Belissar noticed his karnuq students approaching.
“Velebee, would you mind if I let the karnuq watch when I check your hive? I’m teaching them how to take care of bees.”
Velebee stopped zipping about for a moment, but quickly resumed.
“Ok!”
Belissar then thought of something.
“Ah, is it possible to keep your workers from stinging us during the lesson?”
“Can! Will tell not to sting.”
Belissar smiled at her.
“Thanks, Velebee!”
Soon, the beekeeping students arrived and began to murmur amongst themselves at the sight of the bees. Belissar gave them a smile.
“Hello, everyone. As you can see, someone’s moved into the hive. This is Velebee, queen of the hive and the Oracle of Bees.”
The murmuring only grew at that. Velebee danced a greeting and then flew back into her hive to keep her workers calm.
“Right, then…let me show you how I approach an occupied hive and check the brood for health…”
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The karnuq with Belissar were not the only ones preparing for a lesson, however. Metsaitti led a group of karnuq hunters towards the end of the karnuq’s Flower Meadow, with a soldier bee flying ahead of them. They came to a stop just before the short cuts the Sacred Den Master had made. Metsaitti turned to face the rest of the karnuq. Twenty karnuq hunters faced him back, almost their full number save for those guarding the captive humans and wyverns.
“Is everyone ready?”
The karnuq all focused on him and saluted. Metsaitti nodded.
“Let’s go and fight for the Sacred Den.”
Metsaitti nodded to the soldier bee and she flew into one of the shortcuts. The karnuq stepped through after her…and stopped, gazing about with wide eyes. Even Metsaitti paused to take in the sight.
They came out of a wall full of short cuts. All around them, bees from all over the Sacred Den buzzed and zipped about, flying in and out of the shortcuts. Clouds of worker bees flew with big balls of pollen stuck to their legs, soldier bees held entire trays of honey with ropes and flew them across the Sacred Den, and gardener bees directed squads of foragers while carrying seeds in their legs. A small grove stood in front of the entrances; worker bees flew down from the trees to dance with the bees passing through the shortcuts. Metsaitti heard one of hunters speak behind him.
“So, this is the real Sacred Den.”
Metsaitti turned around and nodded.
“Yes, the Sacred Den Master now trusts us enough to let us see the den proper. Let’s fulfill that trust.”
The hunters nodded back to him, while the soldier bee buzzed.
“Why stop?”
Metsaitti chuckled at that.
“We’re just impressed by the Sacred Den, but we’re ready now. Lead the way.”
“Ok!”
The soldier bee led them through one of the shortcuts and they arrived out into the Flower Meadow where the Sacred Den’s armies gave battle. Once again, they saw black and yellow chitin spread out across the sky as the soldier bee army flew above them.
One of the queens arrived before them.
“Hello, am the Second First of the First, called Firstborn.”
Metsaitti saluted.
“Metsaitti, thank you for having us.”
The Firstborn zipped about as she replied.
“Honored to fight with.”
She then danced a command and a small bee flew towards Metsaitti. She appeared as a worker at first glance, until Metsaitti noticed the fluffy antennae and the slight glow to her body.
“This is communer, communicates directly with queen. Will give commands, hear messages.”
Metsaitti nodded.
“She should stay with me, then.”
The communer flew over and landed on Metsaitti’s shoulder.
“Do you have a place you want us?”
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
The Firstborn danced a confirmation.
“Yes, come.”
The Firstborn led the karnuq towards the bee army. There, they saw the soldiers arranged in squads up in the sky, moving around seemingly at random but always staying with their squads. The squads took turns diving down towards the ground, where a bumblebee soldier stood. The bumblebee soldier beat her wings and leapt out of the way of one squad, then lifted her abdomen. The soldiers squads scattered as a sprayer crawled out of the bumblebee’s fuzz and sent a cone of toxins towards the attackers.
“Practicing, bumblebee soldier acts as shade. Karnuq practice too?”
Metsaitti nodded.
“We’ll watch a few rounds and then jump in.”
The Firstborn danced a salute and then flew off. Metsaitti gathered the hunters into a line so they could all see.
“Watch closely, everyone. We’ll need to coordinate with them from now on.”
The hunters saluted and focused on the practice fight. Metsaitti settled in to watch as well. As he had seen before, the bees relied on hit and run tactics, rotating their soldiers in and out of the fight. They kept the enemy off balance with continuous attacks, ensuring that another squad was diving in as the first retreated.
Metsaitti rubbed his chin. The karnuq were used to fighting in the enclosed spaces of the Underway where there was little room to maneuver. Some of the older hunters like himself still knew how to stay light on their feet, but the younger among them tended to stay immobile and face the enemy head on. That had its place…but if they were going to be fighting in a wide-open field like this from now on, it might do well to start taking advantage of the extra space.
Eventually, the bee on Metsaitti’s shoulder started to glow and her mana touched his. He could somehow see her dance even without looking at her.
“Queen asks if karnuq squad wants turn?”
Metsaitti nodded.
“Yes. You four, with me.”
