“King! Everything ok?! King ok?! Hive of hives ok?!”
Belissar snapped out of his daze thanks to the First of the Fifth flying frantically before his face. He shook his head and then quickly gave her a smile.
“Everything’s fine! Better than fine, actually. Beero evolved and we have a new type of bee now. I’m going to go check on her, if that’s ok?”
The First of the Fifth slowed down.
“New bee? Amazing, incredible! King can do whatever King chooses!”
Belissar chuckled and reached up to let her land in his hand.
“Thank you for your report, and your work. It really helps.”
He laughed a bit as the First of the Fifth’s near unintelligible happy dance tickled his hand.
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Afterwards, Belissar made his way to the Memorial. He smiled as he found Beero just returning from the Bee Barracks. His heart swelled as he watched her zip about in the air.
“Hi Beero, congratulations on evolving and on getting your wings back. I’m happy for you.”
Beero responded by zipping circles around him, more reminiscent of the bumblebees than of any waggle dance. Belissar laughed while he waited for her to calm down a bit.
“Now then, I had a question. Do you think the other wounded bees could evolve like you?”
Beero turned to face the other bees. Her antennae swayed about and Belissar could see mana swirling in response. He waited while she did her thing, until eventually she started to dance.
“Oldest squad can. Newest squads need more mana, can’t for now. Soldiers without lightning can’t until get lightning, get mana, learn dance.”
Belissar nodded.
“Got it. We’ll get you some mana more mana honey, and anything else you think might help. Let’s try to get the oldest squad evolved.”
Beero immediately resumed zipping about.
“Ok! Will! King is best king!”
Belissar smiled a bit, but it was a little strained this time. Because this time, it wasn’t only for the wounded soldiers’ sake that he was going to help them grow…
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Belissar frowned. He was standing next to Chief Rohsuak by the Bee Barracks for the day’s purification. This time, they were facing a pack of four small wolf-shades.
“It’s the wolf shades. They’re slower than the cats, but their tails and fangs are pretty dangerous. And they can breathe out some sort of Hunger-mist. We probably need to pull the hunters back, they won’t be able to dodge the breath in the tunnels.”
Chief Rohsuak rubbed her chin.
“How dangerous is the Hunger-mist?”
Belissar grimaced as he forced himself to review unpleasant memories.
“It kills worker bees instantly. Soldier bees can survive it but can barely move afterwards.”
Chief Rohsuak nodded.
“In that case, it should be fine. I’ll let Metsaitti know what to expect, but I believe they should still face this foe.”
Belissar’s frown grew but Chief Rohsuak just smiled at him.
“We’re a bit more durable than the soldier bees. And as a Tower’s sworn defenders, we’ll have a bit more resilience to the Hunger than normal. We can take a hit, and a good knock will be good for them.”
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Belissar wasn’t sure about that but decided Chief Rohsuak should know her hunters best, so they proceeded as normal. The wolf-shades made their way through the tunnels…slowly, as they fell into the pits here and there. The other shades would help the victim out of the pit each time, though the effects of the maddening honey began to tell over time. Eventually, four intoxicated wolf-shades stumbled into the final hallway where the karnuq were waiting. Metsaitti swung his hand forward.
“Loose!”
Belissar blinked as the karnuq filled the four shades with arrows. Somehow, he had forgotten that was an option. The wolf-shades never got close. Chief Rohsuak shook her head and sighed.
“I guess we’ll have to wait until next time for the knock.”
Belissar silently nodded.
After the celebration, Belissar gathered the bees and Chief Rohsuak once more. He invited Metsaitti and Beero to participate as well. He took a deep breath as all eyes waited on him.
“As you can see, Beero has evolved into a new kind of soldier bee. She also says her original squad should be able to evolve soon as well.”
He turned to the First of the Fifth.
“Could you coordinate with her to provide them with any additional honey they might need? I’d like to get them evolved as soon as possible. Second of the Sixth too, they’ll need you on standby in case anything goes wrong.”
