Chapter 30: Eclipse

Eclipse didn’t know how she had survived this long.

It wasn’t the looming dangers of fighting the Legion, the daring escapes she had to make to avoid getting turned in, the threats of camping out for weeks in a dark forest with all sorts of predatory creatures.

No. Astrid’s training was much, much worse.

She was teaching them practically everything, from brutal hand-to-hand combat to vicious weaponry. Climbing steep cliff sides, jumping farther than Eclipse could have imagined herself. Building the stamina to run and run and run.

All day, every day, they trained. This was what she signed up for.

This is so much more work than fencing...

Her arms and legs were sore from the past few…weeks? Months? It didn’t matter anymore because the days had blurred together, each one a mundane repeat of the last. Wake up. Eat barely enough to keep themselves energized. Train for hours. Sleep. Wake up again with a new dysfunctioning body part.

Well, Astrid must know what she’s doing. I’ve seen the way she fights.

She watched Astrid walk past her in the camp, preparing to cook one of her bland meals for dinner. It wasn’t that Eclipse was ungrateful for them, but after weeks of drinking flavorless, thin soup, literally anything from back home would have been nice.

Home…can I even call it that anymore?

She knew she wasn’t welcome there, no matter how hard her parents were trying to look for her. What would lay in store for her back at the Ash Court? A warm embrace? Meaningful words? Or just another punishment for running away, for stealing their money. Not to mention what she revealed at their party. The incident felt like a lifetime ago.

A summer breeze blew by her face, and Eclipse straightened herself as she sat on her log. She found herself resting there a lot lately—although it was rough and uncomfortable, it certainly beat sitting on the dirt. Her clothes were already filthy enough, and washing them was always a hassle. Cold baths in pond water were no fun either, so it was always in her best interest to stay as clean as possible.

The colorful dusk was being wiped away by the night, and it surrounded their dying campfire. She noticed Andromeda leaning against a tree from afar, studying a small vial of medicine in her hand. Eclipse couldn’t recognize the remedy from where she sat, wondering what it was. Perhaps the white liquid Astrid had purchased from the apothecary? She would just have to ask her later.

She smiled as she watched her. From the day they had met, Eclipse had known Andromeda to be quiet and, well, sleepy. But over the course of the weeks they spent together, she had definitely come to surprise her. She was easy to talk to, sweet, friendly, and…lively, even. Something had definitely changed about her, and whatever it was, Eclipse liked it.

Cassiopeia on the other hand…she wasn’t so sure about her. She had seen how dedicated and stubborn she was, how she was able to crack hilarious remarks at the wrong times. In a lot of ways, she reminded Eclipse of herself, and she was sure they should have been good friends. But something was…off. Something she couldn’t explain. She knew she had no real reason to dislike the girl, yet she still did.

You’re just being silly.

“Where is that damn Alchemist?” Astrid huffed with her hands at her hips. She looked out into the forest, searching for any sign of him. “I sent him out to fetch me some firewood. That doesn’t take too long, does it? What do you think is keeping him?”

“Do you want me to go look for him?” Eclipse asked, feeling a tinge of concern.

“Might as well. I need that firewood for our food. So unless we get it soon, there’s no dinner tonight.” She turned back to her cooking. “Make sure he’s all right, too.”

Eclipse got up from her seat, dusting herself off. She strode over to the edge of the forest, before quickly turning back to Astrid.

“Do you know which way he went?” Eclipse asked.

Astrid pointed just to Eclipse’s side. “That way. Southeast.”

She made her way through the trees, stepping over gnarled roots and rough rocks. Rustling bushes and plants grazed her legs as she passed through them. The leaves above partially covered the view of the night sky, and Eclipse was shrouded in darkness, bringing a certain quiet around her. She crept carefully through the grass, limiting the sounds of her footsteps to avoid attracting any unwanted attention from the creatures of the night.

Eclipse heard a faint rustle through the bushes, her eyes and mind on high alert. She gazed around her, trying to study the difficult figures in the dark.

Maybe it would have been a good idea to bring a sword. Or a torch, at least.

“Arcturus!” she called out, her voice echoing in the forest. She was a good distance away from the camp now, but he couldn’t have gotten too far.