Metsaitti and some of the older hunters took their turn using some practice spears. Metsaitti didn’t bother adjusting their formation or tactics this time, wanting to see how it would hold up. So, they rushed forward as a tight group, thrusting a wall of spears towards the bumblebee. The bumblebee buzzed its wings and flew to the side, out of the way of the spears. Metsaitti shouted but, as he feared, their formation was too tight and they weren’t used to wheeling around on the fly. The bumblebee turned and slammed into the hunter on the left side, knocking him back into the hunter next to him. As they tumbled, their spears waved around, colliding into the spears of the hunters still standing. Metsaitti himself was at the right side of the formation and so couldn’t intervene with the others in the way.
The bumblebee soldier was about to pounce on them when a squad of soldier bees dove down from above. Metsaitti shouted.
“Back!”
The hunters scrambled to their feet as best they could and rushed back with no semblance of coordination. They looked to the ground as Metsaitti lead them back to the rest. Metsaitti then pointed to the next four.
“You bunch are up next.”
Metsaitti thus led the hunters squad by squad, each of which got knocked over by a bumblebee. He couldn’t help but shake his head and chuckle. The karnuq might be experts in the Underway, but they had a lot to learn.
Finally, the youngest group went, consisting of Tyhgak’s group plus Noigakkuq. This bunch spread out like they would against shades, the two spear wielders standing forward and to either side to give the archers clear shots. The archers opened up with a volley, forcing the bumblebee to dodge immediately. The two spear wielders advanced forward in the meantime, aiming for the bumblebee’s intended landing spot. The sprayer crawled out at that point.
Which is when Noigakkuq struck.
The small karnuq suddenly appeared behind the bumblebee, charging forward with her spear. She managed a hit on the bumblebee’s abdomen. The bumblebee buzzed its wings and the sprayer stopped its attack.
“Back!”
At Metsaitti’s shout, the group backed off, just as another squad of soldiers dove in. Metsaitti smiled as the group walked back.
“Well done.”
And indeed it was. The youngest and least experienced among them had performed the best. That was largely because they had learned to fight in this very meadow and against the types of enemy the bumblebee soldier was simulating, but that was little comfort to the embarrassed older hunters. Metsaitti had no doubt the rest of the hunters would work hard to adapt now.
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As the day wore on, the Firstborn flew over to the karnuq once again.
“King said to let karnuq fight but…is ok? Karnuq had trouble in training.”
Metsaitti shook his head with a smile as the hunters all hung their heads.
“We’re just a little out of our depth in this field. We’ll fight in the Dirt Tunnels and fall back if it’s too much for us.”
The Firstborn saluted. Metsaitti turned to the hunters groaning on the ground and selected the oldest nine.
“Let’s show the bees how we normally fight. Get ready.”
The hunters steeled their faces and grabbed their spears. Shortly thereafter, Chief Rohsuak and the Sacred Den Master arrived for the purification. At Metsaitti’s request, the Sacred Den Master moved the Lava Field away, connecting the Dirt Tunnels directly to the Flower Meadow. Metsaitti and the other nine hunters stood in the final hallway with the Flower Meadow to their backs.
“Here we go.”
They shivered as they felt a chill on the edge of their mana after the Sacred Den Master’s message. They knew immediately that the Hunger had arrived.
“Looks like it’s the fast ones, be careful!”
Metsaitti nodded.
“Brace spears and brace yourselves.”
The hunters nodded and assembled into a tight formation of two rows, digging into the dirt as they held their spears forward. And then they waited, sweat dripping down their faces as they imagined the foe to come. After what felt like an eternity, they felt a chill growing on their skin, and knew that the Hunger approached.
Two cat shades appeared, zipping down the hall. The monsters snarled as they saw the karnuq arranged before them.
“Hold!”
Metsaitti shouted to steel up the hunters’ nerve, not that it was needed. Nervous though they may be, these were the veteran hunters who had faced many a danger on their journey, and not one took a step back. The two cat shades spread their insect like wings as they rushed down the hall at blistering speed.
“Brace!”
Just as Metsaitti shouted, a gust of wind surged down the hall, trying to blow the karnuq away. But the karnuq were far heavier than the average soldier bee, and had their feet firmly planted in the dirt. The karnuq in the second row pushed against the backs of the first, helping them to stay in place. They gritted their teeth and their muscles bulged, but the karnuq held.
And, most importantly, held their spears pointed forward. Immediately after sending the gust of wind, the cat shades accelerated. Most of the hunters couldn’t even track the shades as they rushed forward.
But it didn’t matter, for their spears filled the hallway. The two cat shades impaled themselves on the spears. One right in the mouth, bringing it to an immediate halt. One took a glancing blow to the shoulder, slowing it enough that Metsaitti turned and pierced its head before it could go any further.
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Back by the Bee Barracks, the Firstborn buzzed about. The soldier bee army had brought down many a foe before…but this was the first time that an invader had been physically stopped in their tracks by raw strength. And in the Dirt Tunnels no less, where bee army would struggle to maneuver. The karnuq would make a valuable addition to the hive of hives indeed…