The Bee Dungeon

The morning after her conversation with Mischief, Queen Vanieskon walked through the Tower of Light, guided by one its acolytes. The Tower had become a hive of activity, acolytes were rushing around everywhere carrying boxes of supplies and scrolls, while soldiers marched in gleaming armor. The Oracle of Light was preparing to march for war.

The acolyte led Queen Vanieskon through the chaos into a war room, where General Rippotis and the Oracle of Light looked over a map and gave orders to the acolytes. The Oracle of Light had her arm wrapped around the general’s.

Queen Vanieskon was pleased. Oracle Heigiosa was in a good mood and clearly glad to have the general back. The pixie queen could use that.

The general noticed her entering the room and gave her a nod.

“Ah, Queen Vanieskon, you’re here, good. We were just preparing to move out, can your glamour hide Oracle Heigiosa’s army when we leave?”

Queen Vanieskon scoffed.

“With ease. Dragons may have powerful senses, but they are overly confident. They do not think to look if their senses tell them nothing’s amiss. But before that…I need to speak with your Oracle of Light.”

General Rippotis frowned.

“Why?”

Queen Vanieskon turned her gaze to the woman.

“She and I need to come to an agreement on the future of our nations.”

General Rippotis raised an eyebrow.

“You already have an agreement with me on that, sworn to the God of Fire himself. Is that not enough?”

Queen Vanieskon shook her head, then locked eyes with Oracle Heigiosa.

“No, it is not. That is a personal agreement made between us and you alone, General Rippotis. If, as you say, you wish to lay the groundwork for a lasting peace, then the agreement must be between the Compact and its allies and the Conclave of Tower Lords…and you are not the true master of the Conclave, are you? We must bring the Oracle of Light into this conversation.”

Oracle Heigiosa narrowed her eyes, but did not reply, instead turning to General Rippotis. He groaned, then crossed his arms.

“Fine. But be quick about it, Queen Vanieskon. We do not have time for you to negotiate a thousand terms and conditions, every moment we delay is a moment our enemy has to prepare.”

Oracle Heigiosa led Queen Vanieskon to a private room. General Rippotis intended to come, but was convinced to stay and finish organizing the Tower of Light’s forces after Oracle Heigiosa protected herself with the God of Light’s power. And so, the Pixie Queen and the Oracle of Light stood face to face, without General Rippotis. Oracle Heigiosa raised an eyebrow.

“Now then, what did you wish to discuss? General Rippotis has told me of your agreement and I have agreed to uphold it, haven’t I?”

Queen Vanieskon sent a piercing gaze her way.

“You expressed concern over the humans living in the Towers you will hand over to us. And yet…it did not escape me that you have not mentioned my people, Oracle of Light, ruler of humanity.”

Oracle Heigiosa crossed her arms and met the pixie queen’s gaze.

“Your people are not the ones having their homes handed over to another, Queen Vanieskon.”

Queen Vanieskon started to glare.

“No, they are not. But your people are not the ones who are hunted as ingredients.”

Oracle Heigiosa paused.

“What do you mean?”

Queen Vanieskon rolled her eyes.

“Do not play the fool, Oracle of Light. The very god you serve is supposed to reveal the truth, is she not? The last time humanity and the pixies met, humanity hunted us down, enslaved us as livestock. Pixie wings and pixie dust were used in the vilest of experiments, experiments that culminated in the creation of the Hunger, did they not?”

Oracle Heigiosa’s eyes widened. Queen Vanieskon sneered at her.

“Oh yes, I am aware of that particular piece of information. Humanity has much to atone for, does it not? But, in the name of piece, I have decided not to seek recompense. However, I do want reassurances. Especially if you wish for us to let humans live under our Towers unrestrained.”

Oracle Heigiosa closed her eyes. She grit her teeth and clenched her fists, starting to tremble.

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“Those damned Sorcerer Kings…does their depravity know no limit?”

She stopped, took a deep breath, and then opened her eyes again. She faced the pixie queen once more, her expression resolute.

“No, Queen Vanieskon, humanity will not hunt your people any longer. I will make sure of it. I will end the practices of the Sorcerer Kings, once and for all.”

Queen Vanieskon slowly started to smile.

“Do you mean that, High Councilor Heigiosa? Will you swear to that before your god, the God of Light herself?”

Oracle Heigiosa nodded.

“I will…”

Then she narrowed her eyes.

“…provided you and the rest of the fair folk do the same for mine, with one of your binding magical contracts.”

Queen Vaniekson raised an eyebrow. Oracle Heigiosa smirked.

“You’re not as subtle as you think, queen of the pixies, not without your magic perhaps? It is true that humanity bears great guilt and I intend to set things right, but that does not mean I shall let you do as you please, much less swear to you without reciprocation. The Conclave’s current woes are the direct result of me overly trusting a comrade I believed in far more than you.”

