Jeremy looks up in an instant, his eyes widening in surprise. The jackal speaks human language! Despite the slight growling in his low voice, he speaks unbelievably clearly like a normal man.
"Uh...uh...how can you, uh...you speak human?"
The monster, however, lowers his eyes and shakes his head.
"Technically, it is the other way around," he says.
"Eh, what...?"
"You don't have to understand it, it's not that important."
The question of what to do with him (as a sacrifice) from now on is more important than explaining how the language works. Asterios gestures to the couch for him to take a seat first.
"Why...why did you spare me then?"
Instead of sitting down, Jeremy shoots a question. So many questions are actually filling his little head, yet he can't bring himself to voice all of them.
'What is this place... What was that weird factory I was trapped in...' he can only think in his head. 'Should I even trust this dog in the first place, I have no idea what kind of monster it is?'
"To answer your questions one by one, I brought you here in the first place because you chose me. You probably asked me to save you, didn't you?"
"...Ah, yes, I did, and then...did you understand what I said?"
"Maybe, vaguely. Second, this is my space. Technically, it's inside, and you were in the factory because you were a milk-producing human."
"Uh...I see..."
Jeremy listens to the jackal with a puzzled face. It is a strange feeling, as though the jackal can read his mind, answering questions he hasn't even voiced out.
Regardless of the human's awkwardness, the creature continues.
"I am Asterios. It doesn't matter what you call me, for I am Asterios now, but I was once Minos, and before that, I was called many other names."
"A-ah...I'll just call you Asterios then, and my name is Jeremy Rogers."
"So you have a name after all..."
The nervous middle-aged man nods, relaxing slightly. However, he can't let his guard down completely. He is speaking human words but he doesn't give off a human vibe at all. The nuances of his speech, the way he expresses himself as if he's been around for ages, the way he acknowledges that he thought humans have names...all feel terribly alien.
'I hope he's not going to kill me... I guess it's a good thing I can talk to him now...'
'Maybe he's not as strange as those bull monsters.'
Reading the human's blasphemous thoughts, Asterios snorts and responds somewhat sarcastically.
"Don't compare me to the other Thelmas, I am far from barbaric."
"Eh, uh...? I didn't say anything...?"
Jeremy furrows his forehead.
"Once again, I'm not a Thelma, and you should probably refrain from comparing myself to them."
"Wait, I don't know what you mean, what's Thelma?"
"You don't know what a Thelma is? We refer to the inhabitants of this planet as Thelmas. Like the bulls you met at the factory, or the driver who brought us here."
Jeremy nods. Apparently, all the people with animal heads are called Thelma.
But it still doesn't make much sense for the jackal not to identify himself as a Thelma. After all, isn't he also have a big, black canine head? There doesn't seem to be much difference. Feeling like a clueless elementary school kid, Jeremy asks again.
"So...uhm, what are you then? You obviously have the head of a dog―"
"Not a dog, a jackal. And this is just for show."
Before Jeremy can even finish his sentence, a snap cut him off. The jackal takes immediate offense at being called a dog. It will be quicker to show this clueless human than to explain.
Asterios snaps his long, black fingers, and whoosh!
The beast's furry head vanishes, replaced by a puff of black smoke.
"Uh...?"
"You'd better stop comparing me to organisms, I'm radically different from them."
The black smoke doesn't disperse. It remains in one mass, dancing gently. Jeremy's face turns pale at the sight of his head suddenly vanishing like a ghost.
"I am both a concept and a phenomenon, so there is no need to try to understand me, for it is probably impossible for a human mind to comprehend a being like me."
Asterios' voice is still thick and low like a man's, but it is hard to tell if he is male, female, or any other creature. He obviously doesn't have a face, let alone a mouth, and yet he sounds exactly the same as before. This black jackal is the strangest and most bizarre creature Jeremy has ever encountered in life.
"I am an idea. The more people know about my existence, the bigger and stronger I become. I don't think you'll enjoy this tired old story."
