I watched as mine own's metal claws tapped against the floor covering us. She was beautiful: even with the thick darkened layer of protective material the Queen had used I could see her body had a much brighter shine to it, she was taller by at least half what she was before. Maybe only a head smaller than myself at this point, and that was only the first molt! There was a bloodcurdling screech demanding blood as she stood on the protective material above. Then silence, and she was gone. Just like that. It didn't even look like she'd moved, she just disappeared, and the Nest was very quiet for the next ten minutes.

I could feel The Queen shivering beside me in fear, The Queen was afraid of mine own just from that, and it took her a moment before ordering her Praetorians to break through the top of the sealed cave, carefully, as quickly as they could to look around. It took them three strikes before they were able to break through the material and when they did the only thing that could be heard were the sounds of human screams sounding in the distance, along with gunfire, and the smell of freshly spilled blood. 

Another demonic screech rattled the tunnels and I couldn't help but shiver at how strong mine own has become now: after just one molt she's able to handle a human army alone, make a Queen shiver in fear, and tear apart some of their most dangerous weaponry like it was the thin shell of a mere hatchling. Then the screaming began anew and seemingly as soon as it started everything went deathly quiet. I looked over at The Queen to see what she wanted to do but she was just staring towards the entrance in what looked like a mix of fear and awe. 

We will wait here for a few more minutes and then see what's going on above, as soon as she'd said it three of her Praetorians looked at her with something that looked like surprise and anxiousness. I understand that you four must keep me safe, it is what you were designed to do after all, but I need to see this with my own eyes. This is going to be a turning-point in the entirety history of our species'  journeys of galactic domination; I will not be passive to witness one of the most crucial points in this future.

The three that looked at The Queen in surprise continued to look at her for a moment longer before seemingly sighing to themselves and looking back towards the entrance. The last one had been staring at the entrance the entire time, muscles locked and taught, teeth bared and seemingly barely restraining a growl of reluctance as the others started marching forwards. 

I followed just behind, to the left of The Queen as she stood to near full height and started to march her way out of the cave. It felt like much longer than it was, with all of the other Drones and Warriors coming out as well to surround The Queen in her departure. The entrance got closer the further time stretched on and the smell of fresh blood became stronger and stronger the closer we got. 

Not even ten feet from the entrance was the remains of several human and other body parts as well as parts of their several different types of metal contraptions; all of which were in several different pieces of all sorts of manners: torn apart by pure strength, stepped on, half eaten--it seemed, and some of them were even embedded into the humans that no doubt wielded them. The Queen waited for a moment at the entrance while the Praetorians stepped out, into the sea of already vast amounts of other's pouring from the cave entrance in response to the departure of The Queen from the Hive. 

I aimed to go up with them but The Queen's giant tail swept in front to block my path, I looked over to see her watching the entrance intently. You are the second most important part of the new Hive, so until the others show it's safe you will not leave this cave. She then stalked ahead and poked her head outside, half of her body remained inside of the cave still as she poked just her head and neck out to look around. 

She turned to look inside and nodded towards me,  Alright, it is safe enough. You may come out. She then looked back out and walked the rest of the way out of the cave and I started to make my way out as well. What I saw could only be described as an amazing scene of carnage that made both of my mouths salivate instantly. There was blood so thick that it seemed to rise up from the ground: not even the grass wanting a part in the massacre, and the amounts of bodies and pieces of others lying around was inspiring. 

The metal machines surrounding the area were all wrecks, and some of the larger ones that shot at us even had chunks missing from the top or the front part that shoots. In the middle of all of this was Mine Own, laying down and curled up in a ball sleeping. Covered in blood and gore from all the things she'd slaughtered and just resting in the middle of all of it without a care in the world. 

This is what my Queen's capable of...
This is Your next Queen, I thought it the same time The Queen said something herself and everyone sat there in silence to just look at the carnage with a sense of admiration for a moment before turning around and going back in the cave, Tend to your Fated, but do not disturb her rest. I do not know what would happen should you wake her in the middle of her resting phase. I nodded in agreement and slowly made my way over to her, carefully and slowly, but also making sure to take in the view as I waded my way through this small sea of flesh and blood. 

Once reaching her side I nudged her with my head, a few times more and I was sure that she wouldn't wake so I got to the process of cleaning her of blood, gore, and checked for any injuries. The sudden sound of one of the giant shooting metal contraptions' top opening broke my moment and I growled as a human made its was out the top. They were obviously dazed, and bleeding heavily from several wounds in their chest and legs, but that didn't stop them from reaching for one of their smaller shooting weapons and aiming it towards us. 

I took immediate action and used the entirety of my strength to leap at them and tear them apart before they got the chance to aim properly. There was a loud bang as the machine went off and that was the last time they got to use their weapon, as well as that limb. Once I was done dealing with that I looked back to see if that had done anything to Mine Own's condition, but she seemed as unbothered as ever, and even though I couldn't tell if she'd been hit by the human firing the weapon I was sure that she hadn't been injured. 

Still...I took too long to act there and that was an error I would make sure would never happen again. Something above caught my eye and I looked up to see what looked like a flying yet not flying creature above. It circled wide for a few times and then shot off towards the direction of the human base. I growled at it, watching it leave, that strange tail of fire streaking a cloud of smoke through the sky as it disappeared. 

The humans know now, and there's nothing we can do about it now except for wait for Mine Own to wake up and kill them all. 

----------Kat----------

I was having the strangest dream: It was of me, but I was taller than even the tallest of buildings on Earth, and when I looked up I could see in space. I didn't need to breath, it felt weird not needing to breathe and yet it felt...normal. Like maybe I was born to withstand the nothingness of space, to be able to look into the darkness and see my future unfolding before my eyes. Then I was shot in the face by something bright and hot, there was no sound, no warning of what had hit me or where it had come from, but all I could feel was anger. 

I was hit by several more beams of light without warning and I had to bend back down to look at the planet I'd been ignoring. Swarms of black creatures crawled beneath my feet, but I didn't feel any disgust looking down at them, instead it felt like a kind of kinship. Like they were mine, and that I was supposed to protect them as much as they protected me, even giving their lives for me when I was smaller...weaker. 

A rumbling in the distance caught my attention, and maybe I should've been feeling apprehensions about what size a creature must be to make a planet shake, but then a head crested over the horizon and I felt myself smile. It was Xaez, I knew it was him. He looked much different: a golden sheen to his plating, a sort of glow to it that seemed to give off actual light as much as a subdued heat, and there seemed to be a crown of glowing, white-hot horns on his head. 

At that moment I realized something: that was my mate, and this was our future...

I know. This seems like an ending, but its not!
There's probably one or two more chapters till I'll end this, I just wanted to save the next part because it would make for an awesome chapter...hopefully. 

Also, sorry for not updating this for the past two years...I've been focusing on other things and they got in the way of other books for the moment, but I'd been stuck at a sort of mental block for the past week: not wanting to read, write, draw, or even watch a movie or two. And this helped, so I guess from now on I'll be trying to go back to one of my older stories to update them when I'm feeling like that. 

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!
See you later!