(Opening Scene: Lady Elara's command hangs heavy in the air. The Montaigne guards stand poised, ready to carry out her orders. Astrid's distress is palpable, her grip tightening on Eclipse.)
As the guards took a step forward, their hands reaching out to restrain Eclipse, the familiar reacted with startling speed. He uncoiled from Astrid's lap, his obsidian scales rippling as he rose to his full height, his triangular head held high. A low, guttural hiss reverberated through the chamber, a sound that sent a shiver down everyone's spine.
But it wasn't just the hiss that caused the guards to hesitate. A dark, viscous liquid began to coat Eclipse's fangs, dripping ominously from their tips. This wasn't the grayish venom he had used on Prince Lysander. This was a deeper, more potent black, shimmering with an unnatural intensity. The air around him crackled with a palpable sense of danger.
The dark venom spread rapidly, not just on his fangs, but across his entire body, forming a glistening, deadly sheen over his obsidian scales. It pulsed faintly, and the sweet, sickly odor that had been present earlier intensified, now laced with a metallic tang that made the eyes water.
Astrid's fear for Eclipse's safety turned into a desperate warning. "Stop! Don't touch him! You don't understand! This is different! This venom… it's lethal! It'll kill you!" Her voice was filled with urgency, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and defiance.
She stepped protectively in front of Eclipse, her arms outstretched, attempting to shield him from the guards. "He's only defending himself! He senses your intent! If you try to contain him, you'll regret it!"
Her plea hung in the air, a desperate attempt to avert a disastrous confrontation. The Montaigne guards, though well-trained, hesitated, their resolve faltering in the face of Eclipse's terrifying display. Lady Elara, however, remained resolute, her concern for Astrid warring with her determination to control the situation.
The chapter ends with the tense standoff, Astrid's desperate warning echoing through the room, the threat of Eclipse's lethal venom hanging heavy in the air.