The Emperor's Dream - Sixteen
Lan Kuanghi flowed. As Wanyi deepened his bond with Niuwan, he gained…something. An instinct. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself and relax his body. He held his hands up in front of his face. Instead of its normal tone, it had darkened.
**Chapter One**
**Welcome to chapter sixteen of The Emperor’s Dream, an epic fantasy novella from the wider world of The Mhong Chronicles. I’ll be publishing chapters each week, but remember, these are some of the very first drafts, which means you’re in on this at the very beginning. Thank you for being here, friend. I hope you enjoy it.**
18 Days Until the Vote
Lan Kuanghi flowed. As Wanyi deepened his bond with Niuwan, he gained…something. An instinct. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself and relax his body. He held his hands up in front of his face. Instead of its normal tone, it had darkened. Gray replaced vitality until all of his skin nearly matched the color of the shadowed stone.
You’ll never attract a mate with that shade, Niuwan said in his mind.
That is not my intention this evening, Niuwan.
A sense of bewilderment came to him through the bond. Wanyi didn’t use Niuwan’s color-shifting abilities the way she did for herself. For chameleons, it came automatically, if they even attempted to control it at all—not unlike a Montililun’s eyes, though Meisun had told him that it was based purely on emotion.
Rather, Wanyi could, to an extent, choose the color of his skin. And when he wished to remain unseen, bonding with Niuwan or one of her kin allowed him to blend in with his surroundings far more than he would with his normal clothing. The shadows helped too, of course. A gray-skinned man walking around Tukharen’s estate in broad daylight was probably more obvious than walking in normally.
Do you see anything, Ban? he asked.
The darkness limits my sight, friend Wanyi. But it seems there are many Sentients near the gate. Some of them have fire. But near your location is darkness.
Thank you.
Just as Wanyi had hoped, the angry citizens out front had focused the guards’ gaze outward. Time to move. He crouched and ran across the street, flattening himself against the outer wall. As he moved, he subtly changed the colors of his skin, adding a bit of deep blue around his face for the time he was out in the open, then returning his entire body to gray as he leaned up against the stone wall. Similarly to when he flew, it felt like Wanyi was simply flexing and relaxing muscles that only the bond had taught him how to use. It was natural, like he’d been born with the ability. When he was bonded, it became hard to remember what it was like to not be able to use the talents of the beasts he connected with.
Still nothing? he said to Ban in his mind.
Wait a moment. There is a Sentient carrying fire approaching your location, but it is on the other side from you. Ban didn’t sound particularly concerned, but a sense of deep focus permeated the bond.
Wanyi strained to hear anything coming from the other side of the wall. The commotion from the gate carried to his ears, echoing off stone streets and buildings. It made it difficult to hear softer sounds. Thank the Creator for Ban and his surveillance. Without the hawk, Wanyi’s entire plan would have been far riskier. He held himself ready, waiting for Ban’s signal.