The Bee Dungeon

The circle of leaves and petals began to accelerate, spinning faster and faster. A gust of wind picked up even more leaves and petals and began spinning around the original circle. It picked up more and more leaves, until the entire circle was hidden from view in a whirlwind of green with streaks of color.

Then, in a single moment, a gust of wind dispersed the shield of leaves. Belissar shielded his eyes from the sudden gust, blocking his own view for moment. When he opened his eyes and lowered his arms, he found that the fairy circle was no longer vacant. In the center now stood a flower. A flower that came up to Belissar’s thighs…and standing on its roots. Its roots and branches were arranged like the limbs of a person and its stem bulged in the center…and held a pair of big eyes blinking curiously. Its “head” was topped with a giant flower with bright red leaves, giving it the appearance of a tiny person with a wide-brimmed hat.

It glanced around every which way before noticing the bees hovering all around it. It smiled, with its eyes since it appeared to lack a mouth, and waved at the bees, then jumped back into the center of the circle. The leaves picked up around it once more before anyone could respond and then it was gone.

Belissar blinked as the bees danced around him.

“King! What that? What do?”

Belissar was about to respond with his signature “um” when the leaves began to pick up once more. He swallowed his words and focused on the circle.

“Looks like it’s coming back. It didn’t seem hostile, but everyone get ready, just in case.”

The bees performed their salute dance and assembled back into formation as the leaves sped up once again. This time, Belissar was ready as they dispersed, and so kept his eyes on the center.

And then his jaw fell as low as it could go. In the center of the circle now stood the most beautiful woman Belissar had ever seen. Her skin was tanned as one who spent most of their time outdoors, yet had not a single blemish Belissar could find. Her hair was a shining blond that glimmered in the sun with some sort of silvery highlights. It was woven into braids with dozens of colorful flowers all along it, and her head was topped by a small crown of flowers. She wore a simple green gardener’s dress and a brown apron, yet wore it with all the grace of a queen in her finest robes. Every movement she made was as smooth and graceful as flowing water. She seemed light and ephemeral, as if a sudden breeze would blow her away, yet at the same time had a presence that commanded his attention, like a mountain looming overhead.

She had her eyes closed and took a deep breath. She slowly exhaled it as she opened her eyes. Belissar felt as if her eyes pierced into his very soul, holding wisdom and knowledge the likes of which he couldn’t fathom, that belied her seemingly young appearance. She slowly smiled, a sight that seemed to brighten her very surroundings like the sun and spoke with a voice more melodic and soothing than any bard’s song.

“It worked! I made it!”

She glanced every which way until her gaze fell upon the soldier bee formations hovering in the air. Her eyes went wide and began to tremble. Her mouth fell open and then she…smiled as wide as she could.

“Is this…is this the bee dungeon?! Did I really get it on the first try?!”

Belissar stared until he felt a hand on his shoulder and heard Chief Rohsuak clear her throat.

“Tower Keeper, how would you like us to respond?”

Belissar flushed as he realized he had been staring silently. He shook his head and used his Tower sight to take stock of the situation. He then noticed the ambient mana in the Fairy Grove appeared to naturally wrap around the newcomer…as well as her pointed ears. This…this was no human, nor even a beastkin. This was something else entirely.

However, the God of Bees had asked him to let her in, so there could be only one response.

“Let’s greet her.”

Belissar stepped forward, trying not to flush as he beheld her face once more. He tried focusing on the mana wrapping around her instead, watching it twist and curve as it contacted her own, preventing the fairy circle from growing chaotic again as a side effect. Chief Rohsuak and the karnuq hunters fell in behind him, Niobee stood guard on his head, and the soldier bees took up their usual spots in the air just above him. ṘαＮŐ𐌱Ęṩ

“Hello. And…yes, I think. This is a Tower of the Gods devoted to the God of Bees, if that’s what you’re asking.”

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The woman turned her gaze to them as Belissar and company stepped into the clearing. She gave them a warm smile.

“Amazing. You must be the dungeon master, or perhaps their servants? My name is Tarwantrad, dungeon master of the God of Flowers and the Calwaskon Compact. Forgive me for stepping into your dungeon without an invitation, I mean you no harm.”

Belissar nodded.

“Well, I sort of did? The Tower asked me whether to let you in, and the God of Bees said it was a good idea. In any case, yes, I’m the Tower Keeper, and my name is Belissar. Nice to meet…”

Belissar swallowed the rest of his words with a gulp as Tarwantrad suddenly narrowed her eyes at him and took a step forward.

“Belissar?! As in…Belissar’s Beehouse Belissar?”

Belissar blinked before he heard the buzzing and quickly waved down Niobee and soldier bees.

