A/N: Inspiration on Juggernauts :D

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Zoe staggered then hit the ground, while Darcy quickly shifted to maintain his balance. The ship uttered an angry cry and the teenage girl feared that the floors above would crash them. Before she could register what happened, a golden light flashed from her peripheral view. She glanced and saw her bodyguard already holding his obsidian sword, but this time, there was two of them.

"A twin sword?" She whistled, suddenly wishing she had her limited edition shurikens.

Darcy whirled to the other side, glaring at their approaching enemies. "Hubert, turn the ship!"

Zoe gave him a raised brow and wondered if he had gone insane. She knew far too well that there was no communication line within the room, or perhaps it was his natural response in face of danger. She decided to brush it aside and started on her feet when the ship made a sharp turn, making her hug the gun.

"What is it?" she asked.

The young bodyguard spun and she met the same expression he wore the first time their paths crossed. Brave and emotionless eyes, straight and thin lips that seemed to never taste a smile, and just like before, the night breeze whipped his raven black hair, almost covering the faint golden glow of his eyes. At the back of her mind, she wondered if she could muster that kind of look when she was about to charge in battle.

"Stay here for now. I already asked Krista to set up a barrier." He paused, bathing them in an awkward silence. "You're safe here. I can't allow you to join the battle outside."

"But why? I had ninja training and stuff."

"No." His tone changed, full of authority and something else. For some reasons, his voice was in contrast to his expression, which she found odd.

"Don't get me wrong," he said with his signature smug smile. "I can't let you die, so listen to me just this once."

Zoe chuckled. "Only if you say please."

Before they could have a glaring contest, his eyes gazed into the distance. She followed them and almost fell back on the ground. The ship was completely surrounded by the Juggernauts and the vessel stopped moving. They enclosed their dinner into a circle, with no possible way out except for the path that the two of them were staring. It may look like an easy escape route, but the stirring clouds told a different story.

Her ears picked up the sound of strong wings, but more prominent than the others. Her breath froze in her throat as she watched in horror when a figure much larger than the others emerged from the veil of smoke. It was definitely larger than the ship, like a kid ready to play with its new toy. However, unlike the Juggernauts, the new creature wore the body of a woman and a face much delicate than a painting.

Zoe blinked a couple of times, but the giant was still there, staring at them. She mentally crossed her fingers, hoping that it was here to offer a peace treaty.

"It's their queen," Darcy said, her eyes remained locked on the creature. "Serosuriel, one of the oldest creature in Mamoria. It never leaves their lair..."

But what was it doing here?

They were located at the lowest part of the ship, an area that worked as a two-way mirror, providing them with a full view of their fate. Although she knew that fact, Zoe couldn't help ponder if the queen could actually see them because her eyes were burning directly at her--plain, milky orbs, bigger than her head.

"Just stay here." Darcy repeated. "The only way to make them leave is to greatly decrease their number."

He waited for her response, but the red haired girl remained dumbfounded. She heard him walked out and closed the door, immediately feeling the urge to hide from Serosuriel's view. Still, her feet remained planted on the spot.

The whole scene flashed before her better than a 4D movie. Cued by a dramatic orchestra playing on her mind, their battle cries sang in the air. Flashes of gold, red, green, and purple set the sky ablaze. The once silent night succumbed to the horrors of weeping souls. Monstrous figures poured like rain from both sides of the ship, yet the queen remained to where it was, as though waiting for Zoe to start their fight.

Her chest heaved and sighed as she tried to relax, convincing herself that she must also act. She was the heroine, Zoe reminded herself. It was her duty to protect and save, not the other way around. Although Darcy and the others were holding their ground, she couldn't allow anyone to get hurt while she cowered and hid into safety.

"If you want to shoot the leader, then you should just shoot it," she said to herself.

Without a second thought, she grabbed the gun and fired directly at Serosuriel.

It hit.

Once. Twice. Thrice. Until her fingers were not enough to count.

Confidence built inside her. She could do it.

Then a deep plea of pain resonated in the air and the moment Zoe began to question herself, the queen's facade shattered.

It bellowed with a face more distorted than its minions. A large, crimson horn began to emerge on the center of its forehead. And when her milky eyes flickered, bloody orbs greeted Zoe. It flapped its wings so strong that a wave of foul door engulfed her, causing her to gag. Then it soared towards its prey, faster than her heart could beat. Serosuriel's jaw unhinged and displayed a mouth with nothing but jagged teeth.

She kept her aim at the Queen, never letting go of the trigger, hoping that the monster would die before it reached her. But as seconds ticked by, her confidence wavered.

Did she make the right decision?

As if to give her an answer, the humongous creature crashed on the ship and Zoe was thrown to the other side. A barrier of spell gleamed on the walls, instantly disappearing after the impact. Sharp pain exploded on her hips and shoulder, but she managed to get on her feet. The queen repeatedly punched the lowest part of the ship, sending the room into a colorful flare.

Then the spell was broke, shattering into glittering dust.

Zoe's heart screamed for her dear life and started smacking her chest to save them both, but the teenage girl remained on her spot. Cold sweats dribbled down her ashen face, struck by fear she never encountered. The walls broke into hundreds of pieces as a humongous hand smashed through it.

Zoe dodged with her shaking legs. But it attacked again and again until she reached the end of the room with nowhere to run. Serosuriel bellowed with rage and ran her hand on the side of the ship. The vessel rocked violently, but the queen held it still while glaring at the small figure at the corner of the ship.

Zoe saw Darcy on the back of Serosuriel followed by the faintly glowing arrows. She realized that he was trying to divert the queen's attention, however, it had already decided what dinner it wanted.

Then it struck with black, sharp claws that would surely rip anything into ribbons.

Zoe heard Darcy's voice, but it was too late to dodge. Her hands instinctively caught the approaching claw and never felt more bewildered.

It stopped a few inches from her stomach, her hands gripping the hard and cold nail. Her vision began to sway followed by the sensation of free falling. Something uncomfortable stirred inside her, making her body heavy by the second.

Leave, said by a female voice unknown to her.

Serosuriel retracted her claws, almost dragging Zoe. It met her azure eyes and when it flickered, the orbs returned to its milky state. The teenage girl landed kneeling on the wooden floor and watched as the huge creature flew away with its minions. Her whole body felt so drained of power, making her brows to frown as she tried to keep her eyes open. She caught Darcy rushing to her side with his board, yelling inaudible words. She tried to respond, but then the darkness consumed her. 

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Dedicated to ChristianRatcliffe

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