The Queen asked him politely first or acted —but the Arachnid did not responded.
Apart from the previous question, he didn't say a single word to her. But the arrogance in his eyes was enough to state that he might be weak but he wished not to play along.
Now, it was time to try a different approach.
The air suddenly grew thicker, the suffocating intent of the Queen washed over him like a wave.
Bleeding on the ground all he could do was to endure the pain helplessly.
However, Monarch wasn't done with him just yet. In fact she hasn't even started her approach.
Her brown eyes ignited with murderous light as the corner of her mouth curled upwards in a devious smile. To him, her sharp feminine voice sounded like call of death,
"I ask you personally, creature and you still refuse to answer me? What is it that you hold in high regard, your pride? No, a smart one like you already knows not to be prideful. Then what?"
Slowly her slender fingers traced the outline of his girthy neck,
"Believe me, I never intended to go this far with you. According to my estimations you should have become our meal by now. Then why? Why are you being a hurdle in my path?"
Arachnid felt the slowly increasing grip of her fingers around his neck but the pressure of her presence was pinning him down, not allowing to move a muscle.
"You have lived my life, haven't you? What does it mean to be a leader? You know it well. Just like you understand the rule of evolution."
Suddenly she decided to lift the pressure from him all at once, trying to sound nice before having the need to show her true colours.
"You lost your opportunity, your rule has ended. You failed …you understand me? Now it's time for you to be consumed by the stronger foe. Play by the rules —or be erased, fool."
Exhausted, he looked above at her and his gaze felt like he was saying, 'I refuse.'
As the Queen's patience ran out anger surged in her body. Her blood boiled like lava as she strangled him with her bare fingers.
Picking him up with only one hand she looked at him, enraged. Suddenly her demeanor sounded not so gentle,
"Why are you enduring such agony? All you have to do is give me simple answers. See, this is the problem with creatures like you. Small fry who think they can stand their ground against a stronger foe."
Arachnid struggled under her hand, his towering figure seemed so desperate as compared to her slender womanly figure. The contrast was so overwhelming but in the end power was the absolute truth.
"Tell me who defeated you? Who was the human that made you run for your life? Who put you in this miserable state? Tell me, I will take your revenge for you."
Slowly her eyes grew devoid of all emotions. She would've ended his life there and then—if he wasn't holding important information with him.
"Speak to me, creature. Tell me everything, about humans, about the traitor in the mist who had lowered herself to serve the humans."
He knew the other things she had asked but about the creature of the mist, he was just as clueless as Queen Monarch herself.
Obviously he didn't tell her that. The more she suspected him, the better.
"Tell me, you pest. Open your damn mouth already. Can you even speak? Tell me what your name is?"
At his non responsive attitude she let out a growl. She spun his huge figure around and slammed him onto the ground forcibly.
The impact was brutal, the cracks on his remaining chitinous shell only widened revealing his soft skin beneath.
Now, he was stripped off his armour. Which was a very difficult thing for a creature who would have to survive in the wild.
If the Queen didn't kill him, winter surely would.
There he lay, the fallen tyrant leader, helpless and desperate. On the brink of death.
However, the look in his eyes was still the same.
Arrogant. Defying and unwavering.
The monarch screamed loudly. She wasn't able to get her captive to talk—the shame was unbearable.
The only thing that could redeem her dignity as a leader was the death of the Arachnid.
"Seems like you've made your choice."
She lifted her dominant hand as the colorful dust gathered around it. Then closing her hand into a fist she aimed for his head and brought her fist down.
"My Queen!" Her subordinate Flare shouted from afar as the whole place shook with the tremor of her might.
The attack was devastating, swift and of course …powerful.
Only the arachnid was still alive. As it turned out she had deliberately missed the target because she understood more than anyone else that the most important factor to defeat an enemy happens to be information.
Information —that this pest called arachnid was keeping from her. He had the upper hand and knew to play his cards well.
The shout from Flare came at the exact moment. Reminding her of the mistake she was about to commit.
"Ah.. what a headache." At her gesture guards with coloured wings arrived restraining the arachnid with the strings made of fine silver silk.
"Take him and tie him in the dark. Let the pest suffer the consequences of his own actions."
As she noticed that Arachnid was still staring at her with narrowed eyes, Monarch gave him a relaxed smirk,
"Blame yourself for the pain you are about to suffer."
It seemed he opened his mouth a little. Only enough to be mistaken for a smile.
But sure, she was mistaken. What kind of monster can smile after enduring so much pain?
"Are you sure he can provide us the information My Queen?" Flare asked her from behind as she watched the huge body of the Arachnid being dragged away.
Monarch stayed silent for a while and only replied when Arachnid was finally out of her sight. Her lavender hair swaying seamlessly in the breeze,
"Flare, my dear—you don't understand, if we aspire to achieve greatness, failure is all but evident. But if we learn from the mistakes of others, only then we are worthy of greatness."
She turned to Flare with a smile,
"Only with information can we evolve further. You as a soul creature and me as a calamity. Gaining another mark of unknown is just cherry on the top. You wanted to know why I sent only the weak soldiers of my forces to attack humans?"
Flare nodded as it was indeed something he was curious about for a very long time now.
Why send only a portion of the army? Why not attack the humans herself? What was the queen thinking? Are humans really that powerful?
There were many questions in his mind but he did not dare ask the Queen directly. Nor did he possess the intellect to understand the answers either.
When he spoke his voice was respectful,
"I do, My Queen."
"Good," The queen nodded with a smile, "then, go and see that our captive could not die but could not live either."
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