"I think it would be cool if he was a crime fighting lizard" the boy enthused "like, he used to be a normal lizard but then he got transformed by some scientist so he has superhuman powers. And he gets his strength from eating bugs and flies! And he can lassoo the bad guys with his super long, sticky tongue! And.."
"Ok, I think we can manage that" Elspeth chuckled, stopping Daniel before he got too carried away.
James winced as he tried to imagine how he was going to even attempt to play act this outlandish suggestion, not to mention how ridiculous the costume Elspeth would be conjuring up for him would look. He hoped he wouldn't get too hot in it. Above all he needed to make sure none of what was about to happem embarassed him.
"Right, close your eyes and make a wish for James to transform" Elspeth requested of Daniel who happily obliged. She then winked down at James and waggled her fingers over the little cowboys head.
"There you can open them now" Elspeth smiled.
"Woah!" Daniel exclaimed happily at the creature now standing where James the cowboy had been a moment ago "that's so cool!"
James meanwhile took a moment to examine his new costume. It looked awfully realistic. In fact, he couldn't see where it ended and his real body began. Then, pinching his arm a ahocking realisation hit him - he wasn't wearing a costume (well, other than the red swimming trunks he had been given to keep him decent). The green, scaly skin he could feel was his own! So was the clawed hand that was touching it and the tail he was able to swish around behind him. He was still able to stand upright as a human would but there was no doubt about it, he was a reptile now.
James began to feel himself shrink a little as the realisation hit him. It was only an inch or two but that was a fair proportion of his body now.
"Hey, he got smaller!" Daniel noted with concern
"Well, lizards aren't as big as cowboys" Elspeth explained quickly "Now, don't you want to play with your new toy?"