Wings of Fire - Eclipse Burning (1)

Chapter 3

Eclipse leaped forward, nearly knocking Ostrich aside and flapped her wings a few times to get to her sister faster. She landed neatly between them and flared her wings at the IceWing, hissing and lashing her tail. 

What's going on Moon? she questioned her sister.

This scavenger got into the prey center and everyone was trying to eat it and I can't let them! No body can eat it, Eclipse. she heard her answer. 

Eclipse turned her head to look at the scavenger her sister was clutching closely to herself. She felt a surge of pure terror radiating off the little creature and suddenly understood why Moon had snatched it before anyone could have a chance to eat it. She would have felt it's every emotion while it happened. 

Eclipse sighed and turned back to the IceWing who was now regarding her in new found interest and anger. 

"Get out of my way NightWing." he began haughtily. "This doesn't concern you."

"It concerns me more than you know," Eclipse growled. "You ok?" She asked Moon, not taking her eyes off the icy dragon before her. 

"Yeah," Moon squeaked. 

The IceWing was frighteningly beautiful, with horns like deadly icicles and sharp spikes at the end of his whip-thin tail. His gaze pinned her like a spear. 

Sister's maybe. She has the same silver scales by her eyes, and she looks. . .fierce. Braver than the one behind her. Maybe fighting her will be a bit tougher. Maybe I don't wanna fight her at all. They have that same look. . . like their reading something. A brief wave of curiosity shivered through his thoughts, and then was abruptly buried by a landslide of anger and self-loathing. What am I thinking? NightWings killed him, and I hate them. All of them.  

Moon tore her eyes away, feeling petrified and guilty all at the same time. Multiple eyes were on the dragonets and Eclipse could feel a small headache beginning to blister at the back of her skull. 

"Five seconds." he hissed. 

"No," Moon said. Eclipse, twined her tail around Moon's, trying to be helpful and filling her head with comforting thoughts. But Moon winced slightly anyway, no matter what Eclipse tried to do, touching wasn't going to help. All she was feeling right now was fear and anger. 

"That is my scavenger." he snapped. "My idiot clawmate let it out, but it is mine and I did not bring it all the way here to see it eaten by a lying, smoke breathing NightWing."

"And I didn't fly all the way here to see my sister get killed by a ignorant, snow-snorting IceWing." Eclipse shot back. "So maybe back up and we won't have to settle this in blood."

Many things flashed through his mind then. A few of them causing Eclipse to feel a bit flustered. 

The IceWing took a step closer and was nearly touching wingtips with Eclipse, yet she didn't back down, nor step back. A chill ran down her spine at the coldness the IceWing brought with him. 

"I could freeze you one part at a time - first your horns, then snap them off. Then your tail - freeze it and snap it off. Then your claws and wings. . . Should I go on?"

"Or maybe I'll slash your throat before you get the chance. Or breathe fire down your throat and watch you writhe in agonizing heat you scales and insides aren't used too. Maybe I'll melt your face off, or melt your horns to your scales. . . Should I go on?" 

Eclipse was trembling, and she prayed to all three moons none of these dragons could tell. It was difficult for her to focus; the IceWings' mind was bright, like the sun dazzling off a glacier. In between his threats were images of another IceWing, laughing and shouting in the snow, then the same dragon surrounded by SkyWings in a mountain forest.