Chapter 6: Not So Gentle Parenting

A deadly horde of bats dashed right off the cave and viciously attacked them.

"Protect the queen!"

"Don't let them get closer to Her Majesty!"

The anxious bees huddled up and buzzed threateningly ready to throw their lives. It was only when Nimue ordered them to throw the corpses in their backs that the bats shifted their attention and left them alone.

"This is..." The remaining bees stared at the scene with troubled gazes and stifled breaths.

Although they were relieved to have survived the onslaught, for them to just keep on standing there, watching how the bats greedily flocked at the flesh of their fallen sisters that they carried by the Queen's orders from miles away felt so reprehensible.

They looked at their matriarch with trembling gazes unable to grasp the reason why would she take such an extreme action but saw no sign of hesitation or remorse on her face.

Don't tell them… Is this what the Queen meant when she said that they'll be using them as bait?

But those are... those are the bodies of their dear families!

Ignoring the fretting buzz around her, Nimue watched as the meek expressions they wore throughout their journey despite going through a disastrous battle slowly turned from raw indignance to pure rage.

This may seem cruel and inhumane, but there's nothing more cruel and inhumane than leaving your descendants to die a worthless death. She is different from the previous Queen Bee who ruined these bees through her weak link and influence.

"What's the use of gentle parenting when it could become the poison that ruins your children? Such irresponsible Mother!"

The bee colony's behavior would always be rooted in the kind of leader they had. After observing the swarm, it won't take a genius for her to see how gentle and naive they were raised. Thus, this outcome was only possible if the old Queen had the same character.

If these bees only had a bigger guts, an energy colony wouldn't have easily pushed them to the corner without being able to fighting back. She almost died before she could see the outside world!

Nimue can't have that dangerous situation because repeated.

"A beast should act like a beast otherwise it will only fall prey to a much larger and fiercer monster without knowing how it died. This is just the beginning..."

Nimue thought that she'd rather use an iron hand if that is what makes them live through this damn place.

She narrowed her gaze and said to herself with conviction.

"Don't worry, this new Queen Mother will never disappoint. I will surely straighten your rotten backs! I shape you guys into a proper predator and give you a quick crash course on becoming a deserving descendant of a mighty dragon!"

She decided that giving them a reality check was necessary to awaken their dormant savage nature if they wanted to survive in this unforgiving world!

"Queen Mother, please make them stop. This is so horrible..." the bees whimpered and buzzed aloud.

"Why? Are you guys mad that I fed your family's corpses to those bats?" Nimue taunted while eyeing them sarcastically.

The little bees' expressions were covered with unconcealed loathing. Some even bared their fangs at her but were immediately suppressed by the Queen's pheromones.

"If you are angry then get angry. Feel it in your bones!"

She spun around and her tiny body roared with sheer dominance that made everyone flinch just by watching. It was as though behind that tiny little body was a shadow of a great behemoth that they had never encountered in their entire lives.

"Hold it in. Within those tiny bodies of yours, hold it in."

"Even if you had enough and you feel like you can't bear the unfair nature of this world, don't let go of those feelings. Until the day those repressed feelings of being weak and unable to do anything for yourself and your family become your sole weapon to survive…"

"Don't ever forget how weak you are right now until you're strong enough to kill and protect."

Nimue remained afloat and looked at her subjects with indifferent eyes like an untouchable immortal looking down on the mortal realm. She wavered her hand and pointed in the direction of the bats feasting on the fallen bees.

"Watch carefully and don't blink. Look at how those vile beasts are tearing up your kin's limbs and gobbling them up ruthlessly. Then imagine yourselves being the one in their jaws…" The Queen's stern voice reverberated through their ears and it made them all shuddered and felt so small.

"No, ah! Please make it stop!"

"I don't want to die!"

The bees buzzed crazily. Some even let out a frightful squeal and squeezed together like they'd been cornered into a dead end. Their small bodies shrunk back in a circle as though they had truly witnessed a horrifying scene of being cut and torn just like the scene in front of them.

Nimue closed her eyes and flashed a complicated expression before it vanished like nothing happened.

"My children..." she addressed calmly but her voice became audibly more pronounced than ever. "Do you get it now? Our lives as mere insect beasts are futile. We are easily targeted and can be squashed with a mere stomp."

"We are seen as nothing but foods to fill these ugly creatures' stomachs. We are mere bugs at the bottom of the food chain— the prey."

"I've failed to protect everyone, and I may continue to do so in the future. if we don't get stronger everyone will end up as food for those wild beasts."

Upon hearing her intentions, the little bees' eyes softened while some of them felt a pang of guilt for feeling angry towards her initial words when they realized how their Queen was looking out for them.

Hiccups...

"Uwaaah!"

"Queen Mother… We knew it, we know you won't harm us!"

"We made the Queen worried. We have sinned. We're so... hic... sorry!" the bees bawled and flew towards her with red eyes and swollen faces. Nimue paused and felt somewhat strange for a moment.

It was the first time she had felt embarrassed and relieved at the same time seeing the 'kids' huddle at her so eagerly while crying so much. 

"There, there... Let's not think about it," she mentioned and patted their backs. "Mother will make sure that no harm will come to you. So don't cry."

"En, mother we will not cry anymore!"

"No crying, Mother said no crying..."

Nimue smiled affectionately as if her heart had been pulled by something she had never felt before when she was still a dragon.

"That's right. Good. Children should eat well to grow well! This Queen Mother will take full responsibility and make everyone stronger and live a happy life!"

"We'll obey everything you say!"

They are just beginning to turn emotional when the Queen lifts her small hands and a gigantic ball of fire comes forth instantly roasting all the bats that were unaware of what had caused their demise.

"Now, everyone, eat up! Do it with gusto and take revenge by gobbling them all! I'll check on your progress so wipe them clean!" She urged with the sparkling eyes of a proud mom and a glint of an evil nightmare.

Wait, what?!

Eat those bats?

"…"

'Can we still back out and disobey? Promise just this once ugh!'