The Bee Dungeon

Belissar made his way over to the entrance after finishing his morning routine and helped Juosiutik experiment with her potions. She was having him generate mana honey, both for the sake of the recipe, but also to help him learn to mix his mana into the potions so he could keep track of what was going on inside.

Then, after the lessons concluded, Belissar was began work on another beehouse. With dry, construction ready wood it didn’t take him long to finish.

Upgrade Apiary Beehive to Belissar’s Beehouse? Cost: 25 DP

DP: 2093

Metsaitti and his hunter group were still fighting remnants, but he already got some DP from the gathering group. He did want to conserve his DP for the DP store purchase, but twenty-five DP was fairly affordable. It was less than he was getting each day in any case and the bees were worth it.

The queen of the beehive in question was already at the entrance of the hive, watching as he put the final touches on the beehouse. Belissar glanced over at her.

“Ready?”

She danced her salute and Belissar confirmed the purchase. The beehouse and beehive both began to glow until the beehouse disappeared and the beehive molded into shape. The queen began a happy gratitude dance.

Then the Apiary lit up as all the beehouses he had formerly built began to glow and reshaped themselves, replacing the rough cut wet wood with more precisely sawed and dry planks. Belissar grinned at that.

One down, five more to go and then the two Orchard queens, and he’d have housed every queen in the Tower. Then he just had to wait for the challengers to get blessed. Juosiutik was one thing, and he figured the other non-combatant karnuq were working on their offerings as well. He wondered though if there was anything he could do to help the fighting group?

He…wasn’t sure. Would helping them fight help them get blessed? Didn’t the God of Bees want something they did themselves for the blessing…so wouldn’t it actually hurt if he helped them with the fight?

Belissar eventually shrugged. He didn’t know what he didn’t know. But…some of the karnuq seemed to know a thing or two about Towers. He figured he’d ask Metsaitti or something on the way out if there was anything he could do.

And so, Belissar returned to working on beehouses while waiting for Metsaitti’s group to finish up for the day.

Belissar waited by the entrance as Metsaitti’s group made their way back. They seemed surprised to see him but Metsaitti approached and lowered his head.

“Hello, Sacred Den Master. May we help you?”

Belissar shook his head.

“I’m, um, here to ask you the same thing. Is there anything I can do to help with the blessings?”

The young hunters’ eyes widened and they glanced around at each other. Metsaitti paused for a moment before making a small smile.

“Directly, no. A challenger must be judged on their own merits. Assistance is not forbidden but will delay their progress.”

Belissar frowned at that, but Metsaitti continued.

“Indirectly, the greater the feats and achievements the greater the reward. If we have your permission to explore deeper and face greater challenges, that would help. Additionally, if you can come up with challenges of your own where we can earn some rewards from your Tower, that will also assist.”

Belissar crossed his arms, but nodded.

“I see. What sort of challenges and rewards?”

Metsaitti shrugged.

“That is up to you, every Sacred Den is different in that regard. Some require feats of strength or endurance. Others use mazes and traps to test agility and speed. Some use puzzles to test wits. Others prefer mystical tests. Still others have challengers face their defenders directly.”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Belissar immediately narrowed his eyes.

“No hurting the bees.”

Metsaitti raised his hands and shook his head.

“It is only an example, and not all fights result in death. The point is there is no one way to do it. I have observed that most Sacred Dens have challenges inspired by their patron god.”

Belissar nodded.

“I see. And the rewards?”

Metsaitti rubbed his chin.

“Those, again, are as varied as the Sacred Dens and the challenges, but mostly consist of mana-infused objects. If I could make a suggestion, the mana flowers and mana honeycomb you possess wouldn’t be out of place in any other Sacred Den’s challenges.”

Belissar slowly nodded.

“I see. I’ll, um, think about it.”

Metsaitti nodded back.

“Thank you for considering us, Sacred Den Master. If you do decide to make a challenge, we would be honored to face it.”

Metsaitti turned around and the other hunters also inclined their heads, thanking Belissar. Belissar…still wasn’t used to being thanked like that, so didn’t say anything. The group prayed at the Shrine of Bees and then departed the Tower shortly afterwards.

