Hi everyone, here is a new update to this story! Enjoy!

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Chapter 3: Lady Chameleon

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We were taken up a path towards the chateau above the city…and through the front gate into the residence of the mysterious Chameleon. Inside, the throne platform was laid on the ground to allow us to step off as our host led us into her private chambers.

Once inside, she closed the doors, and it was just the three of us in the bedroom. There was a large, decorated bed by the wall (and it looked as though it was its own room…that was how big and lavish it was.) There were many prized artifacts on the walls such as foreign weapons, etc. Zhen and I examined the room…amazed by how much there was to see…it was as if it were a gallery of sorts.

Soon, however, the chameleon got our attention with a click of her tongue, "what are your names?" Man…even her voice sent shivers down my spine! The fox next to me is the first to act. Inside she felt she had to be ready to run or fight in case things went south really quickly. She certainly felt a bit overconfident but knew not to overstep, "Zhen" she introduced herself.

"And you?" She turned to me as I fell into a state of anxiety. I was silent, still wearing my mask, so she had NO IDEA what was hidden beneath. The reptile soon gave an intense scowl at me and that made my heart stop, "speak…" she demanded as I stepped backward.

"She can't talk" the grey vixen across from me stated as the adult looked at her, "she's mute."

Our host pulled back and reasserted her calm demeanor, "I see…" the Chameleon circled me as my heart started pounding…my breathing getting rapid. I glanced over to Zhen who was quietly assuring me to play along. I had no choice, after all. I soon felt a cold claw touch my mask.

My heart stopped. I gasped, I tried pulling away; however, the lizard promptly removed my cover so fast that I barely had time to react. My natural brown hair was unlocked and flowed down to my shoulders like a waterfall. My mouth hung open as I expected the worst to come.

The air in the room seemed to freeze…time looked as though it had stopped completely. The Chameleon stood frozen…examining my alien appearance for the first time. Zhen sighed, figuring this might happen eventually, so she made her way to us…standing in my way before she began to speak on my behalf, "her name is Mei…she's my friend."

"An intriguing specimen, so this is the beast that my subjects had spoken of for some time…" I could have sworn that for a brief moment…the reptile's eyes had changed color…and I felt an itch in the back of my head (as if someone had tried to access the darkest reaches of my mind.) They stood behind me…putting their claws on my shoulders as I shivered in dread.

"Perhaps she will prove her worth to me."

Zhen tried to distract them somehow, seeing just how uncomfortable and scared I actually was, "w-what will happen to us?" Something compelled me to break free from the lizard's grasp and join the vixen's side in earnest.

Our "enemy" gave a toothy grin to us, "I brought you here to train you" the adult simply said before Zhen and I looked at each other, "t-train us?"

"You have so much potential, or…would you rather I send the both of you away?"

There was no way Zhen and I would ever think of making that a possibility: to live in such an illustrious palace, where we don't need to live like vermin. This would be our home…a REAL home…a roof over our heads, with possibly anything we ever wanted. How could we deny such a proposition?

M-maybe she isn't that bad after all, I thought to myself.

"No…" I heard Zhen say as I snapped my head at her, thinking she actually said no to the Chameleon's offer.

W-what are you doing, Zhen!?

"No, what?" The ruler snapped back with a slightly challenging tone.

"We…" the fox looked to me and thought…despite our lives like thieves and being successful we were practically malnourished (any life other than the one we had would be a better life…)

"We are happy to be here" she finished as I made a mental sigh of relief in my head.

Well, that's a relief.

"A very wise choice" the scaly Anthro complimented the vixen, "I'm sure you'll find this decision to be the best you'll ever make in your lives."

Suddenly, she looked toward Zhen in particular and quietly demanded, "please wait out the door…I wish to speak to your companion briefly…"

My best friend looked at me…eyeing me carefully before I gave a face that read, I'll be fine…go. With some reluctance, the fox decided to go to the door and go out (but not before looking at me one last time before closing.)

Once we heard the door slam shut loudly, the Chameleon stared at me in the eye…her eyes turned bright blue. I was briefly confused before I suddenly found myself grasping my head in pain! It was screeching…a terrible pain…something I can't almost describe…but it felt like a thousand individual worms were digging deep into my cranium and into the soft tissue underneath. I fell to my knees and groaned, as quickly as it happened it was finally over. I gasped…panting in exhaustion from the unfortunate experience. The Chameleon crouched down sophisticatedly to be at eye level with me, and she said, "I know what you are."

I looked up at her with the most surprised look on my face…as if all the pain I felt previously was suddenly erased from memory, and I begged to know more from her!