Where the hell is he? How do you get lost in such a simple forest? We’ve been here for weeks already.

She was met with no reply, so she turned around to head back. Maybe she’d have better luck a little closer to the camp.

The trees melted into one another, leaving her slightly confused and disoriented. She circled around a thick trunk, and a small pinprick of light appeared in the dark foliage, breaking through.

What could that be?

She followed the light to its source, straying off her path back to camp. It was a foolish move, she knew, but there had to be something down there. Besides, it didn’t look like it went too far from the camp.

In a blink of an eye, it was gone. Put out. Eclipse raised an eyebrow, now even more curious. She continued in the light’s general direction, maneuvering her way around the thorny branches.

She spotted a clearing up ahead, a glade of grass vacant of bushes and trees. A low tree branch hung down to her head, and she brushed it away to get a closer look.

Eclipse stepped out of the forest to be met with the infinite night sky. Hundreds of stars scattered across like shattered diamonds on a black canvas, not a cloud or tree in sight to block them out. She hadn’t been able to see stars like this in the deep forest, or even back in the Ash Court with all the lights and clouded skies.

It’s beautiful...

She took another step forward, entranced as she craned her head up. The grass ended just ahead of her, and she could make out the edge of a high cliff just a few paces away. She didn’t mind it though, and slowly left the dark embrace of the forest.

At the corner of her eye, she spotted another figure, sitting almost at the edge of the cliff. The person leaned back against the grass, their arms supporting them as they gazed up. A bundle of firewood stood at their side, one of the pieces darkened with ashes. Eclipse tore her gaze away, and squinted at the blurry outline.

There he is.

“Arcturus?” Eclipse said, interrupting his reverie.

He flinched, whipping his head to her. “Oh…it’s just you.”

“Were you expecting someone else?”

“To be honest, I wasn’t expecting anyone.”

She paused for a moment, unsure of how to respond.

“What are you doing here?” she asked softly.

“I went to go get some firewood, but I got…distracted. What about you? Shouldn’t you be back at the camp?”

“I was sent to find you. You were taking quite a while, you know.”

He said nothing, not even looking at her. His eyes were still glued to the sky above them.

“May I join you?” she asked nervously, and he quietly shifted to the side. She sat down beside him, not minding the grass or the dirt this time. It was just an outfit after all—it could be washed.

Besides, she could use a little serenity in her life. And this place…well, it was serene.

Stretching her feet out in front of her, Eclipse studied the stars above her. The cliffside allowed her to see past the normal horizon, expanding the view even wider.

I wish I had my notebook…Sola would kill to see this.

The summer constellations were bright in the night sky, Eclipse easily pinpointing each one. She traced their paths with her eyes, all other noises and thoughts escaping her mind. They sat like that in silence for who knows how long, their minds getting lost in the universe.

“There’s the Strongman,” whispered Arcturus.

Eclipse blinked and glanced at him, but his face was still turned away from her.

How did he know that?

She looked back up. “And the Harp.”

“The Eagle.”

“The Scorpion.”

“The Swan.”

“The Swan? Where?”

Arcturus pointed up and Eclipse followed his arm, searching the sky. She unconsciously leaned into his side.

There it is. How did I miss that?

The shining bird constellation winked back down at her.

“Oh,” she said under her breath. Acutely aware of how close she had leaned to him, she quickly sat back. “You seem to know a lot about the stars.”

Arcturus gave her a nonchalant shrug. “Actually, I don’t really know much. Those are just basic constellations, I’m sure anyone can point them out.”

Eclipse raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Not just anyone could identify those constellations so easily.

Arcturus continued. “I don’t know…I’ve always thought astronomy was interesting. I don’t really have time to study a lot of it, what with being an apothecary’s apprentice and all, but that still didn’t make it any less beautiful.” He paused for a brief second. “Sometimes, I like to stare up at them on my own, in the quiet grass of my village, but I’ve never seen a clear view like this before. It’s breathtaking.”

He went quiet again, a cool night breeze threading past them and picking up a few loose strands of her braided hair. Eclipse shifted her position, chewing at her lip. She knew they had to go back soon, but something inside of her told her to stay put.

