole!" they called out in a chant. Zach and Ben looked at each other, both having been changed almost completely. The final changes started, as their bodies shrank a bit more, becoming smaller and smaller, til they were a quarter of their size. They seemed much younger now, and their minds were filling with a strange haze. The memories they had before starting to fade, almost to the point where images became a blur. As the ritual continued, they felt a strange energy flowing through them, and newer memories filled their minds. Thousands of years of instinct flooding their minds, replacing their old lives.

Zach looked up at his master Sky with love. Nothing would ever happen to her while he was here to guard her. She began hissing at him, what he now understood as reptile speech. She wanted to feed him. With joy he saw her hold out a large egg. He immediately crunched down on it, enjoying the yolk running down his throat.

Ben licked the air, tasting the nice smell coming from Zach's egg. He wanted to try a bit, but as he went over to Zach, he gave an angry looking scowl, and placed his tail in front of the egg protecting it. Ben backed away, licking the air in the hopes of finding something nearby when he sees a nearby patch of dirt and begins digging, hoping to find eggs underneath. Sky smiles at his digging and puts another egg down, this time in front of Ben. He hisses happily as he smashes the egg open and begins drinking it's sweet nectar inside, protecting it with his own tail in case that other lizard decides to come over and steal it.

Sky looked down on her pets with love. Particularly Zach. The monitor had been so sweet to her. Hopefully, once he grew up, he’d join as a full member of their tribe and be her mate. She felt a claw on her shoulder. “Excellent work daughter.” Talon said happily. “They look so much happier now.” Sky said as Ben closed his eyes and sunned himself. Zach however, had wandered over to her side dutifully. She ran a claw along the scales on his head, and he thrummed in pleasure. “It looks like you may have a mate one day.” Talon said. Sky smiled and looked off at the sunset, thinking of a way to make her wish come true...