"I know you're not from this realm; you have no memory of where you come from, but I managed to obtain something in that little head of yours. I saw a world unlike our own…perhaps a mirror world…perhaps not. I sense so much raw power from you…your species, the potential for destruction is astronomical!"

I mouthed words to her…making sounds…praying that JUST FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE…I could speak! I wanted to know…I wanted to know EVERYTHING! But it wasn't meant to be, I suppose.

"If you wish to know everything someday…you will OBEY me, now and always!"

I looked away in pain, I had no choice. I nodded in defeat as she gave me a wicked, tooth-filled, smile towards me, "very good…stand up child, wipe those tears from your skin." Suddenly, I saw she had a scaly hand out to me, and I looked up (I wiped my tears with my torn long-sleeve shirt.)

"Under my teachings, you will reach your full potential."

After a few moments of hesitation, I finally took her "hand" and I stood up.

"Come."

Zhen was waiting right outside the door; she had her ear against the metallic surface, but she wasn't able to hear anything from inside. Sure enough, it opened, and she was forced to jump away as the Chameleon and I walked out. I ran to Zhen and gave her the tightest hug I could ever give her. She was certainly surprised but didn't object. She could SMELL the despair from me…the uncertainty too. Yet, she has NO IDEA what had just occurred inside that room, and because I can't tell her…she may never know. I needed her now more than ever, that she was certain.

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Lady Chameleon soon escorted us to a sleeping chamber where we both would be staying: two simple beds with a view of the city could be seen. Imagine that…a bedroom of our own.

"I'll be sure to have my chefs prepare a feast for you. Until then, rest well."

She left, leaving both of us alone. Zhen and I looked around before the vixen suddenly grabbed both sides of my face with her paws. Her face was filled with uncontainable excitement (a smile that stretched to her cheeks.) Even her tail wagged a bit like a wolf's. Times like these made me wish I had a tail like her…

"Mei, can you believe it!? We've hit it BIG. What a crazy day this has been for us! We'll be living like royalty!"

Even though I was still young…I had to stop her with a scrutinizing gaze.

What if this isn't a good idea, I thought.

"What, you don't like this?"

I shake my head.

The fox just rolled her eyes at me, as if to push my concerns aside…if only she knew just what the Chameleon is capable of…

"I'm sure we'll be fine! Besides…" she leaned into my ear and whispered, "if we don't like it, we can just take what we can and run!"

I gave her a, are you kidding me, look.

And you think we'd be able to escape this place somehow? Even if we do…that reptile will come after us…

We sat down on our respective beds…we didn't even bother fighting over which bed belonged to who. Simply having a bed of our own was enough.

We rested by the sides of them…staring at each other.

Zhen gave a little more solemn look, just a bit, "I'm sure it'll all be fine." Silence soon followed but she rolled her furry head to the side, she was begging to know, "so…what exactly happened in there when you were alone with the Chameleon?"

I moved a bit closer…and her brown eyes widened. I tried telling her…telling her everything: the pain, the torment…the oath I took…everything. All I could do was make broken sounds and I soon fell into despair once again…frustrated. I sank into the ground as she jumped for me…using her paws to hold me in place, "it was bad" she said as if she somehow read my mind. I looked down at her…looking into her eyes. I nodded once and it was all I needed. Zhen didn't say anything else…she just wrapped her arms around me, and my face sank into her fur-filled neck. I started crying…letting it all out the best way I could.

Our embrace felt like it lasted forever, but soon we pulled away. I felt Zhen's clawed finger rising to my wet face…toward my eyes. Any other person I would have pulled away in fear…but I TRUSTED her. She wiped my tears…letting them soak on her grayish finger. She too felt emotional for me, but she asserted her confidence and said with assurance to me, "everything will be okay."

I nodded before she helped me stand up. She put her paws on her hips and smirked. I just had to giggle a bit at her ridiculous, overconfident pose, "it's you and me. It's been that way for a long time now. We'll get through this, together."

We decided to sleep on it…welcoming the "hospitality" for now. Who knows…maybe what I've seen was the worst of it…maybe this won't be so bad after all?

Then, I solemnly thought about what Lady Chameleon muttered: if I ever want to know who I am...where I come from...even the name of my species...I should OBEY her with no hesitation. Anything she wanted from me, I have to fulfill...accomplish without error. I soon realized that Lady Chameleon is the ONLY person I know who can tell me everything about my previous life...so that inspired me to do what I can to become her follower...to satisfy her wishes...by any means...no matter the cost.

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Whoa, that was a lot to take in, I bet! I hope you enjoyed this recent chapter. Have a nice day, until next time!