FOLLOW THE LEADER
ONE

I stare out of the stained glass window in my bedroom. All around me, Crawlers, Spinners, Gnawers, Fliers, and even us Underlanders, called Killers, are at battle.

I am not safe. Now, as I near my sixteenth birthday, when I will be completely in charge of Regalia, I am even more in danger than I was in the Underland's last big battle- and then, I had The Warrior to protect me, The Princess (Of cockroaches, might I add), and, since she doesn't have a similar title, Lizzie, who will henceforth be referenced to as The Genius. And all of them siblings. Their father, a madman, had been captured by Gnawers and lived, and their mother, The Worrier, had survived a dreadful sickness. Their grandmother, the Coot, (My personal nickname for her), had died from locking herself in an infernal device called a Washing Machine.

I return to the battle. I should be out there, fighting with Ripred, my bond. Though, considering that he is a Gnawer and a Rager, he has probably killed more than all of the Regalian citizens combined. Either way, Vikus was probably going to burst into my room in Three, Two, One….

"Luxa! Come with me, you must hurry. Bring only yourself." Vikus looked like he had aged thirty years, maybe more. This war had taken its toll on everybody.

I followed Vikus down a secret passageway I had never even known about. I had traveled down the corridor thousands of times (the restroom was down the hall and to the right) and I had never even noticed it. Of course, the only reason I ever went down this hall was to go to the restroom, and I was usually in such a hurry I never noticed that there was a door directly across the restroom entrance.

Vikus abruptly stopped, and I royally ran in to him.

"Sorry," I say, apologizing for nearly running the elderly man over.

"Shhh," Vikus whispers. "Make no sound." I stay silent, except after a few minutes, I burp.

"Excuse me," I whisper.

"Silence," Vikus whispers in an irritated voice. We waited without speaking for several more minutes, and then Vikus says, "Luxa, follow me. Hold my hand. Whatever you do, do not let go. Follow directly behind me. Only walk where I have walked." He doesn't ask anything like, Luxa, do you understand. We walk for what seems like miles. I don't ask where we are going, for I know that Vikus will not answer. I hear Gnawers, Crawlers, and other creatures around me, but I keep my head down. They have excellent night vision, unlike Vikus and me, and if I allow my head to rise, they will be able to identify me as Luxa, Queen of Regalia. During war, I prefer to remain anonymous.

"Here we are," Vikus says, and he lifts up a large metal circle in the ceiling. I pop my head out of the hole and look around. There are buildings. Tall buildings. I have never seen buildings this tall- they tower over those of Regalia. The city is ablaze with lights- it looks as if the place is on fire.

"Wha….. What is this place?" I ask.

"This," says Vikus, "Is New York City."