Wings of Fire: Chameleon Shifting

Chapter 11

Chameleon swooped around the village. The sun was high in the sky, filtering dappled green light through the trees, as Chameleon landed on a tree branch right above the RainWing village.

RainWings were scattered around hammocks and platforms, their scales changing color in the sun. Most of them were shimmery bright colors like morpho blue or burning crimson or eye-scorching yellow.

Chameleon knew having sun time would do no good, so he flew to one of the platforms, where he recognized Jambu.

Jambu slept with his mouth wide open, his tongue lolled to one side. He was a ridiculous raspberry pink today (Or, rather, every day, Chameleon thought disdainfully.) and his wings were flopped wide open. As Chameleon watched, Jambu murmured something in his sleep and rolled over. His chest rose up and down peacefully.

What an undignified way to sleep, Chameleon thought with disapproval.

He leaned in to peer at Jambu's peaceful face.

Jambu abruptly stopped breathing. His mouth snapped shut in one clean motion.

Chameleon jumped back in surprise.

Jambu's eyes flew open.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Jambu yelped, falling off the platform.

Chameleon leaped off and chased after the lily green shape of Jambu far below him.

Luckily, at the last moment, Jambu's wings flew open, and he righted himself.

His talons reached out, and Jambu's claws dug into the bark of the nearest tree. His momentum slammed his body into the trunk, where he stopped and hung there, breathing heavily.

Chameleon landed besides Jambu. Although Chameleon still hated his tribe, he hoped he still had some friends. "Are you okay?" he asked. He was about to add, "I didn't mean to scare you," but at this point, he wasn't sure if being nice to his tribemates was the right thing to do anymore.

Jambu's scales slowly shifted from his frightened lily green to his usual raspberry color again. "Y-you scared me," he gasped.

Chameleon tilted his head. "Am I really that scary?"

"Well," Jambu said, rubbing his horns with one talon, "I was sleeping, and, um, when I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was your face. So yes, you're scary."

"Why did I seem scary to you?" asked Chameleon. He wasn't sure he would like Jambu's answer, but he needed to know.

Jambu shivered. "Your scales weren't changing color, so I couldn't tell what you were feeling. It was so creepy."

Chameleon felt a flare of anger flash within himself. "Oh," he growled, narrowing his eyes. "You think I'm 'scary' just because of my scales? How about I show you something scarier?"

"No- wait-" started Jambu, but Chameleon already had his talons around Jambu's neck.

"Say that again," hissed Chameleon.

"I-I'm sorry," yelped Jambu, struggling under his grip. "I d-didn't mean it!"

"That's more like it," said Chameleon, releasing his talon, satisfied. Is it bad that I enjoy it when other dragons are terrified of me? When they fear me?

Or when I feel powerful?

Chameleon shook off his guilt. He would deal with that later, when he had time.

Jambu scrambled backwards, and before Chameleon could do anything else, Jambu flapped away.

Chameleon snorted at Jambu's departing pink tail. Even when RainWings are in a hurry, they still aren't even that fast.

Whatever.

His loss.

Chameleon's stomach growled.

Hmm. I need to eat something.

But what?

Chameleon gazed up at the canopy, where bits of sunlight peeked through in some areas.

Chameleon grinned at himself.

Time to go hunting.