Belissar rubbed his chin and hummed. So, challenges, huh? Mana flowers…were a bit out of the bag at this point, given he had made a patch for the karnuq to gather from for free. But mana honeycomb, on the other hand?

Belissar began to nod. He did have more of that than he could ever use himself, and he’d only be receiving more as he gave the queens beehives and beehouses. He could even make extra beehives, seeing as they could produce honey without occupants, and the queens could always raise more children to fill them later on. At the same time, he didn’t want the karnuq just taking the labor of his bees for free.

But…if they had to face some sort of challenge to acquire the honeycomb? If they had to do at least something to earn it? That might be a different story, then.

Though, that meant Belissar actually thinking of such a challenge. Mazes? Puzzles? Feats of strength? Belissar didn’t have much idea of what any of that would look like.

He ended up glancing up at the Shrine of Bees. Metsaitti did say something about being inspired by the patron god. So…something bee related? What would be a good bee-related challenge?

Belissar ended up having a lot to think about that day.

Juosiutik was finishing up a brew back at the karnuq camp, and just cleaning up her tools when someone approached. Juosiutik looked up with a frown but then her face softened.

“Oh, it’s you, Noigakkuq. How may I help you?”

A small karnuq woman, Noigakkuq, walked up to her and started helping her clean her tools. She was one of the few people Juosiutik trusted to help her, or even approach her, while she was making potions. Noigakkuq nodded as she helped.

“Do you have anything to help someone stay up?”

Juosiutik blinked.

“Um, I do but…what exactly do you need it for, Noigakkuq?”

Noigakkuq shrugged.

“To stay up.”

Juosiutik frowned.

“You aren’t doing anything dangerous, are you?”

Noigakkuq turned and looked her right in the eyes.

“Everything is dangerous for me, remember?”

Juosiutik frowned, and then sighed. She went into her tent and found her mother’s potion, pouring a small portion into a small water pouch. She then walked back outside and handed it to Noigakkuq.

“Here.”

Noigakkuq took it and nodded.

“Thanks.”

The two worked in silence until Juosiutik was all packed up for the night. Juosiutik frowned once more as Noigakkuq turned to leave.

“Noigakkuq…just, be careful, alright?”

Noigakkuq did not respond as she walked off.

When the sun had set and night had fully arrived, Noigakkuq once again snuck out of the camp. The night was dark and the sentry watching the tunnel to the Underway was dozing off once more, so she was able to reach her destination without issue.

She took a deep breath and began. She took a sip of the potion Juosiutik had given her, then reached into her pouch to pull out a knife and a faintly glowing crystal. She channeled what little mana she possessed into it, causing it to glow much brighter and light up the dirt walls. She then descended into the deep.

Last night she had looked around but couldn’t find anything. Try as she might, the fatigue had gotten to her. The shadows had blurred together, and she couldn’t pick out any scents from the smell of dirt and roots all around her. Willpower could only do so much to make up for her body’s weakness.

And if there was anything her body possessed in abundance, it was weakness. The rest of the clan had made sure she was fully aware of that.

So, against her wishes, she had to approach Juosiutik and, fortunately, the other girl delivered. Noigakkuq felt her body relax and her fatigue fade away. She felt a surge of energy and her senses sharpened. The blurring shadows now turned into rocks and roots. The blend of smells now separated out. She could smell a cave carrot here, a tree root over there, and more. She could feel the humidity rise as she made her way down towards the underground river her clan had followed here.

And above all, she could smell the mana.

Mana had a smell, at least as far as she was concerned. She was aware that mana didn’t really interact with the senses like physical objects did…but the chief had told her that everyone interacted with mana differently. Some could see it, some could feel it, she apparently could smell it. So, she learned to ignore the others who laughed at her “delusions” and followed her nose.

They learned to stop laughing so much when she found a cave full of glowing crystals. And that was why she, the runt of her generation, had not been abandoned on their dangerous journeys, despite being considered incapable of fighting. She had been just useful enough to be worth protecting.

But that had changed. There was a Sacred Den now full of all sorts of magical treasures…none of which required her nose to find. Oh, she had asked to be part of the group but she had been denied. It was too dangerous, they had said.

So now, she would take matters into her own hands. Before the clan decided they had no further use for her. No reason to keep protecting and babying her, as they put it.

Noigakkuq sniffed the air, and then set off into the deep…

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