Wings of Fire: Overcast

Chapter Eleven

"What were you thinking?! Make yourself another disguise! Don't show up as Darkstalker full in the face!" Eclipse hissed.

"Whoa, scary. Now you're reminding me of Indigo."

"This is NOT A JOKE!" Eclipse snarled. "I'm going to get into SERIOUS TROUBLE because of you! And I've STILL got to KEEP YOU IN LINE because all you seem to do is THE WRONG THINGS!"

"Whoa, whoa, chill pill!" Darkstalker said, backing away. "Might I remind you that my scales are invulnerable?"

"Is that even relevant?" Eclipse glared at him.

"Well, no, but before you try to kill me, take that into account..."

"I'm NOT trying to kill you! I'm trying to- ughhhhhh, you older dragons are hopeless."

"Hey, just because your intellect is a level beyond, doesn't mean you can treat us like dirt," Darkstalker said, feigning hurt.

"If I was treating you like dirt, you'd have been swept up and tossed in the ocean by now. Can you even swim? No, I don't think so, but you can't drown and you can't die, so let's just see how much you like being without air, huh?"

"I can swim! Especially if you throw me close to the beach."

"Great. I'll throw you far out in the ocean, then," Eclipse folded her talons and groaned.

When Thoughtful and Whiteout found out she was responsible.... Well, Whiteout already knew.... The moment they got her alone, she was going to be grounded for a century. Eclipse knew they wished she was more like Cloudchaser and Shadowseer, but they had given her a name Darkstalker had picked out for his own dragonets, so...

No. Eclipse would never be the daughter her parents wanted, but that didn't mean she had to be. She wasn't going to grovel at their feet wanting their approval. She was only four, making her sound young, but being a future seer, she had lived through several lifetimes in her visions, and she knew many things. Like she knew Darkstalker would wreak havoc the second she let him out of her sight, although he wouldn't betray her openly, and wouldn't do anything while he was watching her. 

She let out a huff of frustration and flung a pebble at him. He let it strike him and it bounced easily off his scales. He threw one back at her, and she flicked it back at him with a talon.

"What am I going to explain to my parents? To the queen?" she demanded.

"That you're under my protection and she can talk to me if she's got any problems. Also, if she attacks you or me, I can hurt her, right?"

Eclipse bit her lip, but it didn't make sense if she said no, so she gave him a slight nod. "Just don't kill her unless absolutely necessary. Torture is acceptable."

"My gosh, you are a scary one, aren't you?" Darkstalker asked. "Some consider torture worse than killing."

"To her, it would be, but it's also sort of an act of mercy, in some ways."

"Riiiiiiiiiiggggghhhhhhhtttttt. Okay. And... Eclipse? Whiteout.... Can you talk to her for me, maybe?" His voice was tiny, uncertain.

Eclipse answered flatly. "No."

"Why not?" He almost looked small.

Eclipse snorted. "Because she hates me almost as much as she hates you. I'm basically you but female, so shut up and quit bothering me."

"But you are a lot grumpier," Darkstalker acknowledged.

"Just noticed that, did you? I wonder why."

He laughed. "Don't blame this on me! I'm a great uncle."