They scrambled like sardines, pouring into the ship in a desperate frenzy. It was chaos—a stampede in the truest sense of the word.
The screams were deafening, bodies crushed underfoot as people fought tooth and nail to escape their predators.
Rexan stood atop a towering skyscraper, watching the chaos unfold below. Her prey scurried like ants swarming an anthill. She held Roxanna's small hand tightly, the child hiding behind her leg.
Beside her, Chuck and Crunch shifted uneasily. The presence of the human child clearly unsettled them.
Crunch finally broke the silence.
"My queen, what do you plan to do with this human filth?"
Roxanna clung tighter to Rexan's leg, her small frame trembling.
"Is she desert? I hear you like your meat tender," Crunch added with a cruel sneer.
Rexan didn't respond immediately. Her sharp eyes remained fixed on the chaos below, particularly on a group of wicked men forcing their way onto a boat.
The men shoved aside women and children, tossing them into the sea without hesitation. Their desperate cries echoed, reaching Rexan's ears.
Crunch pressed on. "My queen, a child might be a distraction to our purpose."
Rexan finally spoke, her voice calm but edged with finality. "She's my child. Is there a problem with that?"
Crunch scoffed, his discontent evident. "This is why I never wanted a queen! Women are weak! a slave to their emotions."
Roxanna's eyes narrowed as she listened from behind Rexan. Though she whimpered in fear, her thoughts betrayed her: Ugh, if I were her, I'd kill this talking trash.
What a cunning girl, Rexan thought.
In one swift motion, Rexan grabbed Crunch by the hair and dragged him to the edge of the building. Holding him precariously over the edge, she snarled, "Tell me, Crunch, do you think you'll survive the fall from this building?"
"My queen, please!" Crunch growled, his voice a guttural snarl.
Rexan tightened her grip, her claws digging into his distorted scalp. "You are a semi-superior zombie," she hissed.
"And as such, you only speak when I ask. You only move when I command. You only breathe when I allow it. Got it?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," he growled through gritted teeth, his defiance crumbling into submission.
Satisfied, Rexan yanked him back from the edge and tossed him to the ground. He scrambled to his feet, keeping his head low in surrender.
Rexan turned her attention back to the scene below. Her icy gaze burned with intent as she watched the men on the boat leave the helpless to their fate.
Roxanna peered around her leg, her young mind racing. She didn't yet know how she'd do it, but she was determined to kill this monstrous woman one day.
Rexan smirked, sensing the girl's thoughts.
"Such fire," she murmured. "You'll need it."