The Bee Dungeon

Ruckanos was leaning across his saddle, holding his head. Behind him, the augur sat on another wyvern, currently fiddling with some ritual or another. The captain was in the midst of a rollcall, checking on the men. He finished up and flew his wyvern over to Ruckanos, a firm and neutral expression on his face.

“My lord, we lost five hands with their wyverns and all supplies. An additional four are wounded, one seriously enough that he will not be able to fight before recovering.”

Ruckanos groaned and clutched his head tighter. They had made it but…their force was already pitifully small and lacking in Tower Guards with full blessings. The captain was about the only one, Ruckanos had not committed to any god prior to gaining a Tower of his own. The rest of his guards had also not been allowed the opportunity until then. If they continued to take losses like this on the journey, Ruckanos might find himself facing his lost Tower and its thief all alone.

But then, he heard a voice behind him.

“We’re…here.”

He and the captain both turned to look at the augur.

“What did you say?”

The augur’s eyes were open wide.

“I’ve checked our current position against the charted path. The last flight was longer than expected so…we have arrived at our destination.”

“Captain, prepare the men for an assault.”

The captain furrowed his brow.

“My lord, is that wise? We did not have the strength for a Tower subjugation even when we started this mission. Now, with our casualties…”

Ruckanos shrugged.

“That was the point. You know as well as I that none of us were meant to return. But the situation is different now. We have been led here by one of the gods themselves, to a Tower we know is young and led by someone entirely unworthy. It’s a miracle the Tower still exists, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it still lacked a patron. For what other purpose would we have been led here then to cast the unworthy aside and replace them with a proper Tower Lord?”

The augur frowned.

“I…would be cautious about assuming the will of the gods, my lord. But…I suppose they were unusually direct with their assistance this time. Still, perhaps I should make another offering?”

The captain nodded.

“That would also give the men a chance to rest, my lord, and allow us to scout the situation. If we are to prepare for an assault, the men will need to be in their best shape. “

Ruckanos heaved a massive sigh.

“Very well. Let us have a short rest, then, but do not dither about, captain. We should not keep the gods waiting.”

***

Belissar paused for a moment. He had gathered with Chief Rohsuak and the karnuq hunters now and they were all walking towards the Orchard and its shortcuts.

“Ok, looks like there are people on the back of the wyverns…so it will probably be a diplomatic situation then? I guess then one of your people should go with the bees?”

Chief Rohsuak nodded.

“Understood. Metsaitti will lead our hunters along with the bee army.”

The group passed into the Orchard…and Belissar’s eyes went wide. The air was filled with loud buzzing. The bees were all zipping about, no longer in tight formations but in a swarm flying every which way…with stingers extended. ṘåΝồᛒËS̈

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“What’s got them so…”

But then, Belissar saw it through the eyes of a scout bee. The face of one of the riders as he landed within the purified area. The karnuq eyed the swarming bees with concern as Chief Rohsuak turned to Belissar.

“Sacred Den Master, what is the matter?”

But he barely heard her speak. He barely had a thought in his mind at all; he didn’t even notice the shades call off their pursuit. Instead, he began to tremble.

It was him. He was here. Belissar smelt smoke, saw flickering flames, and felt a sharp pain in his back. His heart pounded and his head felt light. He…

Then, he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. He turned to find Chief Rohsuak looking at him with worry.

“Sacred Den Master, are you alright? What’s going on?”

Belissar continued trembled but gulped.

“It’s…him. H-Humans, the Tower Lords. And…i-it’s the Tower Lord’s son. The one who burned down my village and nearly killed me.”

The bees buzzing intensified further. Belissar felt more than saw Niobee land on his head. She crawled over him, buzzing her wings and brushing him with her antennae.

“King’s enemy! Niobee’s enemy! Bees will sting! Protect King!”

Chief Rohsuak patted his shoulder again and he glanced over. He felt heat begin to emanate from her body, while Metsaitti and the karnuq hefted their spears.

“We are with you as well, Sacred Den Master. If this man is your enemy, just say the word and we will strike him down.”

Belissar watched her for a moment as Niobee continued to crawl over him, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. That’s right, he wasn’t a helpless peasant living on his own anymore. The bees and the karnuq both stood at his side. So, he tried to turn his thoughts away from fire and smoke and pain and towards the people around him.

He thought of Niobee and all of her efforts to save, guide, and protect him. How she brought him here, led him to the Tower’s core, and didn’t hesitate to throw herself in harm’s way on his behalf.

He thought of the bees and all the times they had shared together. The Flower Meadow queens and their resolute courage, facing terrifying shades time after time again without hesitation or complaint. The Apiary queens and their restless work, giving him more honey than he knew what to do with. The Orchard queens and their joy when he built them a home. The worker bees swarming over new mana flowers, the soldier bees training day in and day out to guard the Tower, Beero and the others training magic when their wings failed them, and the bumblebees happily zipping about. He thought of all they had built together.

And he thought of all they had lost. The first group of queens who had perished due to his own mistakes. The soldiers who had died facing the a wolf-shade for the first time, when the soldier army was still learning how to fight. The soldiers who had sacrificed themselves to keep two shades in a pit long enough for Belissar to burn them. Those who had died trying to hold back the first bird-shade. Beero and the other wounded who had lost their wings, yet still strove to do nothing more but return to the fight. The drones who gave their lives to bring the new hives to life.

He thought of the karnuq, the first people to treat him well since his parents and the old beekeeper. He thought of his lessons with Chief Rohsuak and Juosiutik. He thought of the hunters who once challenged his Tower every day. He thought of Noiggakuq, sneaking in at night to deliver flowers. He thought of Metsaitti facing down a shade in the forest, of Chief Rohsuak burning the turtle shade that repelled his bees. He thought of Muuraqi helping him build stone beehouses, while the soldier bees helped the karnuq build houses of their own. He thought of Juosiutik’s passionate conversation with the First of the Fifth. He thought of the karnuq children playing with a bumblebee soldier.

He opened his eyes and glared out into the air, clenching his fists until they shook.

No.

The Tower Lords were not taking another home from him. They would not take all that he and the bees and the karnuq had built, all that they had fought and died for. So, if the Tower Lords had come here to burn and kill once more, they would not find the quivering peasant from before. Nor would they find a Tower Lord, but a Tower Keeper, blessed by two of the gods and accompanied by his countless friends and allies.

Belissar slowly unclenched his hand to reach up and brush Niobee. He glanced at Chief Rohsuak and gave her a nod. Then he turned and looked up at his bees, swarming about him. They began to slow down as they noticed his attention.

He felt his heart catch but a moment at the thought of what was to come, of the bees that would be put in harm’s way. But this time, he put it aside. The bees were more than ready to defend their home, whatever the cost. It was what they longed to do. Niobee seemed ready to go out and attack even if he didn’t give the order. He didn’t blame her after their last encounter with the man approaching.

And the Tower Lords would not give him a choice regardless. Even if they did not come in force, they thought of people like the karnuq as subhuman monsters. They thought that the gods hated the sight of peasants even stepping foot inside a Tower, much less taking charge of one. They would not leave him be.

And this time, he could do more than run. He could stop the burning of his home. He could stand up to a Tower Lord’s son. He could fight back.

He narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth.

“Everyone, prepare for battle.”

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