Janet found herself awake early the next morning, unable to get back to sleep. The sun was just rising outside, and Janet made her way out of the tent into the fresh morning air. She wasn't too surprised to find Cameron fixing breakfast over the campfire and she went to sit next to the wolf-man.

"I heard what you said last night to your friend." Janet was startled by Cameron's words. The hunter didn't seem to notice. His attention was fixed on the pan of eggs he was frying over the flames. "What you said about me and the panther... how you think I'm a ghost." The wolf's ears flicked lightly and he pulled the pan out of the fire, grabbing up a wooden plate out of a pile of them that had been sitting next to him. He flopped the eggs onto the plate and handed it to Janet. The windian accepted them slowly and Cameron continued.

"I was thinking about that all night, and I think you're right." His tail beat slowly against the ground as it wagged uneasily. "I can't remember my life outside of this hunt... all I can remember is the hunt repeating itself over and over again..." This time Janet was truly aware of the sadness that echoed in the hunter's voice. She gazed up at him thoughtfully and found that he was making more eggs, a solemn look on his face as he started to speak again.

"I don't want to be caught in this loop... I'm tired... and I want to go home, wherever that is now. I want to see my wife and son again..." the wolf sighed an empty sigh as he gazed into the fire.

Janet poked at her eggs and set her plate down, turning to the hunter as she spoke quietly. "Lucy said there was a way for you to end this..."

Cameron nodded. "I heard that too... something has to change... something has to end." He let out a quiet growl. "The panther or I... one of us has to win our next fight." He shook his head. "I don't want to die again, not until I've gotten back at that cat for what it's put me through..."

Janet nodded slightly. "You said whenever you hunt it, that it's all a repeating loop. Does that mean that every time you fight the cat, the same things always happen?"

"I said there was a pattern." Cameron nodded. "But I guess the pattern is just this loop, so yea... I know what'll happen before it happens."

"When do you fight the cat next?"

Cameron considered the question for a moment and shook his head. "If this time is like all of the others... then I'll fight it again today."

Janet felt the hair on the back of her neck prick up. "Today?" Cameron nodded again.

"Which means you three will see it too." He shook his head. "I'm sorry... I can't just leave you all out here alone, and I said that I'd get you to the volcano, but now it looks like that won't happen." The hunter's voice trailed off and Janet knew what he meant. He was talking about how the loop would soon repeat itself. He must have realized that he had just managed to pull the trio into the dangerous loop, and he gazed down at Janet apologetically. "I wouldn't have brought you all out here if I had known."

"No," Janet shook her head. "No, it's alright. We're here now. Maybe when the cat attacks today, maybe we'll be able to help you somehow, and maybe we can stop this."

"Maybe." Cameron shrugged and reached for another wooden plate. The second batch of eggs that he had been frying was done, and he dropped them onto the plate before starting up some more eggs. Janet stood up and went back to the tents to wake up Lucy and Ray for breakfast.

It was afternoon and the four were journeying through the woods again. Lucy and Ray couldn't help but notice that Janet and the hunter both seemed to be rather uneasy as they made their way through the thick forest. Neither of them knew that Janet and Cameron were both awaiting what was in store for the party later on in the day.

He should know when it'll happen. Janet glanced up at the hunter that was leading the trio through the woods. He's been through this before... he'll know when to expect it.

Cameron was expecting it. He gazed around the woods, eyeing the scenery carefully as he led the group through the forest. He knew the panther would be out there, but he also knew that he'd be able to spot it first. It had happened like this before, and it would again. And again... the hunter thought to himself. And again and again and again... He knew the windian was right. Cameron always had the suspicion that something was wrong during the times he was hunting, he just had never known what. But now I know, he thought. And I'm tired... and I just want it to stop. Currently the hunter was doing his best to hold to his word that he had given Ray before they left. He was trying to get the trio to the volcano passage so that they could continue their journey, and he was still intent to do just that. Now, however, all I can do is get them as close to their destination as I can before it's too late. He motioned for Ray to walk next to him, and the dragon quickened his pace to match with the hunter's. Cameron nodded up to what sky could be seen through the tops of the trees.

"When we get closer to the volcano," he started to explain, "the trees will become taller but they'll clear up a little. The soil around the volcano is rich, but the heat of it kills a lot of the trees, so whatever manages to live will be healthy. The forest stops before it actually reaches the volcano path, and continues over the mountain range away from the volcano, so you want to follow the forest as it thins out and try to feel the heat in the air, that'll help you know when you're getting close to the volcano passage." Ray gave the hunter a curious look and nodded. He wasn't sure why the wolf was telling him this, he supposed it was just some talk to pass the time.

"If you reach the mountains and the forest hasn't cleared out yet," Cameron continued in a gruff voice, "then you've missed the passage. You can tell which way you have to go from looking at the trees. The trees to the north of the volcano passage will be tall and rough and thin. The ones to the south will be smaller, denser and thicker."

"So you won't be taking us all the way to the volcano then?" Ray gazed up at Cameron curiously. The wolf just kept his eyes intent on the forest around the group as he shrugged at the dragon's question.

