Protected by a Dark Guardian.

Chapter 12

        Eclipse’s voice seemed to snapped Ren awake.  He dropped Terence and stumbled back until he fell.

        “Ow....my head.” Ren groaned quietly.

Eclipse slowly walked up to him.  Ren slowly put his sword back in its sheath.

        “Ren, it’s me.  It’s okay.  You won.”

        “He didn’t win!  He cheated!” Eclipse heard Terence yell.

Eclipse ignored him and gently coiled his tail around Ren’s waist.  He then slowly lifted him up and carefully placed Ren on his back.  Eclipse walked towards the tree line, but the brown dragon quickly stepped in front of him.

        “No, you’re not leaving!  Rematch!  Right now!” It ordered.

        “No.” Was all Eclipse said as he shoved the dragon aside and continued.

When he cleared the trees, Eclipse carefully took off into the sky and headed for home.

        Terence is just a sore loser and a bully.  Eclipse thought.

After a little while, he landed into front on the tree.  Eclipse walked through the vines and into the cavern.  He carefully set Ren on the floor, only to catch his friend before he fell.

        Poor Ren, his entire body took a beating.  He’ll be sore for a while.

Eclipse lay down and lay Ren against his side.  He still seemed to be gasping in pain.

        “Ren, are you alright?” Eclipse asked worriedly.

Ren barely shook his head, but Eclipse saw it.

        “What hurts?”

Ren motioned to his chest.  When Eclipse saw it, his eyes went wide.  A dark red stain was spreading.  Now Eclipse could smell it.  Blood.  Ren’s blood!  Eclipse gently nudged the shirt off, trying to ignore Ren’s muffled screaming.  A deep gash was cut into the side of his ribs that went around to the front of his chest.

Eclipse quickly went to work.  Carefully, but thoroughly, licked the wound clean and watching it heal shut while trying to keep Ren from thrashing around.

        Oh thank god.  Eclipse sighed.  I almost lost him.

Ren was now asleep.  Eclipse frowned.  It didn’t look like his little friend was having a very good dream.

        “Maybe I should check and see what it is.”  He said to himself.

Eclipse knew a special trick, one that his mom had taught him.  It would allow him to entire his friend’s dream and see what it was about, but he couldn’t do anything to change it and he couldn’t do it for very long though.  Eclipse snaked his tail over and gently touched Ren’s forehead.

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        “Where am I?  Is this Ren’s dream?” Eclipse asked.

        He was in a field with tall grass and trees.  The sudden sound of voices drew his attention.

        “Disgusting brat!”

        “Nobody wants you!  Go die in a ditch!”

        “Worthless pest!”

        “Freak!  Just let us beat you to death!”

All those voices.  They sounded like.....like those boys that had tried to hurt Ren!  Turning to the source, Eclipse saw something horrifying.  A large mob of those boys were chasing a small black dragon that had a grey underbelly and claws, horns, and spines of the same color.

        “R-Ren?!”

It was weird; but when he looked at that little hatchling, Eclipse somehow recognized him as Ren!

        “Hey Ren! Over here!” Eclipse shouted.

Ren didn’t seem to hear him.

        “Shoot, I forgot that I can’t interact with anything in a dream!”

Eclipse continued to watch as Ren ran away from the mob, but they were gaining on him.

        “Leave him alone!” A voice roared.

The mob looked up and was instantly burnt to ashes by a hot stream of flames.  Eclipse watched as himself landed next to Ren.

        Ren is dreaming about me saving him?

He continued to watch as Ren wrapped his paws around the dream-Eclipse and happily nuzzled him.  Eclipse saw the dreamland start to fade, but before it faded completely, Eclipse heard Ren say something.

        “I love you, Big Brother!”

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        Eclipse opened his eyes.  He was back in the cavern and Ren was still asleep.

        Does Ren really see me as his big brother, or was it just in his dream?  I might ask him when he wakes up.  Eclipse thought.

Looking out through the vines, Eclipse saw that the sun had set.  He laid his head down and drifted off into a dream of his own.