“Do you miss your family?” Arcturus asked, breaking the silence.

Eclipse wrapped a loose strand of thread from her shirt around her finger, the question catching her off guard. “Is it wrong to say no?”

He looked to her, surprised.

She took a breath. “Is it wrong to say that these past few weeks of training were a relief from the binds of my family? Is it wrong that I breathe easier in the forest with people I barely know than those in my own home?” she said in a rush, her voice low.

Is it wrong for me to be telling him all this? Thinking it in the first place?

Arcturus hesitated, before shifting a little closer. “It doesn’t sound wrong to me.”

“Really?”

“I mean…if that’s how you truly feel, then no.” He paused. “But can I ask why?”

Eclipse waited, thinking. “Here, with you and everyone else, I feel like…like I’m actually doing something with my life. I’m working towards something that has meaning, a true purpose. I feel alive. None of those people, those meetings, those parties back in that Court held this sense.”

She looked to Arcturus, who was staring into his lap.

Did I say too much?

“For what it’s worth,” he started gently, “I’m glad you’re here. And I’m glad you’ve freed yourself from that place.”

Arcturus went silent, still looking away.

Eclipse watched him, her thoughts turning over in her head. Only a few weeks ago, she was opposed to the idea of him coming along. She would never forgive herself if something were to happen to him, the kind boy from the apothecary she let herself get attached to. But now she couldn't imagine her journey without him, and a faint feeling of nostalgia washed over her, a reminder of a simpler time.

“I still have the rose,” Eclipse blurted out after a few minutes.

“What?”

Eclipse froze. Why in all the stars did I say that?

“The…the rose you gave me that last time. I brought it with me when I left home. I’m sure it's nothing but dust now, but…I thought it was sweet, so I brought it along.”

Arcturus rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh.”

“But I have to ask,” she started again, “why did you gift that to me? I mean, we barely knew each other back then.” The memory began to interrupt her words. She started to stutter. “And, if we’re being quite honest…I don’t think I was acting particularly kind that day. I didn’t deserve such a gift, or any gift, for that matter…”

He looked away. “Well, maybe I gave it to you because I thought you would like it. Maybe I gave it to you because I thought it would make up for the way I completely humiliated myself that day. Maybe I gave it to you because I thought it reminded me of you.”

She studied him curiously.

“And how, pray tell, did that rose remind you of me?”

“Well,” he started hesitantly. “You’re both bright, and bold. Delicate-looking, but thorny. Beautiful…”

He stopped himself at that last word, his eyes widening as he realized what he said. Eclipse’s heartbeat started to race.

Beautiful? Her? Truth be told, Eclipse always saw her on the far end of the attractive spectrum. Her looks never seemed like anything special to her, especially when lined up with the other daughters of the Ash Court. Hell, even the other girls at the camp were much more desirable than her.

“Beautiful? Me?” she said with a smirk, knowing he must have been teasing. “That’s a great joke.”

“It’s not a joke,” he said, still not meeting her eyes. His tone was serious. “I…I think you are quite attractive.”

He finally glanced up, and Eclipse willed herself to look away, pulling back a strand of her hair. A warm feeling spread through her body despite the chilly air. They stayed quiet for sometime longer, Eclipse’s thoughts rushed in contrast to the still atmosphere. She tried as hard as she could, yet she struggled to hide the blush that was blossoming through her cheeks.

What in the stars is happening to me? And why am I sweating like this? This never happened when I was back in the Ash Court!

The stars seemed to glow brighter above them.

“Do you ever realize how small we are?”

His voice was almost stolen by the wind, soft and fleeting.

Looking at him again, she watched him run a hand through his unruly hair, Eclipse now able to see the shine in his eyes. His face was slightly illuminated by the moon and its stars, casting his defined jaw and nose in a soft glow.

“Small?”

“In this sea of stars. You look up, and you can feel yourself shrink and shrink as you leave the ground and become immersed in it.”

Eclipse tilted her head back. “I…I never thought of it like that.”

“That’s all I can think about. Realizing how insignificant we are compared to the wonders of the universe.”

