The Bee Dungeon

General Rippotis let out a hum as he rubbed his beard. Before him stood a woven basket, placed upside down with a small hole at the bottom.

“So the bees like to live in these…skeps?”

He looked up at several women in thick clothes standing before him. One of them nodded.

“Yes, High Councilor.”

He shook his head.

“It’s general.”

The woman jumped and immediately bowed her entire body.

“M-My apologies!”

General Rippotis just raised his hand.

“It’s fine. You aren’t from around here so I did not expect you to know. But, back to the bees…how then do you retrieve the honey?”

The first woman held her tongue after being corrected, so another spoke up instead.

“We use fire, sulfur if possible, to smoke the bees out, then break apart the hive…General, sir.”

General Rippotis frowned.

“That would kill them, wouldn’t it?”

The woman nodded.

“Yes, generally.”

General Rippotis crossed his arms and hummed again. The women glanced at once another.

“G-General, is there a problem?”

He nodded.

“There is. It is important for my purpose that the bees survive, and that they are happy. Neither of those things will be true if we kill them.”

One of the women titled her head.

“Happy, General?”

He nodded.

“Yes.”

Worst came to worst, he could just make the skeps and then just not gather from them, but that felt quite passive for a mission from the gods. The women glanced at one another once again. But before any of them could speak, a soldier marched into the room and saluted.

“General, you have message from the High Council.”

General Rippotis nodded.

“Leave it on my desk, I’ll get to it.”

The soldier shook his head.

“I’m sorry, sir, but it appears to be a priority summon. The entire High Council is gathering.”

General Rippotis took a deep breath, and then shook his head.

“Very well, prepare my mount.”

The soldier saluted one more.

“Yes, sir!”

General Rippotis took one more look at the skep and then nodded. Perhaps a short break would be for the best. He turned to the gathered apiarists.

“I must depart for now, we will resume when I return. If you can think of a way to preserve the hives in that time, I would be most grateful.”

With that, he set off, leaving the apiarists exchanging hushed whispers to each other.

General Rippotis flew over the mountains on the back of a red dragon, arriving at the tallest peak. A tower shone there, the light at its peak a second sun during the day and a bright star in the night. White banners draped down the sides adorned with a bright yellow star. General Rippotis made a small smile. It had been a while since he last visited.

The Tower had several platforms opening out to the air on its sides. General Rippotis landed on one of these and dismounted. Before he even climbed down, he saw a woman approach, dressed in simple white robes and a golden tiara. A woman who barely seemed three decades old, though the wisdom in her eyes hinted at a considerably longer life. She gave him a warm smile.

“General Rippotis, thank you for coming.”

General Rippotis returned her smile even as he shook his head.

“No thanks are necessary, Oracle Heigiosa. Even were it not my duty, I would always come should you call.”

Her smile grew slightly as she shook her head in turn.

“And that is why I shall always thank you.”

The two walked along in companionable silence, both their subordinates giving the pair room. General Rippotis basked in her company for as long as he would permit himself before breaking the silence.

“So, what is this about?”

Heigiosa frowned.

“Apparently, the lost one has been found.”

General Rippotis raised an eyebrow.

“The Tower we missed?”

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Heigiosa slowly nodded. General Rippotis frowned.

“How? It’s impossible to find where they go afterwards, isn’t it?”

Heigiosa nodded again.

“That is what we are gathering to find out. But I trust that Starami wouldn’t have come before us again if he were not confident.”

General Rippotis narrowed his eyes.

“I would assume not. And neither would Konilias permit him to do so.”

Heigiosa shook her head.

“I…suppose he would not. He’s been most cross about this affair. I tried to tell him that in the end the gods will take care of their Towers, but he would not hear it.”

General Rippotis raised an eyebrow at her.

“And? Did the gods say anything to you?”

She shook her head.

“Nothing as of yet.”

Then she smiled.

“But…I can see that they are at work. It is most fortunate you remained behind this time.”

He rubbed the back of his head.

“Yes, well, I suppose you’re not wrong. I received a mission right before I set off, from a new god if I’m not mistaken.”

Heigiosa froze and stopped walking.

“A…new…god?”

General Rippotis made an amused grin even as he preemptively lifted his hands.

“I was planning to tell you after I completed the mission…but since I am here now, I will tell you everything. After the meeting, perhaps?”

Heigiosa stared intently at him and nodded.

“I will hold you to that.”

He gave her a salute.

“As you command.”

Shortly thereafter, General Rippotis and High Councilor Heigiosa made their way to the chamber of the High Council, smiles no longer on their faces. The room was simple, made of rough and common stone. Up on the walls near the roof were carved statues of all of the known gods, below that were no further adornments. The room itself held only a single round table with ten seats, seven of which were currently occupied with the rest of the High Council. The pair took their seats, bringing all nine members of the High Council together. High Councilor Heigiosa nodded to each member and then turned to the door.

“Enter.”

At her command, the doors opened up and in strolled Lord Starami, the Tower Lord who had been on everyone’s mind lately. He was tense and nearly scowling, but he held his head high as he stepped forward.

“Starami, Tower Lord of Starami Tower and Lord of the Conclave. I thank the High Council for having me today.”

High Councilor Heigiosa nodded and then motioned to the last remaining chair.

“Thank you for coming. Please, have a seat.”

