Chapter 224: Chapter 224

The Shrine of Bees flashed, leaving a message before Belissar’s eyes.

New mission received: Receive an oracle from the Oracle of Bees

Belissar blinked and then smiled. That was one he could do right away! He made his way over to the karnuq settlement and to the beehouse there. He watched as worker bees flew in and out of the hive to the nearby flowers. The hive was relatively small at this point, but with his tower sight he could confirm the queen had started laying more eggs, so it should recover. Well, if all else failed he’d ask the First of the Fifth to lend a hand, she took good care of her fellow queens.

He slowed down as he got near the hive, wondering how or even if he should approach. The workers were normal honeybees last he checked so they might grow defensive of their home. He lacked the thick clothing he used beforehand, and absolutely did not want any of the hive’s few remaining workers to sacrifice themselves stinging him. But then he remembered that the queen was his sworn defender now, and he could talk to her whenever he wished.

“Hello, queen? Is now a good time to talk?”

Within the hive, the queen stopped what she was doing and crawled towards the entrance of the beehouse, then took off flying. She flew straight towards him and then began to zip around.

“Hive-Builder! New hive is amazing, incredible! Builds comb by itself, makes honey by itself!”

Belissar’s face broke out into a wide grin.

“I’m glad you like it!”

Belissar stood for a moment before running after the bees and karnuq. He switched to his tower sight and found the old man drawing something in the dirt.

“Careful, I think he’s making another formation or something!”

The bees flew in through some windows at the top of the structure, while Metsaitti rushed forward and kicked open the door. He stepped forward and thrust his spear forward as the soldier bees flew in from the sides. The augur gasped and scrambled to his feet, leaning flat against the back wall as Metsaitti’s spear stopped just shy of his neck. Belissar signaled to the soldier bees not to attack, so they also stopped before stinging. Instead, they hovered menacingly around the augur’s head, their stingers pointed towards him.

Belissar stepped inside the room a moment later and glared at the man.

“What were you doing?”

The augur gulped…and then his face fell. He hung his head and his shoulders as he heaved a long sigh.

“I…suppose I should tell you. I…was attempting to contact the gods.”

Belissar narrowed his eyes at the man.

“The gods? Not the Tower Lords?”

The augur slowly shook his head.

“I…understand you cannot trust me but…we were sent here by a god, only to perish nearly to a man. You now claim an oracle came with us. I…I spent my entire life attempting to discern the will and movements of the gods. My entire family has devoted generations to the task, and yet the message I received was the most direct communication any one in my family’s entire history had ever received. For it to have ended in complete disaster…makes no sense. Escorting an oracle would explain it but why here? Why to an unknown Tower filled with sub-humans…”

“Don’t call them that.”

The augur gulped and slowly nodded.

“...I understand. To an unknown Tower filled with beastkin, on a journey fraught with peril that could have easily ended all of us. Why weren’t we told of such an important passenger, or of the purpose of our journey? I…I must know the truth of the matter. Even if I must perish. My life has little meaning anyways.”

The augur took a deep breath and raised his head, looking Belissar in the eye. He then bowed his head.

“Please…Tower Lord…allow me to visit the Shrine of your patron. Please allow me to ask one final question. You may kill me if you must, but I must know the truth.”

Belissar frowned and crossed his arms.

“First of all, don't call me that, it's Tower Keeper. And then...why? I mean…why should I? You’re the one who attacked. You won’t answer any of my questions either. And now you’re trying to do something in secret.”

Belissar felt a fire grow in his chest and he snarled.

“And thanks to you, my bees died, so, you know what? I don’t really care what you want. If a god sent you here, then why did you attack her Tower?! Why did you attack us?!”

The augur’s shoulders fell.

“That’s…we though the god was helping us correct our failure…but then…the god who sent us matched the banners of the Tower…and we still attacked. By the gods, what have we done?”

The augur’s knees gave out and he slowly slid down the wall. Tears began to fill his eyes. Belissar continued scowling but then he noticed the bees buzzing. He saw Niobee preparing to charge.

“King’s enemy! Bees sting!”

Belissar took a deep breath.

He glared at the man on the ground…the old man curled up at his feet. Some of the heat drained from his chest. His own eyes began to tear up at the thought of all the bees who had perished. His own shoulders drooped. He turned around.

“Whatever you were doing, don’t do it again. Don’t you dare do anything more.”