Asterios, back in the jackal's head, crosses his arms. He gestures for Jeremy to sit down. Kind of annoyed seeing him keep standing like that.
"Anyway, let's talk about compensation. Do you want anything? I can grant you most of your wishes."
"Now, wait, wishes?"
Jeremy, having been listening to the authority's lengthy explanation, repeats in confusion. He can't understand why this big, black monster is suddenly being so favorable.
True that he wants to ask why he had saved him, why he would grant him a wish, and what would he gain by doing so, but Jeremy can't get his thoughts out of his mouth.
However, after some thought, if a being of unknown power, whether magic or a freakish trick, is going to grant him a wish, Jeremy may be damned if he says the wrong thing and makes the monster change his mind. So the confusion on Jeremy's face turns gradually turns into a serious one. Asterios notices that he must be now furiously tapping away at a calculator in his head and smiles broadly.
"Yes, wish. You can tell me anything you want, and I'll listen and decide if I can grant it or not, and don't worry, the only reason I'd grant the wish is purely for compensation."
"Compensation...?"
"You are a milk-producing human in my factory, and a glitch in the machine caused you to flee. Since this is clearly a mistake on the factory's part, I will compensate you as much as you wish. Because I am somewhat responsible for my failure to properly manage the factory."
"..."
Jeremy's expression darkens at the mention of the factory. It sounds like it had happened a week ago, when in reality it is only a few hours ago he ran away from that hellish place.
He is curious about the factory and what it had done to his body, but then, the curiosity is overtaken by exhaustion. In the end, he just wants to get away from all of this absurd experience.
He wishes everything to be just a dream. So, thinking about home and his dear Max, Jeremy's mood turns melancholy. He says,
"...Uhm, can I really tell you what I want?"
"By all means."
"I want you to send me home. My...home. Do you know where Nawatuwa Island is? I don't know if I can even get there, but..."
The truth is, he feels a little silly as he voices his wish. Because this is supposed to be the planet of the Thelmas, not Earth.
And as he waits for the jackal to respond to his wish, Jeremy becomes uneasy. If he really is going to send him to Nawatuwa Island, he doesn't know if it is going to be the place he remembers and if Max will be there. The uneasiness gradually turns into a surge of sadness as he realizes that Max is probably just a fictional character.
Still, Jeremy remains undaunted and waits for the creature's answer. At least returning to Earth is much better than staying on this monster's planet.
After a moment's thought, the jackal fixes his gaze on the human and speaks.
"Hmm, it's not a completely impossible wish to grant, but...are you sure about that? I was expecting a material reward or something physical."
"...I'm fine with it, please send me back home. I...I just want to go home."
The human voice is forlorn. Recognizing that he is distressed, the jackal then does not ask further but points to one of the many closed doors inside his house.
"Then go through that door. Once you open it, you'll be able to go straight home."
"...Eh, huh? Really?"
"Yeah."
Jeremy stands in front of the closed door with a dubious look on his face. Is planet Thelma close to Earth? It doesn't make sense to him that he can just walk through a door and be back on Earth. But then again, everything that has happened to him so far―even the talking jackal-headed monster―doesn't make sense either.
So, Jeremy throws away all the hesitations and pulls the door handle.
Clack.
His eyes widen in an instant. What welcomes him beyond the door is an endless stretch of white sandy beach, baked under the hot sun. He can even vaguely hear the waves crashing in the distance.
"Oh, my God... Uh, how did you do that...?"
"You wouldn't understand if I explained it to you. Get in there."
Asterios speaks in a short, commanding tone. Jeremy looks back and forth between him and the door, unsure if he really wants to go back.
"Is it okay...is it really okay to go there? Are you letting me go?"
"Yeah."
"...A-ah, thank you, thank you so much. I will never forget your kindness. Thank you very much..."
Jeremy is genuinely grateful. He beams with the brightest, most joyful expression he has ever worn while Asterios, on the other hand, remains expressionless.