The Fallen Legion of the Queen
Chapter 1
I can't breathe.
My lungs ache for a chance to take a breath, but I'm helplessly drowning within the now flooded Hollows. I can feel my eyes burn from the sea water I'm floating in, but that's the least of my worries.
The dying need to get to the surface is strong, but I'm no fish – I can't swim. My vision is blurry, but I can still see my fallen brothers floating near me. If I don't reach the surface in time, then my body will be among the dead.
Moving my limbs in an erratic manner, I scramble towards the surface. But I can't tell which is up or down; or left to right – I just pray I'm heading in the right direction. My lungs are now burning inside my chest; crying out for the desirable air I need to live. Suddenly I see a light above me; silently telling me I'm closer to my goal.
Eventually I make it to the surface and I can feel the air rushing back to my lungs in a violent urgency. Clinging onto the edge of an emergence hole, I allow my wore-out body to relax. After a few moments of gasping and gagging out the remaining sea water from my lungs, I managed to drag my exhausted body away from the hole. I can't believe after all the battles I've been in; after almost being infected with lambency; I nearly died from drowning.
As I sat on the sun-baked grass to regain my composure, I witness others pop up from the water after me. I'm glad I wasn't the only survivor, but are we really so lucky?
Helping out my fellow brothers out of the water, I stop and stare at the former emergence hole with sadness. The city of Nexus, the last bastion of safety against the Lambent – had finally fallen. The hollows are now flooded with sea water and we are left defenseless against our enemies. I have no idea if our Queen had made it out alive or not, but as we sit and wonder; the humans and the Lambent grow strong.
No, that is not true… it is only the Lambent - our infected brethren growing stronger. The humans are in the same predicament as we are; but only I share this view alone. The rest of my brothers view the Lambent and the Humans as equal threats that must be destroy no matter what the cost. I no longer believe the humans are a threat, even though they are the cause of the Lambent's existence.
Do the humans know they are the cause of this war that has fallen upon them? Are they aware their alter imulsion created the Lambent? In silence, I've always wondered but choose not to ask. I am nothing more than a lowly grunt, a loyal soldier to our Queen. I live to serve our beloved Mother, our beautiful and all knowing Myrrah. Her will is my will, her word is law, and there is nothing more important than her. Even though my loyalty for our Queen is high, I do - in silence question her methods.
Was attacking the humans such a good idea? If anything, it made the war against our infected brethren more complicated than it already was. As we attacked the surface, the Lambent saw an opportunity to draw closer to Nexus; our last stronghold. We were supposed to stop them from spreading further within the hollows, but instead our Queen wanted the surface world.
She knew better than anyone our home was lost to us; she knew our only opinion in surviving was to flee and fight our way to the top. At the time I was unaware of our losing battle against the Lambent, but once I return to the Palace; I realized why our Queen wanted to leave.
However, while on the surface; we all thought the humans had weakened due to their war against themselves; but we were wrong. Instead of dying or surrendering to our will, they chose to burn their cities and their lands from the sky. Many of their own kind were sacrifice in their deadly defense, they'd killed more of their own on that day then we ever did in a year.
Fifteen years had gone by now, and we still we wage this war against the humans and the Lambent - and I grow tired of fighting. Despite being bred for this, to be born as a soldier - I grow tired of all this bloodshed. When does it end, when can we stop? I know our Queen Myrrah had order us to fight until we win or die in the process; but I want this to end. I don't care if I sound weak; don't care if my Queen will be disappointed in me… I just want to stop.
There is bickering in my group, and I watch in total silence as a fight breaks out. Our group of thirty or so had managed to escape the flooded hollows in one piece, but with no word of our Queen surviving – everything is falling apart. A fight for controlling the reminding numbers of our kind has broken out between a Kantus priest and a Theron Guard.
The Priest believes our beloved Queen has died from the Flood, while the Guard believes our Queen had abandoned us. My blood boils from listening to their argument, had either of them ever consider looking for our Queen Myrrah?
Suddenly our group splits into two and anger fills my heart; guess that answers that question. They all stare at me, seeing who I would choose to join. I stand my ground as I glare at the Priest and the Guard with equal amount of hate; how dare they abandon the Queen.
"Who do you choose?" the Guard asked; removing his helmet to reveal his eyes.
He glares back at me with his dark red eyes, trying to intimidate me into submission. I don't budge; which bothers him. He may be Elite, but at this point in the war, I no longer care what he is. There are many anxious looks upon me, waiting for an answer. Eventually I speak…
"Our Queen," I reply.
"Fool, the Queen is gone!" the Priest screeched.
"You don't know that," I said angrily, making the Priest fidget in his spot.
"This is your last chance. Choose or become a Lost One, Brother." The Guard said, making my eye twitch in anger.
Everyone fell into a complete silence when those words were spoken. The term "Lost One" means when one loses their unity to our people becomes a separate entity; then they are considered a taint or "soulless". The Lambent are a prime examples of a Lost One, but there are things worse off than being a Lost One. I stare at the Guard in both anger and pity; he is blind to the fate he has chosen for himself.
"Rather be a lost one, then a Heretic!" I shout; the Guard is taking back at this.
There is loud chatter within the crowd; none of them were expecting me to stand up against two of the most Elites in our now fallen army. I can see the frustration brewing from the Guard; he wants to kill me but is somehow holding back?
"Leave us!" he shouts, pointing towards the thick forest behind me.
I am being banished from this group, and yet I find myself not caring. I shall find our missing Queen all on my own, with or without the help of my brothers. As I wander away from the Heretics, I hear a couple of loud thuds coming from behind. One of my larger brothers, a Boomer as the humans call him is trailing behind; along with three other drones. I don't bother stop to wait for them to catch up with me; if they wish to join me on my search that is fine – but I will not allow them to slow me down in the process.
I just wish I knew where to go?