(Opening Scene: Zane stands in Astrid's chamber, his gaze fixed on Eclipse, who is still coated in lethal black venom. The air is heavy with the scent of death and ozone. The remaining guards are frozen, and Lady Elara watches Zane with a wary intensity.)
"Eclipse," Zane said, his voice firm but carrying a note of concern. The familiar's use of such potent venom was rare and usually reserved for extreme threats. He needed to understand what had provoked such a deadly response.
At the sound of Zane's voice, Eclipse's triangular head swiveled, his golden eyes locking on Zane. The deadly black venom still glistened on his scales, a silent testament to the swift and lethal force he possessed. For a moment, there was a tense stillness, a silent communication passing between boy and familiar.
Then, with a fluid grace that belied his deadly nature, Eclipse uncoiled from Astrid's lap. He moved swiftly across the floor, his obsidian scales whispering against the stone. The remaining guards flinched back further as the venomous serpent approached Zane.
Instead of striking, however, Eclipse rose, his body wrapping itself defensively around Zane's arm, then continuing to coil upwards until he settled comfortably on Zane's shoulder, his head resting near his ear. It was a possessive gesture, a clear claiming of his tether in the face of perceived threats. He nudged Zane's cheek with his head, a familiar gesture that seemed to convey a sense of calm and reassurance, as if to say, "I've got you."
The black venom still coated his body, a stark warning to anyone who might approach Zane. His golden eyes flicked towards the horrified guards and the wary Lady Elara, a silent accusation in their depths, as if to say, "They started it."
Zane felt the familiar weight of Eclipse on his shoulder, a strange mixture of comfort and grim understanding washing over him. Eclipse had acted to protect Astrid, his loyalty fierce and absolute. But the consequences of that protection had been deadly, and Zane knew they would have to face the fallout.
Lady Elara watched the exchange, her mind reeling. The bond between the boy and the serpent was undeniable, a silent language of protection and possession. The lethal venom still coating the creature was a stark reminder of the danger they now faced.