The Bee Dungeon

Belissar looked up at the swarming bee army and frowned.

“Niobee, could you help me calm them down?”

Niobee flew unsteadily in response.

“Calm down? Not going to go sting now?”

Belissar shook his head.

“We will, but let’s see what they do first. If they come here…no point in wasting all those traps, right?”

Niobee’s dance resumed speed.

“Ok!”

With that, she zipped off into the sky, touching antennae with the queens to cool down the attack pheromones. The queens slowly brought the soldier bees back under control, having them cease their swarming and gather into formation instead. Belissar turned his attention back to the incoming humans. They were resting up and passing around some food at the moment. Belissar was a bit tempted to send the army now but decided against it. The wyverns were big and had flown in at quite the speed, reminding Belissar of the big bird shades. In fact, they had outrun those very bird shades on their way here, if the shades attacking them were the same type.

That being the case, Belissar didn’t want to fight them out in the open where they could outrun the bees and dive through them. He wanted to first see them restricted by the Dirt Tunnels and the traps within.

He rubbed his chin at that. He thought, and thought, and thought some more.

He made his choice and moved the rooms of the First Floor around. He placed the Flower Meadow just after the Dirt Tunnels, so that it would be the first thing the humans encountered when leaving.

The more he thought about it, the more he was concerned that about the wyvern’s speed in the open air. He did not want to give them a chance to get flying and build up speed. Having them exit out into the Lava Field and its mini volcano might stop them before they even reached the bee army…but what if it didn’t? What if they just flew over the lava and evaded the boulders? If that occurred, then having them exit into a room without the bee army just gave them a chance to take off and get airborne.

If, on the other hand, they had to exit the tunnels directly into the waiting stingers of the bee army? Then, like the bird shades before them, they’d be surrounded by bees before they had the chance to move.

Belissar nodded, making his final decision. He went on to let the bees and the karnuq know what the plan was.

He could only hope it would be enough…

Ruckanos sighed as his wyvern finally began to beat its wings and rise into the air. The men were…lacking in enthusiasm. They had been silent as they rested and they were silent now as they climbed their mounts, their heads hanging low.

Well, it wasn’t as if he didn’t understand. His body, too, felt heavy under the sheer fatigue of their previous journey, surely unprepared for the task at hand. But what a task it would be! They had been led here by the gods themselves! Surely the men could show at least a little spirit on behalf of the gods, couldn’t they? Sure, the gods remained silent during the augur's offering this time, but surely the lack of news meant their mission hadn't changed?

But there was nothing for it, so Ruckanos said nothing as the group took off and made for the center of the purified zone. Surely, they would warm up once the mission got started. And even if they did not…Ruckanos would let nothing stand between him and his destiny.

Soon, they arrived. Ruckanos frowned. They found the Tower without issue and indeed it was young…but it was not as he expected. The Tower now rose four stories into the air…and had golden banners. The symbol, a bee landing upon a flower, was not one he recognized, but he understood what the symbol itself entailed.

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This Tower had been blessed by a patron god.

He turned his head as the wyverns landed in the clearing before the Tower, glancing back at the old man behind their formation.

“Augur, which god is this?”

The augur furrowed his brow.

“I…have no memory of this symbol. It was not one recorded in the archives.”

Ruckanos narrowed his eyes.

“That’s impossible, isn’t it?”

The augur shook his head.

“The gods are beyond the ken of us mortal men, and though it is rare, new ones have been discovered over time. Though, if I were to hazard a guess…that color is the same as the divinations. I believe the patron of this Tower was the one who guided us here.”

Ruckanos crossed his arms at that, rubbing his chin. The god who led them here…was the patron of this Tower? But…why would they do such a thing? Ruckanos had expected the gods to be displeased with whoever was desecrating this Tower…but then why would they have given it their blessing? Did they change their mind? Did they give the unworthy would-be lord a chance only to find them as poor a master as feared?

But how could that be true? Not only had the Tower survived but had risen to four floors already. It was hardly months old at this stage, so that should not have been possible. It normally took weeks for a Tower to gather the mana reserves for an expansion, much less four. If Ruckanos didn’t know any better, he’d have said this Tower Lord was doing impossibly well for himself.

And deep within his heart crept the tiniest of doubts that perhaps he was not intended to take charge of this Tower.

But that couldn’t be, could it? Whoever was in charge of this place could not have prepared beforehand like he had. They’d have stumbled about, not understanding a thing that they did. It must have been a sheer accident, or perhaps excessive intervention by the gods, that the Tower even survived this long. Perhaps the patron was clearing the way for him, intervening to keep his Tower intact, nay, growing even, for the day that he arrived to claim it.

He held tight to that hope as he strode forward.

“Captain, prepare to march.”

The captain frowned.

“Commander…”

Ruckanos just turned to stare at him, raising an eyebrow. The captain sighed and then saluted.

“It shall be done.”

The captain sent a scout inside while arranging the rest of them into formation, while the augur carved a ritual formation into the dirt below. He placed a lightly glowing crystal carved with numerous runes in the center, touching a specific one. The crystal’s light turned green before it melted into the ritual, which itself pulsed with green light.

The signal that they had found a Tower. Ruckanos had a brief thought to stop the augur, to let the Conclave remain unaware of his success, but he decided against it. Let the Conclave come, it would take them ages to reach this far into the wild. He’d have long resolved any mistakes he had made by the time they arrived, if they ever did.

He turned his attention back to the Tower, just as the scout reported that the initial entrance area was clear. The captain turned to face him and he nodded. The captain took one deep breath, and then gave the command.

“Move out.”

And with that, Ruckanos marched to his destiny.

In the back of their formation, a wounded rider frowned as he opened up his bag, just before the captain gave the command. He looked down and saw the queen bee exit her hive once again. He bent down to whisper to her.

“Last stop, little one. We’re going into that Tower and I fear none of us will come out. You need to leave now or you’ll die too.”

The queen bee stared up at him, with those big eyes that felt like they pierced into his soul. Then…she began to crawl up out of the bag. She climbed to the top and began to stretch her wings. For a brief moment, the man’s heart lifted. Maybe, just maybe, she had understood him?

She paused though, upon seeing their surroundings, including the Tower. She stared at the Tower for a minute, and then crawled back down into the bag. The man sighed and his shoulders drooped.

“Move out.”

But it was too late. The command was given, and they were heading to their doom. He looked up at the Tower and its banners. His eyes widened a bit as he looked once again at the pattern there.

A bee landing on a flower.

He glanced back down towards his bag and then up to the banner. Maybe, just maybe, this Tower wouldn’t be so bad for his little friends? If at least one of them could survive this…

He closed his eyes and bowed his head for a moment.

“Please, whichever god is watching over this place…take mercy on the little one. She and her children did not choose to come here. They don’t deserve to share our fate.”

And then it was over. He looked up and steeled his heart, wrapping his reigns around his good arm. With his other arm wounded in the latest fight, it’d be up to his wyvern to do most of the job, but he still intended to do his duty as best he could. He doubted he could change his fate or that of his charge at this stage, and after all they had done they deserved whatever came. He hoped to change the fate of his little friends, but he had already done all that he could.

All that was left now was to see it through, whatever may come.

Staring forward as he did, he did not notice the queen’s eyes glow with golden light as one of the banners fluttered…

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