Oracle Heigiosa’s expression turned serious.

“But the God of Light wishes for us to work together. If you are willing to do so, then let us cooperate to build a lasting peace, a future where neither of our peoples need fear the other.”

Queen Vanieskon held her gaze for a bit. Well, that was probably as good as she was going to get. She couldn’t exactly risk trying a glamour, not when Oracle Heigiosa was surrounded by the most powerful revealing light barrier Queen Vanieskon had ever encountered. She would have to play the good, friendly pixie for the time being…

…she really hated that she was doing exactly as Mischief said. But, unfortunately, he was right. She lacked the power to control these mighty humans, so she had to get them on her side. Even if she had to reveal some of her weakness to do so.

“Very well.”

While the Pixie Queen and the Oracle of Light had their talk, a larger group of queens had another. Through the hivelink of the Tower of Bees, the Queen-Commanders of the Dragon Banner Army danced with the hive of hives. The hive of hives told them of their experiences, of the army they had built for someone they called king.

The Queen-Commander of the Second Hive zipped around at maximum speed at the latest dance she had received.

“Amazing! Incredible!”

General had gifted the queen-commanders with new instincts, letting them raise soldier bees far more powerful than any worker. Their soldiers and workers had cooperated to delay the enemy attacking General’s hive, robbing the attackers of their supplies per General’s orders. The Second Queen-Commander was proud of this, she had thought her bees mightier defenders than any beehive possessed.

But it turned out her forces were nothing compared to the hive of hives’ own. Soldiers were only the beginning, they had lancer bees whose dives could pierce through human armor and dragonkin scales, sprayers and archers that could attack from afar, battlecasters that could use magic to sting, and assassins whose venom could bring down the mightiest of foes. They had captains who could lead squads like mini-queens, communers who could dance with workers and soldiers while far away, and ministers that could organize their hives so their queens could focus on fighting. They had hives that made poisonous honey, they could use their very honey to attack! They had even found a role for drones, who could apparently enable communication between different hives!

But what stood out most to the Second Queen-Commander was the First Queen of the Second Dynasty of the First Spawner of the First Bee Tower, the first of her line, the one the hive of hives called Firstborn. She was a queen who did not wait in her hive while her children went to fight, but who flew out to fight with them. She had participated in battle herself, led her children in dive attacks, and had personally stung some of the same traitors that attacked General’s hive.

Just like General. The queen-commanders could not help but notice that General rode out into battle on his own, that he fought and exposed himself to danger. If the Second Queen-Commander wanted to protect him, if she really wanted to join the Dragon Banner Army…then shouldn’t she do the same?

The Second Queen-Commander wanted nothing more than to launch herself into the training the hive of hives’ Firstborn had recommended…but she was occupied at present. General was preparing to march for war, and he was bringing some of her bees with him, so she needed to prepare them.

But she resolved to start training in every moment she could spare. If she could replicate the hive of hives’ Firstborn’s feats, then, one day, she could fly alongside General, the both of them leading their hives into battle together.

And she would have to do something nice for the hive of hives and the Firstborn too. She owed them a great debt for showing her what was possible…

The Queen-Acolytes of the Tower of Light were similarly impressed, zipping around in “amazing, incredible!” dances of their own. The hive of hives was not as devoted to the queens of all things as Oracle had taught them to be, that was true, but they did have some great insights to share.

The one the hive of hives’ called Firstborn was especially impressive to the Queen-Acolyte of the First Beehive. The Firstborn had evolved into a bee that could gain power through oaths, much like the oaths the First Queen-Acolyte’s workers had sworn before defending the Hive of Light. And yet…the hive of hives’ Firstborn did not die when the battle was done. Her body was stronger, her oath granted power that her flesh could handle…and that power flowed through her hive, empowering all of her children without killing them.

It was not the same level of power the Queen-Acolyte’s children had received from Oracle and the Queen of All Light, but it would be hard to lose most of her hive in every battle, so she thought it bore consideration.

But even the hive of hives’ Firstborn was not what drew the First Queen-Acolyte’s attention most. What drew her attention most was the Second Queen of the First Dynasty of the Seventh Spawner, the first of her line. The queen blessed by the Queen of All Light.

Because that queen apparently had Light mana before the Queen of All Light had blessed her.

The First Queen-Acolyte wanted nothing more than to learn how she had done it…and then, to her surprise, the hive of hives’ immediately supplied the answer. The hive of hives’ Second of the Seventh had drunk honey made from flowers with Light mana until, one day, she was able to evolve with it.

The First Queen-Acolyte zipped around in a maximum speed happy dance. Oracle’s realm already had lots of flowers with Light mana, they could start trying to evolve right away! And once they did that, they’d share the same mana as Oracle and the same power as the Queen of All Light!

So, the First Queen-Acolyte set her hive to work right away. And swore that she would try to help the hive of hives’ however they could, in gratitude for showing her the way forward.

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