Eclipse

Chapter 4

My life improved some and I became the leader of the Lunar rouges. I would compete with Naoku and Ralkan for the title of 'Leader of Lunar faction.' I decided against it though, since Ralkan was a skiled fighter, and Naoku would probably let me win. Of course, he could kill me on spot, but I was his friend. Not to mention, I would also fight  the Solar Rouge champion if I wanted to become 'Leader of the Eclipse Rouges.'

I see Cato sometimes and we talk for a while, but then part ways. Shadow and I, we are at each others throat. I didn't need the Lunar rouges coming to save me, and Shadow feared me. I visit the Solar Rouges sometimes, watching how each of them fight, and I do the same to the Lunar Rouges. Shadow, he just has one way to fight. I? I had many.

I could not kill him, but I always won the battles we fought alone. I was quicker, clever, more agile, and more skilled than my brother. He may have been the same age as Kinimoto, but he was not half as skilled. The worst damage Shadow did to me, was sending me back to the hideout with a cut across my face, my neck bleeding from another wound, a broken arm, and  a black eye. That was the only fight I lost. He set me up. Shadow brought his friends with him, they ambushed me. Naoku saved my life though. He found me bleeding and unconscious. He brought me back to the Moon Rouges camp and I stayed with them until I could return to the Lunar rouges. My neck was still covered with dried blood, but I wore it as a battle scar.

After I healed completely, I went to the Tavtsand. There was the sound of clashing weapons, so I picked up my pace, pushing open the door of the old warehouse we hosted the Tavtsand in. The scene in front of me was horrible. Three Rouges, laid dead on the ground. I unsheathed my daggers and as soon as I did, there was a heavy impact as Ralkan's sword blade collided with my daggers. He had this crazed look in his eyes and he fought me with all he could. Jab, thrust, parry, stab. It went in no pattern and I finally forced him against the wall with a dagger held to his throat. The Moon Rouges must have arrived, because I heard someone cursing, and then, "Stop! Why are you fighting your brothers and sisters? The ones who have helped you when you were hurt!" His gaze landed on me. "The family who has not abandoned you!" This time, his gaze landed on Ralkan, and it shifted to Ginger. "Why are you fighting?" He repeated and one Rouge I knew as Adimar piped up. "Because the Solar Rouges killed Doaly." She responded.

Doaly was a Night Rouge, the leader actually. Adimar was the deputy and I recalled them being very close. "Yes! We did because the Night Rouges took Orion and Isaiah!" A Sun Rouge shot back. Orion was a Day Rouge and Isaiah was a Sun Rouge. "Why?" Naoku hissed. "Why kill in the first place?" The Moon Rouges shrugged, Adimar didn't seem to know the answer. "You may not join the battle for the leader position this year!" Naoku decided. There was lots of protesting and Naoku raised his hand for silence. "The Solar rouges, The Lunar rouges, and the Moon Rouges are the only ones aloud to compete!" I sighed in relief. The other factions that were not chosen left, some still fighting.

I looked up at Naoku expectantly, waiting for him to have the Council to inform us about the wars of the other Rouges. Such as the Yin-yang Rouges war with us. We fought over land. We owned the city and the forest, and the Yin-yang Rouges were trying to take it from us. Instead, Naoku just sighed, "I will see you next month." He dismissed us, shifting to a white puma and leading the Moon Rouges away.

It was complicated with shifting. The shape-shifters had three forms. I had the falcon, the puma, and the wolf. Kinimoto had an owl, wolf, and another form I was unaware of. Naoku could shift into a puma, a stag, and one more creature I am unsure of.  Many Rouges were jealous, because there was only four Rouge shape-shifters. Ginger was the last one, but I don't know any of her forms. She rarely shifts.

Azura cleared her throat and I looked back at her. She gestured forward and I nodded, shifting to a falcon and flying through the open doorway, heading to the shelter. The thoughts of what happened at the meeting still raced through my mind. Why would they kill each other for no reason? Of course we killed during out nightly raids, but never each other. The Eclipse Rouges had undying loyalty to each other. We were so c!ose, of course the factions fought all the time, raiding each other's hideouts, defending another Rouge group. We didn't fight over land, because the Eclipse Rouges controlled one area of the suburban area and all Eclipse Rouges could go there. Even with all our fights, we still never killed and cared for each other.

The Lunar rouges were actually going to raid the Moon rouges that night. Even though me and Naoku were friends, that didn't stop us from raiding each other's camps. All the Rouges had something different, some of them had camps, some hideouts in the woods, sometimes in old buildings or at their old house. Moon Rouges and Night Rouges had a camp, we and the Solar rouges had a hideout in an old barn. The Sun Rouges were in an old house and the Day Rouges were the only Rouge group that actually had a hideout in the woods and I envied them.

We dropped our stuff off at camp, leaving Akido guard it before heading straight to the Moon Rouges' camp. I was in my falcon form and I was gliding silently on the wind, watching Azura and Akido leap silently from branch to branch. I finally spotted the Moon Rouges' white tents and I shifted to a human as soon as I touched the ground. I ducked inside the tent, my gaze sweeping over the sleeping Rouges. The guard must have been given a night off or fell asleep, because all four of them were sleeping. I saw a wooden bow and stepped over Naoku, reaching for it.

Suddenly, a hand gripped my ankle and jerked. I fell to the ground and tried to get up but was forced down. I wrestled with my attacker and finally I realized, it was Naoku. The other Lunar rouges were in the same position as me. "Nice seeing you again, Kasu."

A/N: My first cliff hanger!! Yay! Okay so to clear up confusion between the large faction of Lunar Rouges, (Moon, Night, Solar) and the small faction, the large faction has a capital 'R' and the small faction has a lowercase 'R.' Okay.... I will edit the previous chapter and save them with my new rule of R's. Same goes for Solar. Everyone please comment! Peace and Pizza.