"The rabbit."
Amiel looked over at the chameleon, "The rabbit?"
"The rabbit wasn't running away from fear. Even though you're a pretty blue colour and a baby, out here you're considered an apex predator. It should have been hopping away with its little bunny heart pounding. Instead it just scampered out of your sight.
"This alone should have told you it was no longer prey. The rabbit had become the hunter."
Amiel just nodded replaying the scenario through her mind.
"You might still have chased it but with the knowledge that someone was laying a trap."
As Ches chatted he spun the little needle between his claws. "Round two should start soon, so quickly rub this balm over your cuts. It'll make you a bit greasy but that can be useful in a fight. Oh, and you fight on my left once you see me again."
With that, he moved into the forest, slowly disappearing from her sight.
Amiel heard a final ghostly voice from above her. "That's good, look scared and vulnerable. We'll set ourselves a honey trap."
"I'll give you scared and vulnerable." That's what she wanted to scream at him. Unfortunately she was pretty sure it would come out like a whimper so she stayed quiet. Within moments Amiel heard a piece of wood cracking behind her. As she spun around she glimpsed a pair of deadpan eyes staring at her from the forest. She didn't get a chance to look at them again as a hulking great silverback stood two metres in front of her. It was cricking it's neck like a ninja in a martial arts play.
She actually giggled when it reached a single paw in front giving a 'come and let's fight' invitation. She clasped her left claw into a fist and placed it into the palm of her other claw. As she gave a slight head bow she moved towards the bear.
This moment of drama was interrupted by the bear swinging its head around like there was a bee in its ear. Amiel quickly noticed Ches on the bear's head. It was no proboscis in the bear's ear but a long needle. As the bear fell down dead Amiel saw the chameleon run down its back like an elven athlete, completing the move with a flip and landing behind the dead silverback's tail.
"Turn right!" Ches yelled as he ran toward her. A huge monitor was racing at her. "Lots of dodging as you fight him. You'll get help in thirty seconds."
He ran past her right shoulder and capably avoided the monitor's swipe. There were three large shapes behind her attacker but she couldn't tell what they were as her eyes were fixated on the monitor's flickering tongue.
She ran straight at the huge lizard expecting to swipe it with her claws. Surprisingly to her, the monitor quickly overpowered her.
"Dodge, dodge." Ches yelled from the right of her.
"How can I dodge?" She yelled back frustrated. At that moment the needle plunged deeply into meaty part of the monitor's left leg.
With the slight twinge it made she was able to squirm out of its clutches.
"Twenty seven seconds to go."
"What! It's only been three seconds?" Amiel panicked but dodged left before she ran forward. She gained a slight reprieve from being attacked as a gap was created.
She felt chuffed for a second but the monitor quickly caught up.
"Hello, little one. Don't you look tasty." The monitor spoke in a gruff, deep slimy voice.
She was about to answer when a stone whacked the lizard in the centre of its forehead.
"Keep dodging. Nineteen seconds."
Amiel spun left, raking the disgusting beast with her cyan nail's.
"What pretty nails I have" she thought to herself. "They really do go with my skin."
Running forward two metres she spun to attack the monitor again.
As she turned she felt his fist collide with her jaw.
"Don't run pretty one. It's a waste of the short amount of time we have together." The deep voice sounded casually cruel.
Amiel dodged right and started to run again.
"You've thirteen seconds together, at the most Charles. Use them wisely."
Stopping suddenly Amiel held a hand up. "Your name's Charles? How embarrassing. So old fashioned." Amiel threw a punch that grazed Charles' cheek then took off at a sharp right.
In the background the fight between Ches and his antagonists went quiet.
"Ten, nine, eight..." Ches counted down seconds agonisingly slowly.
Meanwhile, the monitor had finally pushed Amiel into a corner. Moving quickly on his four short legs Charles opened his jaws and clamped on her forearm, viciously biting down.
"Aren't you going to help?" She screamed, more frustrated at Ches than the overgrown lizard that was about to kill her.
"Four. Fight him. Don't be such a girl."
Blood streamed down her arm.
Amiel opened her jaws wide and savagely lunged at Charles.
At that moment Charles went stiff. The needle was sticking out the back of his head.
"You said I have two more seconds." His deep voice sounded hardly done by as his eyes glazed over.
"I lied."
The chameleon fell next to the huge monitor unconscious. His little speckled body covered with blood.