“Ah, um, yes, I think? You mean the room feature, right?”

Tarwantrad nodded repeatedly with all her might.

“Ah, then yes, that’s me.”

Tarwantrad broke out into a massive smile, her eyes sparkling like stars in the night sky.

“Amazing! I wanted to meet you but I had no idea you were still alive, being mortal and all! But, of course you would be a dungeon master too, that makes perfect sense! I can’t believe you figured out how to make homes that the bees like so much! Tell me, how did you come up with the idea? How did you figure out they would make their combs perfectly straight within the trays? How did you figure out how to keep them from building combs between the trays? Did you have any plans for winter in mind, they seem a bit too ventilated for that. I assumed you lined them with some sort of insulation when that came, but it could be that you were from a warmer climate?”

Belissar’s eyes were spinning at the sudden barrage of melodic words.

“That’s, um, uh…”

Tarwantrad suddenly blinked and then took a step back, flushing.

“Oh! Sorry, it’s a bad habit of mind to ramble. I apologize, it’s just…I’m so excited to actually meet you. The Belissar, the dungeon master who developed beehouses approved by the God of Bees. The first bee dungeon master anyone in the Calwaskon Compact has ever heard of, whether in recent memory or ancient lore! I still can’t believe I never knew there was a God of Bees until now, you’ll have to tell me all about her!”

Belissar blinked as he tried to catch up with the conversation. He managed to understand enough of it though to finally come up with a response.

“So, um, I take it you like bees?”

Tarwantrad smiled and nodded repeatedly.

“I love bees! I love all plant life and flowers especially and suffice to say that flowers would not exist as they do were it not for pollinators such as bees. They are my precious partners, my fellow gardeners.”

Belissar returned her smile as his chest grew warm. He reached up and brushed Niobee’s back.

“Mine as well. I owe them everything, even my very life.”

He managed to meet her gaze, any embarrassment or hesitation forgotten.

“If you’re a friend of bees, then you’re a friend of mine, and welcome here.”

Tarwantrad beamed at that. Belissar was about to lead her in when he heard Chief Rohsuak in his head.

“Tower Keeper, I apologize for interrupting. But, before we welcome your new friend, perhaps you should ask how she arrived in your Tower…and why? Even if she doesn’t not mean us harm, we should still find out why exactly she has come here.”

Belissar frowned but nodded. He supposed that much was fair.

“Um, could I ask how exactly you got here? And right into the center of one of my rooms.”

Tarwantrad jolted a bit.

“Ah, that’s a good question. Indeed, I have forgotten that my arrival was rude indeed, and it would not do for you to invite a stranger into your dungeon. Please forgive me.”

She inclined her head before she continued.

“I have come because I received a mission from my patron, the God of Flowers, to find and visit the Bee Dungeon, a mission which I have just fulfilled. I have not received any further missions or instructions and so had no further goal, save to see a dungeon dedicated to the God of Bees and to hopefully have a friendly exchange with its master.”

She then took on a serious expression.

“As for the method of my arrival, your dungeon is located far, far away from the Calwaskon Compact, even had we not cut off the land of the fair from the mortal realms, and deep in the midst of the Hunger. There was no normal method by which I could reach your dungeon, and no army capable of pushing back the corruption in the way. I reached deep into the lore of my people for a solution, and found the nexus doors, a method by which the fair peoples once traveled unseen across the world. My people have not used such a method ever since the Hunger appeared, but if there was any method to reach you, that was it. I had no idea if it would work, however, and the nexus doors were not known to cooperate even with the fair peoples. I sought only to test the method to see if I could use it at all, it is but happy coincidence, or perhaps the will of our patrons, that my first attempt reached your dungeon.”

She then rubbed her chin and glanced around.

“I am not certain why, though, now that I look around, the mana in this room is curious. It resembles the land of the fair, though it appears to be quite untamed. You seem to have placed a nexus here as well, may I ask what…”

At that moment, the leaves swirled once more and the flower monster from before appeared again. This time frantically tugging on Tarwantrad’s dress with its leaf arms. Tarwantrad’s face paled.

“Ah, um. There, uh, might be a problem. I am sorry, Tower Keeper Belissar, but I must depart immediately. I…am not certain I will be able to return, but if I am, would you allow me to visit once more?”

Belissar blinked at the sudden change in topic but slowly nodded.

“Yes, as I said, a friend of bees is welcome here.”

She gave him a warm smile before her face fell once more.

“I truly hope that I will be able to return. May your flowers bloom bright, Tower Keeper Belissar.”

And with that, she stepped back and the leaves hid her. And so, the woman vanished as suddenly as she had arrived, leaving Belissar and the karnuq staring blankly at the fairy circle.

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