The Above

-Eleven-

The Eclipse had officially begun. Somehow, I was almost surprised. As if the idea had been in my mind but was slowly shrouded by distractions. As if I had anticipated it and hadn't all the same.

A whirlwind of emotions stormed through my head, as I paused the conversation I was having with Wren. But one thought was most prominent; how could I forget Pylia? How could I forget my own friend?

She had been the reason I was here in the first place. And yet, I couldn't have even remembered that. The idea sickened me. Was I truly this thoughtless? Would she die because of my carelessness? I hoped both statements were false, but I couldn't be sure.

Along with the feeling of disappointment came that of emptiness. It shocked me, just how much the absence of light could affect me. The sun had only just risen a few hours ago, just after I had been stirred awake by the memories that haunted me. And now, as it seemed, a part of me was incomplete; missing. And this time, it wasn't simply mental.

But alongside this came something else. The emptiness inside me was quickly filled by a surge of overwhelming power, one that was unstable at best and destructive at worst. It was almost as if I could sense the darkness around me in a new manner. To me, it was no longer simply the absence of light. It was something more.

"The Eclipse..." Wren whispered, her gaze flickering between the covered sun and me. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I assured her, though I wasn't quite sure if the statement was true. Not after Pylia, and not after this new feeling of overwhelming strength. "But my friend might not be. We need to get to the Lux faction as soon as possible. Any ideas?"

She nodded, and I could almost see a smirk begin to form on her lips. "I hope you like dragons."

- >><< -

I stared at the beast in front of me, towering and covered in icy spikes. Many had gathered around, Atlaster included, to stare at the creature. It was the same as the one Wren had shown to us a night prior, yet it still remained as majestic as it had been the first time we saw it.

"You two remember Perses, yes?"

I nodded, quietly muttering, "How could I forget?" Wren's hand rested on the spiked wing that hid his front legs. It almost purred at her touch. A dangerous beast that was almost cat-like. Wonderful.

"Well then, what are you waiting for? Hop on!" I froze at her words as she gestured towards Perses. I wasn't afraid of many things, but the thought of that thing carrying me across the sky was far too petrifying for my taste. Atlaster, however, didn't seem to mind.

He climbed its jagged wings and sat on its back, grabbing onto the fur of its neck with pride. He glanced back towards me with a smile, and I just managed to muster up a nervous grin.

"Don't be scared! The weather's great up here!" he called.

"Easy for you to say," I said, slowly beginning to climb up its wings, "You've probably ridden this thing before." Eventually, after a few prolonged moments of struggle, I made it onto the dragon's back. It shifted suddenly at my arrival, and I held tightly onto its slick fur. It seemed to dislike this, as a low growl emitted from its throat. I removed my hands from it immediately.

As if attempting to take advantage of my lack of support, it spread its wings, and within seconds we were launched into the air. With a shrill shriek, I grabbed onto the nearest thing and held on as tightly as I could. I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die!

And yet, even as we soared through the air at rapid speeds, Atlaster still laughed heartily. Eventually, after far too long, we began to slow down.

"You can let go now," he chuckled, and I opened my eyes to see what he meant. I was surprised to realize that I had been practically clinging to Atlaster for the past few minutes. Regardless of the overwhelming embarrassment I felt, I refused to let go, my arms still firm around his waist and my head on his back.