Belissar informed Tarwantrad’s monster that he was planning an expansion purification. Tarwantrad sent word asking him to be careful and informing him that she would prepare her forces to intervene if he needed assistance. Belissar thanked her and promised to let her know if he needed help.
Soon after, Belissar stood by the wall of shortcuts in the Orchard. He held a spear made from wyvern bone and fangs while he wore leather and fur that had been trimmed down to fit him. Well, if he intended to join the fight he planned to do so with his spell-bees, but Chief Rohsuak had insisted he be no less armed and armored than any of their hunters. Belissar had seen no reason to refuse.
Chief Rohsuak stood beside him with an emergency supply of mana honeycomb. Metsaitti and the karnuq hunters stood there as well, ready to deploy wherever they were needed. A handful of the top hunters had jars of deathcap poison to tip their weapons in.
The digging bee soldiers and burning bee soldiers were waiting in the Dirt Tunnels and Lava Field respectively. Most of the remaining soldier bee army assembled in their usual formations in the battle meadow, but one formation now waited in the trees of the battle Fairy Grove, accompanied by chromatic workers.
All the defenders were ready, all preparations had been made. It was time to begin.
Attempt expansion purification? Estimated purification strength: small+
Belissar took a deep breath.
Once again the Hunger assaulted the Tower and once again the Tower pushed it back. Belissar ignored the battle of chill and warmth raging through his mana and focused his tower senses on the entrance. Scout workers from the Fourth of the Seventh’s hive also waited there as well, taking advantage of the shortcuts to give the bees their own glimpse of the enemy.
Belissar just nodded. He wasn’t sure what she was planning to do, given that this was a fast-moving fire shade, but he figured she knew. He began stirring up his mana as he waited by the shortcut, just in case.
Digging bees flew in and out of the short cuts to join the karnuq and quickly dug into the tunnel ahead of them. The karnuq set up a wall of metal shields and bone spears, now tipped in deadly poison. Chief Rohsuak waited at the rear, her mana heating up but not igniting just yet. The soldier bee army sent some help as well, the archers and one of Beero’s battlecaster squads joined the karnuq’s formation, hovering overhead.
The shade rushed through the Dirt Tunnels, though it had to explore each twist and turn before it found the way forward, giving the defenders time to set up. Pit Traps opened up and Sticky Honey Traps shot their sprays but nothing caught the fast and burning fox. Beeswax candles filled the tunnels with maddening smoke, but if the fox was affected it didn’t show it.
But the Dirt Tunnels were not endless and with no effective means of harming the fox, soon it approached the end.
“Here it comes! It’s in the last tunnel before the corner ahead of you!”
Chief Rohsuak nodded as Belissar called out. Her mana flared and burst into flames all around her. A ball of fire appeared between her hands once more, this one burning with warm red and yellow light.
“Oh God of Fire, let the heat of your hearth warm our hearts and keep chill and hunger at bay. Let the light of your fire guard the night and ward off all who stalk in the dark.”
Belissar blinked as Chief Rohsuak let the fireball fly, long before the shade approached the corner and came into view. He jumped when the fireball landed in the middle of the karnuq’s own formation. But before he could exclaim, he watched the fire spread out and wrap around each of the karnuq warriors, seeming not to burn them given their lack of reaction. The fire even extended up to wrap around the archers and battlecasters hovering overhead. They buzzed at first but calmed down immediately, seeming no worse for wear despite being coated in flames.
Belissar was still staring and blinking when the fox shade rounded the corner and came into view. It growled at the sight of the karnuq ahead but did not slow down. Its flames flowed into its tails which puffed up as it ran, and soon it swung them forward. Two balls of black flame roared down the tunnel and slammed into the karnuq shieldwall.
It did nothing. The red and yellow flames flared up as their black counterparts collided into them and warred against one another, but the karnuq warriors within were completely unharmed.
The shade growled against and its tails puffed up once more. This time, they twisted together until they appeared as one giant tail of flame before swinging forward to lob a mighty fireball. The tunnels seemed to dim even further as the pure black flames consumed the very lights of the candles in their path.
The red and yellow flames flared up as the fireball crashed into them, exploding into a curtain of black that covered the entire tunnel. Chief Rohsuak’s flames rose to meet them, burning as bright as they could. The air roared as light and dark infernos warred against one another.
Then suddenly, the light went out. Chief Rohsuak’s flames burned out and vanished, coating the defenders no longer.
But they had done their job and the black flames petered out as well, leaving nothing but a few scorch marks on the shields of the karnuq. And now, the shade was in range.
The archers, karnuq and bee both, immediately opened fire. Arrows and stingers filled the tunnels, leaving no room to dodge. The shade growled and tried to coat itself in black flames, but the physical projectiles were not so easily burned as liquid sprays. The shade yelped as arrows and stingers lodged into its body.
And its relentless rush had come to a halt, the arrows killing its momentum. Metsaitti did not miss that chance. Bee wings of fire appeared on his back and beat jets of flame behind him, pushing him forward as he thrust his spear. The shade, slowed to a halt and unable to dodge, unleashed a small cone of flame from its mouth. Metsaitti’s burning bee wings swung forward and wrapped around him in response.
The shade had used much of its flame already, so Metsaitti burst through the cone only slightly singed, and thrust his spear right into the shade’s head. The burning fox collapsed to the ground.
Belissar was still staring and blinking as the shade dispersed.
All hostiles defeated. Expansion successful.