Chapter 211: Chapter 211

Belissar looked up at the swarming bee army and frowned.

“Niobee, could you help me calm them down?”

Niobee flew unsteadily in response.

“Calm down? Not going to go sting now?”

Belissar shook his head.

“We will, but let’s see what they do first. If they come here…no point in wasting all those traps, right?”

Niobee’s dance resumed speed.

With that, she zipped off into the sky, touching antennae with the queens to cool down the attack pheromones. The queens slowly brought the soldier bees back under control, having them cease their swarming and gather into formation instead. Belissar turned his attention back to the incoming humans. They were resting up and passing around some food at the moment. Belissar was a bit tempted to send the army now but decided against it. The wyverns were big and had flown in at quite the speed, reminding Belissar of the big bird shades. In fact, they had outrun those very bird shades on their way here, if the shades attacking them were the same type.

Ruckanos crossed his arms at that, rubbing his chin. The god who led them here…was the patron of this Tower? But…why would they do such a thing? Ruckanos had expected the gods to be displeased with whoever was desecrating this Tower…but then why would they have given it their blessing? Did they change their mind? Did they give the unworthy would-be lord a chance only to find them as poor a master as feared?

But how could that be true? Not only had the Tower survived but had risen to four floors already. It was hardly months old at this stage, so that should not have been possible. It normally took weeks for a Tower to gather the mana reserves for an expansion, much less four. If Ruckanos didn’t know any better, he’d have said this Tower Lord was doing impossibly well for himself.

And deep within his heart crept the tiniest of doubts that perhaps he was not intended to take charge of this Tower.

But that couldn’t be, could it? Whoever was in charge of this place could not have prepared beforehand like he had. They’d have stumbled about, not understanding a thing that they did. It must have been a sheer accident, or perhaps excessive intervention by the gods, that the Tower even survived this long. Perhaps the patron was clearing the way for him, intervening to keep his Tower intact, nay, growing even, for the day that he arrived to claim it.

He held tight to that hope as he strode forward.

“Captain, prepare to march.”

Ruckanos just turned to stare at him, raising an eyebrow. The captain sighed and then saluted.

The captain sent a scout inside while arranging the rest of them into formation, while the augur carved a ritual formation into the dirt below. He placed a lightly glowing crystal carved with numerous runes in the center, touching a specific one. The crystal’s light turned green before it melted into the ritual, which itself pulsed with green light.

The signal that they had found a Tower. Ruckanos had a brief thought to stop the augur, to let the Conclave remain unaware of his success, but he decided against it. Let the Conclave come, it would take them ages to reach this far into the wild. He’d have long resolved any mistakes he had made by the time they arrived, if they ever did.

He turned his attention back to the Tower, just as the scout reported that the initial entrance area was clear. The captain turned to face him and he nodded. The captain took one deep breath, and then gave the command.

And with that, Ruckanos marched to his destiny.

In the back of their formation, a wounded rider frowned as he opened up his bag, just before the captain gave the command. He looked down and saw the queen bee exit her hive once again. He bent down to whisper to her.

“Last stop, little one. We’re going into that Tower and I fear none of us will come out. You need to leave now or you’ll die too.”

The queen bee stared up at him, with those big eyes that felt like they pierced into his soul. Then…she began to crawl up out of the bag. She climbed to the top and began to stretch her wings. For a brief moment, the man’s heart lifted. Maybe, just maybe, she had understood him?

She paused though, upon seeing their surroundings, including the Tower. She stared at the Tower for a minute, and then crawled back down into the bag. The man sighed and his shoulders drooped.

But it was too late. The command was given, and they were heading to their doom. He looked up at the Tower and its banners. His eyes widened a bit as he looked once again at the pattern there.

A bee landing on a flower.

He glanced back down towards his bag and then up to the banner. Maybe, just maybe, this Tower wouldn’t be so bad for his little friends? If at least one of them could survive this…