Lord Starami did so. High Councilor Heigiosa gave him a chance to get settled before speaking again.

“Now, I am told that you have news to share?”

Lord Starami nodded.

“I have found the missing Tower.”

General Rippotis raised an eyebrow.

“I assume you have some evidence for that claim?”

Lord Starami nodded.

“I sent off my son as agreed upon by the Conclave. Before he left, however, he returned to the site of the Tower’s birth and had the augur accompanying him perform a divination. To my surprise, he received a response.”

High Councilor Heigiosa narrowed her eyes.

“You are certain of this?”

Lord Starami nodded.

“I personally observed it through the monster monitoring his departure. I would stake my life on it.”

The High Councilor to the left of Heigiosa, High Councilor Konilias, scowled.

“Good, for you do just that if it turns out you are mistaken, Starami.”

The High Councilors glanced at one another until Heigiosa returned her gaze to Lord Starami.

“Please, continue.”

Lord Starami nodded and did so.

“The augur apparently received a set of direction that would lead them far, far away from the Conclave’s territory. I was therefore not surprised that we did not hear from them by the time the rest of the first wave reported in. But then, just the other day, we received word from my son that a Tower had been located. Far, far away, in the location the directions would have led him to.”

The High Council fell silent at this. High Councilor Konilias frowned.

“The evidence seems quite circumstantial.”

High Councilor Heigiosa shook her head.

“Normally, I would agree. But…”

She turned to glance at General Rippotis.

“It seems clear to me that the gods are at work here.”

High Councilor Konilias narrowed his eyes.

“What exactly does she mean?”

General Rippotis shrugged.

“I received a mission from the gods that delayed my departure for the Grand Subjugation, possibly from a previously unknown god. It seemed unrelated to this matter but…the timing is highly coincidental.”

High Councilor Konilias grunted.

“Hm, I had wondered why you had not run off again.”

High Councilor Heigiosa turned to look at the other members of the High Council.

“I have not received any specific instructions myself, however. Has anyone besides General Rippotis heard from any of the Oracles, or received any unusual missions from the gods?”

The High Councilors turned thoughtful, but one by one they shook their heads. High Councilor Heigiosa rubbed her chin.

“So, it is up to us to decipher their will. Still, given the circumstances, I feel that something important is going on here. We should not leave this matter be.”

One of the other High Councilors, a fashionably dressed woman, tilted her head.

“Could it be that they are helping us locate the lost tower?”

Another High Councilor, a man in simple robes like Heigiosa’s, shook his head.

“Not every Tower is placed within our reach. If the gods saw fit to keep one from us, they would not feel the need to help us find it.”

The woman councilor frowned.

“But…they did not keep it from us? We failed to bind one that was, did we not? That’s a failure of our entire mandate, is it not?”

She gave a pointed look to the Lord Starami, who managed to keep his face expressionless. Lord Konilias cleared his throat.

“In any case, whether the gods have spoken or not we have already decided upon a Grand Subjugation. Is there any reason why we should not advance in the direction of this Tower?”

A man in armor next to General Rippotis saluted.

“Just say the word and I will lead my army forth.”

But Lord Konilias glanced at another High Councilor, a fashionably dressed man. The man cleared his throat.

“Lord Starami was the one responsible for this affair, and I was the one responsible for him. He shall lead the mission to seek the gods’ will, and I shall arrange the campaign necessary for him to do so.”

The well-dressed man and the armored man locked eyes. High Councilor Heigiosa glanced at General Rippotis, but he just shook his head. She turned to Lord Starami.

“What of your son? He has already arrived at the location, has he passed back any further messages?”

Lord Starami frowned.

“My son…is likely dead. The failsafe broke the signal a day after we received it.”

High Councilor Heigiosa frowned.

“That is most concerning.”

She closed her eyes for a moment before letting out a sigh.

“Very well. High Councilor Stadvolous shall arrange for the Grand Subjugation to move in the direction indicated. However, please take care if and when you approach the location in question. The will of the gods is not always obvious and it would not do for us to move hastily, particularly considering that our first arrival there has not ended well. In that vein, please provide us with regular updates on your progress. In the meantime, we all should pay extra attention to the oracles and to any missions we receive from the gods.”

Lord Starami bowed his head.

“As the High Council wishes.”

After the meeting, General Rippotis and High Councilor Heigiosa walked together once more. High Councilor Heigiosa’s face was scrunched up, causing General Rippotis to frown as well.

“Something troubles you?”

Heigiosa sighed.

“It is unusual for the gods to get involved this directly. Even we have never received such a specific location, even back when the fate of the world was at stake, so I feel this must be a matter of great importance to them. And yet, they have not spoken to us or to any of their oracles on the matter.”

General Rippotis’s frown grew.

“That’s true.”

The two stood in silence for a moment, lost in their own thoughts. Eventually, Heigiosa shook her head.

“The only thing I can think of is the mission you received. Please, General, approach it with all the care and determination you always display. I fear it may be more important than we realize.”

He saluted to her.

“I would do so were it not important at all. We owe the gods as much.”

Heigiosa nodded.

“We do indeed. If I may ask and if you are permitted to share…what is your current mission? And who is this new god that issued it?”

General Rippotis could not help but make a bemused smile.

“Well…it’s bees.”

Heigiosa paused and blinked a few times before tilting her head.

“Bees?”

General Rippotis nodded.

“Bees.”

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