Eclipse snarled and tried to twist around to claw at the dragon lifting her into the air. She could see the battle more clearly now. Helios was still fighting well, but Sunspot was losing her ground. Eclipse couldn't see the human anymore, and further away, a lone Nightwing was flying full tilt toward the north leaving Neoma lying unmoving in the sand.
There were Nigthwings everywhere. More than there were when the battle began. Only a few were actually dead on the ground, some with warping lodged through their chests or necks. There were quite a few with injured wings who attacked from the ground, circling and lashing out at Sunspot and Helios. More than half the flock was still airborne, and several of them were still untouched. Eclipse felt her heart sink. The Nightwing above her gave a raspy laugh, and she recognized his voice immediately, trying again to twist up and claw at the leader.
"Tick tock," he sneered, tightening his grip on her wings. She felt his claws dig into her injured shoulder and she suppressed a yelp of pain. "It's only a matter of time before your friends fall. I've foreseen it--you'll all wind up in The Den eventually."
Eclipse felt a chill run down her spine. She never considered that the Nightwing she'd been hunting might have one or both of the ancient powers from their tribe. She wondered for a moment if that was why he hadn't come back for Sunspot the day before. Would Eclipse have been able to kill him if he had? Had he seen a future where she finally finished him by going back for the vulnerable Solarwing? Or was he bluffing? Was this some sort of ploy to try and discourage her? To make her give up?
She slit her eyes, giving a massive jerk despite the dizzying pain in her shoulder, and twisted around, catching onto his forearm with one of her iron-tipped claws. The next moment happened so fast. He shriek, and using the moment, Eclipse yanked one wing free and caught his shoulder with her other claw, propelling herself upward. She scrabbled at the Nightwing's burned scales as he floundered in the air, clambering over his shoulder and digging in her claws as if he were an unsteady tree. The Nightwing was nearly twice her size and it was easy to get a grip on his back as he twisted, trying to claw at her. She reached around for her dagger, rage pulsing through her veins like a fire. With a burst of adrenaline and strength, she ripped the blade from its sheath, hearing the leather tear.
"At least you won't be there with us," she snarled.
And plunged the dagger into his throat.
The Nightwing gave one last strangled roar and bucked beneath her. Eclipse felt herself catch air for a moment and then the hunter fell sideways, dropping from the sky. Eclipse pushed herself away from him, instinctively spreading her wings to slow her fall. The hole in her left wing tore further and pain shot through her right shoulder as the air snagged them. Her vision darkened, and she pulled her wings in close before subconsciously opening them as she began to fall faster. The descent to the ground was uneven and Eclipse could barely even control what her wings were doing. Opening in a panic to slow her fall, snapping back in from the pain. Finally, she slammed into the sand, tumbling and sliding over the warm grains. She opened her eyes once to look back at the battle raging around her. Darkness seeped in from the edges of her vision and she fell limp against the sand as her mind slid into unconsciousness.
)