"I'll get you as close as I can."

Ray was about to comment again when a gasp from Lucy startled the group into stopping. The windian pointed into the forest ahead of them. "I think I saw something moving in there."

Cameron nodded. "Wait here, I'll go look." He reached around and unslung his shotgun, loading it and cocking the weapon before patrolling out into the woods. The trio watched as the hunter disappeared from sight. Moments passed and the forest seemed uneasy still as they waited for Cameron's return.

Suddenly the silence was broken as the sound of a shotgun being fired rang through the air and was immediately followed by the yowl of a large cat. The trio charged off into the woods in the direction that Cameron had left. They hadn't run more then a few meters when they came upon Cameron quickly reloading his gun, the huge white form of the Ivory Panther not more then a few yards off.

"Cameron!" Janet's worried shout caused the hunter to look up just as finished reloading the gun. In the next instant the panther was in the air and tackling the hunter to the ground, a wild swipe of its clawed paw knocking the weapon from the wolf's grasp and sent it clattering away from the two fighters. The force of the giant cat's attack knocked the hunter from his feet and he tumbled to the ground, the great white cat on top of him. Reflexively Cameron's hand went to his pocket, pulling out his hunting knife and bringing it up to meet the cat's throat in the same instant that the beast lowered its bared fangs to the hunter's neck.

"No..." Janet spun away, unable to watch the scene that was unfolding in front of her. And now it'll just repeat again... The sound of something hitting the ground and an enraged growl of a cat caused the windian to turn back to the fight scene, and she stared wide-eyed in wonder at what had happened.

Cameron's hunting knife was no longer in his hand, it had been dropped next to him. The wolf currently had his clawed hands wrapped around the sharp open maw of the panther, and the hunter was doing his best to wrestle the cat's jaws away from his neck.

"The gun!" Cameron growled as he shot a glance to Janet and then to his shotgun that was lying loaded on the ground. "Only those bullets will hurt it! Use the gun..." It was obvious that the hunter's strength was beginning to fade under the animal force of the cat, and slowly Cameron's grip on the beast's jaws weakened.

"Cameron! Hang in there! You can make it!" Janet made a rush for the gun but the panther lashed out with one of its paws, knocking the weapon out of the windian's reach. Cameron gave out a weak growl as the cat's fangs fell closer to his neck.

"I'm tired of this fake life... the loop has to end somewhere." The hunter's face split into an uneasy grin and he let out a rough chuckle. "It has to end somehow... even if that means that I have to give up my fight. I don't want my revenge anymore..." the hunter's tail beat the ground lightly in it's uneasy wag. "I just want to die now... to rest... I want to see my wife and kid again..." and with that the hunter's grip vanished, his hands falling to his sides in defeat as the panther's mouth encircled the wolf's neck, burying its fangs into Cameron's flesh. With a quick jerk of its head, the cat reared up and gave a victorious roar as Cameron's lifeless body slowly bled out through the gaping whole in the wolf's throat. Janet gave out a loud cry and leapt for the shotgun again, this time managing to retrieve the weapon.

"JANET!" Lucy's voice called out and Janet turned to see the Ivory Panther, its jaws slick from the hunter's still warm blood, snarling at her with deep fury. Janet could see the muscles in the cat's back legs tense, then a wild snarl echoed from its throat and the giant creature sprang, paws out and claws extended as it flew towards Janet. A shot rang out and the cat fell, its massive body landing just in front of Janet as the windian dropped the shotgun with shaky hands and retreated backwards with a few steps. In and instant Ray and Lucy were beside her, and the three stared down at the unmoving body of the huge white cat.

"Is it dead?" Janet stared down uncertainly at the bleeding shell-sized hole in the cat's forehead.

"I'd imagine so." Lucy's gaze wandered from the body of the cat over to where the lifeless form of the forestclan hunter lay bleeding on the ground.

"Is it over?" Janet gave a shuddered as she followed Lucy's gaze to where Cameron's body was. The raven-haired windian nodded slowly.

"Should be..."

"Is what over?" Ray asked quietly gave the two windians a questioning look. The dragon had not been informed about Janet's suspicions for as long as the group had been traveling with Cameron. Lucy shook her head at Ray.

"He told you the way to the volcano right? You can get us there, and we'll explain it to you on the way."

Ray gave an uneasy shrug and nodded. The trio glanced down again at the two bodies. The panther's body moved with an uneasy shudder, and then the animal's form melted into a type of white and red liquid before it soaked into the ground and disappeared. Cameron's body, as well as his weapon, slowly faded into nothing. Janet gave out a sigh and turned to Ray with a weak smile.

"You were right, Ray, taking Cameron along was one of the best choices we've made in a long time. Even though we've had to put up with hell for the past few weeks, and we have yet to finish on our journey..." Janet motioned to where Cameron's body used to be, "through all of that we still managed to free at least one trapped soul..."

The group, now back to a trio of the two windians and the dragon, left the scene of the fight and headed out once more into the forest as Ray lead them on to find the volcano passage they were looking for.