He finally looked back down at her, and their eyes met for a brief moment. Eclipse took a quick breath as she stared at him, the details of his face suddenly coming to her attention. How is it that she had never noticed them before? His soft and wondrous eyes, the thin structure of his face, his golden-honey skin, just a shade darker than hers.

She had always just seen him as the peculiar apothecary’s apprentice. Now…now that she truly looked at him, she quickly realized she was a fool. He really was handsome, in an odd, unexplainable way.

Eclipse soon realized she had been studying him for too long, and finally broke her gaze.

“They say we come from the night heavens,” she began hesitantly, recalling her times in the library. “That our ancestors descended down with their Gifts and settled on our world, their magic seeping into its dirt like spilled water.

“Do you believe in that?”

“Do you?”

Arcturus paused. “My mother always said that we are all made of scattered stardust.” He met her eyes again. “Some more than others, I think.”

“What does that mean?”

“She told me that there’s always that certain person who shines brighter than anyone else. Sometimes it’s hard to find them, but when you finally do, that’s when you know.

Eclipse felt her heart skip a beat. “Know what?” she breathed.

“That you should hold them close to feel the warmth of their stars.”

They sat there in silence, Eclipse staring at him, her words lost to the wind.

All this time I had spent with him, all of those visits. All those years of seeing him as just another village boy. How could I have been so blind?

Arcturus shifted his legs, nervously looking back down again. “Uh, we should probably get going, I—”

“No,” whispered Eclipse, and she blinked in surprise.

Didn’t you come to bring him back to camp?

“No,” she repeated. “Let’s…let’s sit for a bit more. The others can wait.”

He looked to her with surprise, but he settled back down. “All right.”

On a whim, she quickly fell back onto the grass, her hair sprawling over the ground. Arcturus looked at her with confusion.

“You can see them better this way,” she said, pointing up to the sky.

He gave her a smile, and fell down on the grass beside her. The logical part of her brain told her that she should get up, go back to camp, but she brushed it off, something in her heart telling her to just…go with the moment.

“It’s so high up,” Eclipse breathed. “Imagine being up there. Being a part of it all. To live amongst the stars.”

“One day we will,” said Arcturus. Although Eclipse continued to look up, her senses told her he wasn’t doing the same. She didn’t want to give in, yet she couldn’t help herself. She took a glance at her side, to see him gazing at her.

“One day we will be up there. Living amongst the stars. I promise you that.”

She nodded.

“One day.”

✦✦✦

“All right, everyone. This is it,” Astrid began.

The sun was already low on its descent, dusk quickly approaching. The six of them had gathered by the fire pit in the center of the camp. Eclipse sat next to Cassiopeia. Astrid, Arcturus, and Andie were in front of them. Antares was to the side, stacking wood for the fire to be lit.

“All that training these past few weeks is finally going to be put to use. It’s time to show me what you can do, and if it was worth my time and effort to take you in for this cause.”

“Why now?” Arcturus asked hesitantly. “Why not train a little while longer?”

“I think you all can handle it. Even you, Arcturus. You’ve received enough training to survive this mission,” Astrid said.

Arcturus smiled uneasily, clearly skeptical of her words.

“Besides, we’ve spent enough time already squatting out here. I don’t want to be caught off guard by another attack, and that could be any day now. We’re lucky enough they haven’t struck anywhere the past few weeks.”

Eclipse nodded, mostly to herself. She wasn’t going to let that happen.

“While we were on our little trip, Cassiopeia and I found a…friend, from the Ash Court Guard to interrogate. It was quite easy, really. Ask any question, and Frosty could Read the answer in his head. Though I did occasionally have to resort to some…colder methods.” She said this part with a small grin before continuing.

“Lucky for us, he was also part of the Ember Legion. Honestly, you’d be surprised how easy it was to find one of those guys. But more importantly, among all the information we extracted from him, we found the location of the Legion’s base.”

Eclipse raised an eyebrow. “Let me guess, the Ash Courtroom?”

Cassiopeia turned to Eclipse, a slightly impressed look on her face. “That’s…surprisingly close. It’s actually the Ash Guard base. The very same complex.”

“Why am I not surprised?”

Only the Ember Legion would think of such a stupid move.

Astrid nodded. “Our source said it was buried deep underground, below the Guard’s base, operating from within without them even knowing.”