Both the First of the Fifth and the Second of the Sixth danced immediate salute dances. Belissar nodded, though this time without a smile. He took another deep breath.
“Ok, good. Because once we have a squad of battlecasters, we’re going to try another expansion.”
This is what Belissar had resolved. The karnuq were now risking themselves in purifications to grow and working hard to learn beekeeping. The Orchard queens would now brave the Fairy Grove, while Beero and Metsaitti both challenged the fire honey to gain new powers. Belissar could not, therefore, hold off on the expansions any longer. His Tower needed to keep growing, and he needed to accept the risks…and possible sacrifices…required to do so. He shouldn’t try to shield his bees from the Hunger if the Tower Lords would just crush them all later.
Beero’s evolution was the final push. A squad of battlecasters that could both fly and cast spells was too good to pass up if they could get one quickly…and would be a very good card to have against a new shade. So, once Beero’s first squad followed after her, they’d go for it. Between the battlecasters, the karnuq, and Metsaitti’s new powers, they should have enough to handle something new.
Hopefully.
Beero immediately danced a salute, with the bee queens following along. Metsaitti saluted as well in karnuq fashion.
“We’re ready to fight, Tower Keeper Belissar.”
Chief Rohsuak smirked.
“Indeed. Metsaitti here’s really excited to try his new powers, so please let him fight if you have the chance.”
Metsaitti flushed and looked away as Chief Rohsuak giggled. Belissar even allowed himself to smile slightly. He could only hope it would go that well…
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The Firstborn flew forward as the King finished the meeting for the night. She wouldn’t be long, they had much to do to prepare for the King’s new battle, but her task was important.
“Have proposal for hive of hives. Memorial bees should be considered as new hive, special hive. Beero should be considered as queen. Hive of hives should give honey, workers, soldiers. Beero should join in queen meetings.”
Beero froze and turned to stare at her as she finished her dance. This was why she had not taken Beero back into her hive. Because, ultimately, Beero was too important. It was she who discovered how bees could use magic, and so brought an entirely new dimension to the soldier bee army. It was she who discovered how wounded bees could still fight. It was she who had found not one but now two evolutions that both occurred without special flowers. The first being when the magic honey she made helped the Fourth of the Eight to become a shocking monster bee queen. And now, when she herself had become an entirely new type of soldier bee, and created a way for wounded soldiers to heal themselves in the process. The King himself was set to launch a new expansion all off the back of Beero’s achievements.
Beero was no mere soldier bee at this point, and the bees she led now had their own unique place in the hive of hives. The Firstborn felt it was now time to acknowledge what had already been true for a while, especially now that the wounded soldiers would start regaining their wings and might otherwise try to disperse back to their original hives. For Beero had already formed them into a new hive, not out of queens and drones and brood, but out of the sheer will of the soldiers to protect the hive of hives no matter the cost.
A more fitting guardian for the Memorial the Firstborn could not imagine. Nor a more fitting bee to call her equal, if not her superior.
The First of the Fifth responded first.
“King already invited Beero to meeting of queens. Already considers important, gave name like Conduit and Oracle. Bees should too.”
Beero spun about as the other queens began to agree as well. She began a bunch of unintelligible and uncoordinated, though vaguely negative steps. But the Firstborn landed by her and brushed their antennae together.
“Beero has done well. Keep protecting hive of hives as already have.”
Beero looked at her for a moment before slowly beginning a salute.
“As queen mother commands. Will work hard.”
The Firstborn, though, danced the negative.
“No, as Beero decides, and as King commands.”
The Firstborn stepped back and danced to the First of the Fifth. The two danced between each other before the First of the Fifth finally conceded and took the lead.
“Beero already named by King, so will call Beero. But will also have title of First Queen of the Memorial, the first of her line, in case Memorial gets more queens. All agree?”
All the queens agreed. Beero could only stand still, fighting back the urge to salute as a soldier should.
And so, the queens of the hive of hives welcomed the First Queen of the Memorial, the first of her line, the queen who was not a queen into their ranks.