instinct (1st Draft Unedited)

10. protective delusions

**september 12th, 2 days before the scheduled return of the north central battalion**

Why did the sun set so oddly?
Eclipses tail swayed, the feathered end swapping her in the wrist as she watched it.
The sun beat down dappled through ancient growth reaching high up into the sky.
Night was peace and tranquility, eclipse liked night she truly did. But.. that moment when the birdsongs fade and the forest gets real quiet never stopped having the smallest sting. Sometimes the shallow chirps of crickets And cicadas and little frogs just didn't overpower the silence. The sun didn't light up the sky anymore, why was that? It dusted the edges In gold and amber, but the rest faded from blue to black. Ever since the last bit of August, the sun didn't set right.
She let the light seep through her scales, she could feel the sunlight in her blood, the crisp bitter forest scents gathered in her temples and the sounds gave life to her paws.
She had Already hunted, a comfortable amount for the four of them, so now she had no excuse to walk among the forest. It was a bit pathetic, but when the home grew so unbearably empty, it wasn't a place for her anyways.
She crossed her paws and placed her head atop them, things would Be okay again once her father was home. Things would be okay again.
Aaronays isolation from guilt had not only now affected him but eclipse and nebula, her mother too. They spent hours begging him to eat, something.
But after he saw his own name in brackens memorial, listed as a friend and ally, he couldn't bear to see the sun.
Loss really was a weird thing, eclipse always felt so distanced from it, when someone died, everyone Else grieved while she stared in wonder, which angel would claim them into their realm.
“Eclipse?” A voice called softly, it echoed slowly, silently.
“How did you find me?” her voice sounded just the same as the final bird that didnt stop its call.
She didn't turn to face him, she didn't really want to. She just lifted her head and continued to watch the sun drift away, farther and farther. Wind brushed a few leaves from the trees, they were spotted with golden but autumn had hit enough yet, they didn't turn those fiery shades.
“You always go here” he replied, trotting up to her, he tried to lighten his voice but it scratched so sadly.
“But.. what if I didn't this time?” the words felt so far away, she didn't know she was even saying them until they were out.
“Then I'd go home, I guess” he scowled, awkwardly picking at his claws.
“Then, I'd say it was good luck, I was originally planning to go up to the riverbed a few miles ahead. I still might” eclipse turned her head and squinted her eyes comfortably at her brother.
“I'm sorry eclipse, I didn't mean to.. stress you out so much you didn't even want to be home” aaronay smiled, as dying sunlight hit his scales rows of shiny electric blue went across them.
“Dont be, it wasn't truly your fault. He was good, he'll ascend. You and the others who'd honored him at the ceremony did everything to make sure of that” eclipse kept her expression placid, but her voice was softened to comfort him.
“I-” he was cut off abruptly by eclipse who had no time to put up with his protests.
“We all die aaronay, some of us the angels have big plans for, so we get to grow old. Some of us fulfill that, and are taken away to return to the earth. Some, even fulfill our final duty through death.” Eclipse lifted a wet leaf and ripped it in two with only one claw.
“That's very poetic, but it just doesn't apply most times. Every life is so diverse, every life Ends a different way at a different time” aaronay paused, seeing I'd eclipses expression had changed. A part of him wanted to see her mad, but it was relieving to see her face darken, not in offense but to process.
“For example, what if one were to be killed unjustly?” Aaronay added.
“then it's to prove to the angels their bravery, and the unjust killer is proven to only be worthy of rotting in their own corpse” eclipse answered like it came so easy to her, aaronay furrowed his brow in thought.
“You got me beat, i cant even protest” he laughed.
The call of the owl echoed into the starry sky.
“How did fern react to the gift?” he asked, shifting his paws uncomfortably. It may have just been dark and shadowed but it felt like they were being watched.
“She already knew, she thanked me anyways though. I hope she soon makes her peace” eclipse's answer was hollow.
“you know, fathers battalion is returning soon. I'm glad, it will be nice to have him home again” aaronay smiled, his turquoise colored eyes almost glowed against the night.
He resembled sunclaw a lot, with his high neck, bony shoulders and long spikes.
Though it was also nice, the scraggly malnourished child had grown up to be a beautiful dragon.
“Two days has never felt so long” she joked, wrapping her long tail around her paws.
“Truly, but I should head back, It's getting really dark and I dont think i know the way back like you do. Sorry again For worrying you eclipse” aaronay stretched, yawning long white fangs in his mouth.
As he was leaving, he heard eclipse suck in a breath as if about to speak.
“Don't do that again, okay? I was really worried, take care of yourself” her voice was softer now, with a sense of sympathy.
She lifted her head, a sun pattern and patched of golden light like patterns crossed her dark purple scales.
The little diamond shaped stars on her glowed just alike the ones in the sky.
Aaronay felt a tinge of fear staring at her.
She said she wasn't, she said she wasn't, she said she wasn't.
But her obscure patterns..
Was his own sister a shaman?
He then dashed into the fruiting brambles without another thought in his head.