Antares finally sat down, on the other side of Eclipse, dusting his hands on his pants. “Sometimes the best kept secrets are the ones hidden in plain sight,” he remarked.

Astrid nodded once to him, a look passing between the two. Cassiopeia started to dig through her pocket, before pulling out a sheet of folded paper.

“After interviewing our friend, we went ahead and scouted the base ourselves. This is a sketch of the exterior of the Guard base. We weren’t able to get details on the inside, so we have no idea what it looks like. All we got from our source was that there is a hidden staircase that leads down to the Legion base. Once we find that, we’re in.”

Everyone leaned forward, closing in around the drawing in Cassiopeia’s hands.

“Perhaps it's best if you draw it out on the ground. That way we all can see,” suggested Astrid.

Cassiopeia nodded. Antares passed her the large stick used to stoke the fire, one end blackened. She crouched down to the floor, and began to draw in the packed dirt, glancing back at the paper map for reference. The other five watched curiously, waiting for her to finish.

Once it was complete, Cassiopeia stood up from the ground, sitting back down in her seat. Eclipse peered at the finished map, her brows furrowing in alarm.

“Hang on,” she cut in. “That’s it? All we can see are the entrances. And this is only one floor. Didn't you say the Legion base was underneath?”

“It is. We just don’t have a map of it,” Astrid replied.

“So we’re going in blind?”

“Do you have any better ideas?”

Eclipse shut her mouth, unable to respond.

“I didn’t think so,” Astrid continued. “That’s not all though, we managed to study all the different guards stationed on the exterior.” She pointed to different spots on the map, taking the stick from Cassiopeia and drawing in a number of circles to represent the guards. “There are four guards at the front gate at all times, and two just at the entrance of the building. There are also four watchtowers at each corner of the base, with one guard stationed at each.”

“Those who aren’t stationed to guard the base,” Cassiopeia took over, “are only in the building during the day, training and briefing and whatever soldiers do in the day. To have the best chance of not getting caught, the safest option would be to sneak in at night.”

“Wouldn’t they increase their security at night, though?” Antares asked.

“It still wouldn’t be as risky as the day. We’re less exposed, and it’ll be easier to enter without trouble.” Cassiopeia said.

“Question,” Arcturus interjected. “Why exactly are we infiltrating the base? Is there anything specific that we’re looking for?”

“Information,” Astrid answered. “Anything we can find out about their next plans, any new weapons they may have acquired, anything at all.”

Well, that’s helpfully specific.

“We don’t know much about this Legion, do we?” said Eclipse.

“But we do know more than most,” Astrid assured. “Let’s start from the beginning, shall we? Just so everyone’s up to speed.” She glanced around at the group, who all seemed to agree.

“We know that there is a secret faction of the Ash Court, called the Ember Legion,” Astrid started. “One that believes they are superior and that they should rule all of Ophelia. They’ve organized a secret militia of their own to do their bidding.”

“Councilman Oberon is in charge of it all,” Eclipse continued. “And I’m certain he’s got other Ash councilmen and officials on his side, just not sure who. I know Councilman Nash was definitely part of his plans at one point, but now I’m not so sure…I think it went too far for him, and he’s now trying to leave Oberon’s grasp.”

“What do you mean?” asked Cassiopeia.

“Well, I’ve seen Oberon send men to threaten him, and he always tries to assure his loyalty to them. But he’s also tried to bring up Oberon’s treachery to the other councilmen, although none of them seemed to believe him. So I’m really not sure which side he’s on.”

“So Councilman Nash may or may not be a potential ally…” Astrid thought aloud. “What else?”

“The Legion has access to Silmorite, a dangerous element we know very little of or how they’ve obtained it in the first place,” Antares said.

“Using that Silmorite, they staged an attack on innocents in the marketplace, taking down many villagers with positions in the Courts,” added Arcturus. “Majority of whom are from the Terris, but none from the Ash.”

“And now, we have no idea what their next move will be,” Cassiopeia concluded.

“Exactly why we’re going on this mission in the first place,” said Astrid. “So here’s how we’re going to do this…”

Eclipse listened, the plan unfolding before her.