Summary: A human girl meets Cama Zotz who turns her into a bat for the Underworld! Zotz promises her human life again, but with this god, things are not as it seems.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Silverwing series. Live with it!

Note: Zotz's description is based on my interpretation on what Kenneth says...just saying...

"Please pull through…" I heard my mother whisper in my ear. I wasn't feeling too well. I heard that I have some fatal disease. I don't really know what kind it is, but I heard that insects carry it. I regretted going outside.

I'm Xochiquetzal, though back home in America, they call me Zally. I'm part Mayan and part something else…. I was spending my summer vacation with my mother here in South America as I always do. The rest of the year was spent with my father in America.

This summer was different than the rest. It rained a week ago and I went outside afterwards, ignoring my mother's warning of disease carrying insects that came out after a good rain.

Now I'm here, in the worst pain I've ever felt in my life.

My arm shivered, but I wasn't doing anything. I felt horrible and cold. And sometimes I shuddered uncontrollably. It hurts to breathe. And sometimes I see things, my most recent one of giant dragonflies fluttering around the hut.

I heard my mother muttering prayers to Cama Zotz. I couldn't understand what she was saying. And why was she praying to the god of death? Did she think I wasn't going to make it and asking Zotz to take care of me? Or was she begging the bat god not to take me yet?

As I had once before, I started seeing things again. But this time, it was different. Mostly a pair of eyes…pitch black eyes. It felt strangely real. And it started only when my mother started praying.

My mother wasn't the only one here with me. The healer was here too, but she's given up some time ago. She too was praying to Zotz.

I too felt like losing hope. Nothing that was tried to help me was futile. I've eaten herbs and other healing plants, but nothing. I drank the healing nectar of a flower I've never seen before. But still nothing.

If anything, I started feeling worse. My mother stopped praying and looked at me for a really long time. I stared back, feeling tired.

She moved her fingers through my hair. She had a look on her face. It was sad, but also had this strange mix of relief.

I fell asleep, knowing too well I won't wake up.

"Do not worry. Zotz will know what to do with you…" was the last thing I heard in the living world.

---

I was somewhere dark. There was a pillar of light that I lay in the middle of. Was this death? Why was I awake? I sat up, looking hard at the darkness that stretched for eternity outside my light.

What was that sound? It was a faint whooshing sound that I knew wings made. It grew louder and I figured that the wings must be very large.

I screamed in shock and terror as a large creature zoomed over my head. Portions of it were lit from the light for only a split second before darkness swallowed it up again. I heard it land somewhere out there and I could hear it's massive steps moving towards me.

I considered running, but out there? My almost instinctive fear of the dark kept me glued to the spot.

The creature stopped before me and the light grew to include it as well.

This creature was huge, wings hundreds of feet across. Its head looked like a bat's skull with a crest on the back. The skin on its face was scaly and white. Its eyes were pitch black and unnerving to look into. Its jagged teeth didn't make my nervousness disappear.

Its body was furred with brown, black glistening on the tip of each hair. It was muscular, especially around the chest and shoulders. It had a long neck and wings like a bat, but with three fingers instead of just a thumb. It walked on all fours, its black leathery wings held tightly against its body. Behind it, there was a thick fur-covered tail that swayed slowly.

I stared at it, too scared to move. If this was death, it's very frightening. Was this some kind of demon native?

The thing made a hissing bat-like noise, like it was talking to me, but I don't understand it. It seemed to pick up on the fact and spoke in a way I DID understand.

"You are speechless." It pointed out in a deep, almost threatening, slightly raspy voice; as if it almost never spoken Human language. I swallowed. There was some kind of screeching noise in the background when it spoke. Almost like thousands of animals screaming at once.

"Where am I?" was the only thing I could choke out at the moment. The creature was silent, almost thoughtful.

"This is my kingdom. The Underworld. It is for bats, but I received a special request just for you." It said.

The Underworld? That must mean that this horrifying creature is-

"Cama Zotz?" I muttered softly. It smiled in a proud manner.

"That I am." It responded. So this is Cama Zotz…he's quite different than what I was led to believe. We assumed he was human enough in form with only a little bit of bat, but this is far from human and a lot of bat.

Unable to think of much else, I bowed my head respectfully. I've been thinking him as a kind of animal, even a demon. He was actually something to be held with much more dignity.

"Please forgive me. I did not know." I said in a docile tone, humbling myself for my mistake. Surely, he'll be able to read my thoughts...right?

"Your apologies are accepted. Now as to what I have got planned for you..." He said. I nodded, not looking at him. I hoped I've pleased him in my life. I've been taught that he'll severely punish you if you mocked him, like biting your head off... (Yes, I've been teased in America for my foreign beliefs….so I learned to keep my mouth shut on such subjects…)

Despite what my father insisted I believe, I always had faith in Zotz.

"I'm ready for anything you tell me." I said. I peeked up at him and saw a look of amusement.

I blinked and suddenly felt different…..smaller….furrier? And since when did I only see in black and white? My arms and hands feel different…so does my nose and ears….and just about everything.

I looked down at myself and what I saw was a great shock. I was some kind of bat! Zotz somehow turned me into a bat!

Nothing against the flying mammals, but this was a huge change.

I screamed, a high pitched noise I wasn't familiar with. I felt one of Zotz's great wing paws on me, pushing my elongated jaws against the…ground(if it could be called that) in an attempt to muffle my squeals.

I relaxed and stopped my screeches. Zotz released me.

"I know this comes to a shock for you. But this is for the better." The god told me in reassurance. I trusted him and nodded dully. "You will now be better accustomed to my world. And you will serve me loyally."

I didn't dare disagree. I just nodded again, taking a deep shaky breath. I'll get over it soon, just not yet.

I blinked again, and I was in for another shock. I wasn't in the same place. I was in some kind of forest, almost like the ones I see in America. It seemed to be night with stars bright enough to light the scene. I couldn't see Cama Zotz anywhere.

I looked around. Almost instinctively, I let out a few clicks. I grunted in surprise as images filled my head, sharper than I suspected possible. So this is what it's like to be a bat. My ears felt more useful than ever.

I flared my wings and started to beat them in the hopes of learning to fly. I felt heavy though and couldn't work up the needed power.

Sighing, I rested from my exertion. What kind of bat am I? I was bigger than the American bats I've spotted before in my life, I was sure of that.

Some bat I am…Can't even fly.

"Help me Zotz." I whispered to the leaf litter below me. I don't know why, but I'm hating this ground-bound deal. It's like my old human fear of the dark.

A wind picked up from behind me and I knew Zotz was giving me an opportunity. I spread my wings again and took off. I beat my wings hard when the wind died down. This time, I had more power inside me and I managed to stay aloft for a few moments.

And during that time, I spotted some small bats with gray fringes on the wings and face and I headed for them, wondering what it'll be like to have a conversation with a bat.

However, they saw me and zoomed off, crying out a warning.

"Vampyrum!"

I crashed to the ground then and I heard two things: bats yelling in panic as they flew further away…

And Zotz laughing at me.