Belissar awoke the next day ready to get to work. The various negotiations with Tarwantrad, the Compact, and the Circle had taken up much of his time and attention recently, but it was time to refocus. The karnuq were ready to make a concerted effort at challenging and earning the blessings of the gods while the bees were working ever diligently to improve every aspect of his Tower. His Tower now had multiple motivations to grow: to fend off the Tower Lords should they return, to encourage both the sigmaka and Compact to remain cooperative, to develop more options he could trade with Tarwantrad and the Circle, and, not least of all, to continue fighting off the Hunger. He had multiple missions from the gods still waiting for him to complete as well. All in all, there was much to do, and it was time to put aside all this diplomacy and work.
At least, that was the plan until he saw Urubran step out of the nexus door and wave.
“Hi Belissar, just here to drop off my boon for you. Don’t feel the need to welcome me or anything.”
Thanks to that heads up, Belissar decided not to disturb Chief Rohsuak and made his way to speak with Urubran with just Niobee and his usual bee compliment. Urubran gave him a smile as he approached.
“Hi Belissar, nice to see you again.”
Belissar made a small smile himself. Urubran had been friendly as well and seemed to get along with the karnuq, so Belissar found he didn’t mind seeing him either.
“Hi Urubran, nice to see you.”
Urubran grinned. Belissar now noticed he was holding a metal box of some sort as he moved to open the lid.
“Here, take a look. I’m sure you’re going to like them.”
“I know, you really like your bees, so no pressure. I’d invite you to see the dungeon and where they might want to live, but we may need to get you an invite to the Compact first. Just think about it, and we can discuss it when you can come and see my dungeon. Chief Rohsuak and any of the karnuq who wish to see a Fire dungeon are invited as well once that happens.”
Belissar just gave him a slow nod, which Urubran returned.
“Well, that’s all for today. I’ll get out of your hair now, just let Tarwantrad know if you want to meet with me. Or when the Third of the Sixth makes lava honey!”
With that, Urubran took his leave. Belissar took a deep breath. Trading with the various dungeon masters of the Circle would be an excellent idea for his Tower, no doubt. And yet…Belissar could not say he was comfortable sending any of his bees away, even with Tarwantrad or Urubran.
He pondered it for a bit. He recalled how regular honeybees swarmed every year if he let them, splitting their hives in half to go off and find new homes. He took another deep breath. Now that he thought of it…letting his bees go off to new lands was normal bee behaviour. So that, like bees fighting and dying to protect their hives, might be something that he just had to get used to. He didn’t like the idea, but he also didn’t like the idea of holding his bees back solely because of his own discomfort.
Besides, it’s not like all of his bees would leave him. He reached up and brushed Niobee, sitting on his head as she had taken to do most of the time. She buzzed and danced happily. He took comfort knowing that she’d always be there, and not even death would keep her away.
Perhaps, then, he could handle it. He could always ask the queens to raise new daughters to send off. While the bees currently kept their daughters in their own hives, he did know that the First of the Fifth had sent her first daughter off to make her own hive, and eventually to move to a new room entirely. It seemed the monster bees did originally have the usual swarming behaviour, so perhaps they wouldn’t be bothered by such a thing.
Well, he’d have to figure out a way to find out what they thought of it. For now, though, there was work to be done and a new flower to plant. And that was what all this effort had ultimately been about.
“Niobee, I’m going to plant the new flower in the battle Lava Field. It might be dangerous, so could you let the Third of the Sixth know? We’ll test it there before adding them to her room.”
Belissar made his way to the first floor Lava Field and wasted no time placing a lava lotus node. As Urubran and the Tower description claimed, the node could only be placed in or right on the banks of the lava rivers themselves. Belissar placed the node along the first river from the room’s entrance. Flat, black leaves spread out across the surface of the river, then black stems began to rise up before blooming into bright red flowers. They almost blended into the color of the lava itself, save for their solid yellow centers.
A few minutes after Belissar had placed them, he saw faint smoke drifting up from the leaves of the node, and could detect an acrid tang in the air. Shortly after, Niobee arrived with one of the Third of the Sixth’s workers.
“Niobee, could you check it? And be careful, it’s already starting to release poison.”
Niobee, brave as ever, flew right into the faint smoke and landed on one of the flowers. She immediately began dancing about and quickly took off.
“Is hot! Too hot for normal bees! Burning bees ok!”
Belissar looked at her with concern.
“You didn’t get burned, did you?”
Niobee danced the negative.
“Didn’t! Mana protected!”