Chapter 233: Chapter 233
Eventually, the sound of flames and grunting stopped, leaving silence hanging on the air. All the karnuq held their breath and kept their eyes fixed on the hut. And then…finally, they heard a knock at the door. One of the karnuq cracked the door open and handed Metsaitti his clothes.
A moment later, Metsaitti stepped out the door, a bit singed in places but no worse for wear overall. Chief Rohsuak exhaled her breath and smiled, holding up her hand to stop the karnuq from swarming him.
“So…how did it go? Do we have a new champion of fire?”
Metsaitti rubbed the back of his head.
Flames burst from Metsaitti’s body and concentrated at the back of his shoulders. They curled down and around before heading back into his body. Chief Rohsuak raised an amused eyebrow while all the other karnuq watched with wide eyes.
Metsaitti now appeared to have a set of bee wings forged from flames. He made a sheepish smile.
Belissar, too, exhaled his breath as he confirmed that Metsaitti survived. He turned to Niobee and smiled.
“So…some sort of antidote bee? One who could make some kind of antidote honey from any flower’s nectar?”
The communer danced the confirmation.
“That’s amazing. Oh, I’ll have to tell Noigakkuq before she starts drinking the poison honey, if we can mass produce antidote potion now we can make sure she’ll survive no matter what happens.”
But before Juosiutik could run off, the communer flew before her.
“Queen wants to give reward now.”
Juosiutik paused, and then slowly turned her head. Her eyes slowly widened further and further as she looked over the soldiers…and their cargo.
“Wait…that means…that tray of honey?”
Juosiutik slowly turned to the communer and then bowed her head.
“This…is…incredible!”
Before jumping up again and starting to run around the tray.
“This is the healing herb honey, right?! This is amazing, there are so many recipes I could try to integrate this into. This…this is going to revolutionize the clan’s medicine once I figure it out!”
She spun around to face the communer once more.
“You’ve no idea how much this is going to help! Please, let me know if there’s anything I can do to thank you!”
“Queen mother says already have. Will be trying to raise more bees, though. Wants to know if have more recipe ideas.”
Juosiutik made a grin as wide as her entire face.
“Oh, I have plenty! So…if I understand this correctly, the baby bees eat pollen as well as honey and that’s how you got around the dilution issue. Let me see what my mom’s notes say about pollen…”
Beero completed yet another comb pattern made of lightning, willing the spell to complete. The comb flashed, and then a small chunk of propolis with tiny-lightnings zipping over it plopped onto the ground.
The wounded soldiers had the stinger spell down at this point, and the first generation of them were now teaching their newest comrades the steps. But Beero knew they had a long way to go. They had but one spell. The karnuq queen appeared capable of manipulating fire at will, while the invaders had used many different types of spells in their assault.
Beero, thus, was working on expanding their repertoire and figuring out new ways to use their lightning. The King had created wax and propolis before, so that was what Beero tried next.
It…wasn’t going as well. Wax and propolis did not come to her as easily as stinging foes, so even when she completed the right pattern it didn’t always trigger properly. And even when it did trigger…this was the result. A bit of propolis or wax that would drop useless on the ground. And unlike the King’s version, the wax and propolis she made with mana would vanish a short time later. As it was, Beero couldn’t see a way to use this in either battle or work.
But she would find a way, as she had before, no matter how much time or work it took.
At this point, the wounded soldiers were all running low on mana, so they stopped their practice to have a meal…as well as meet with a new addition to the Memorial bees. The only one among their number who was not wounded at all…a communer assigned to them by the Firstborn herself. Now that they had proven themselves a potent combat asset, Beero’s queen mother wanted the ability to speak with them at anytime…and vice versa.
Beero happily buzzed both her remaining wings and her lightning replacements. Every time she saw the communer was a reminder that they had once again found their place in the hive of hives. So, she stepped forward as the wounded soldiers gathered and began to drink the honeycomb that had been left for them.
“Any news from hive of hives?”
The communer danced the affirmative.
“Gardeners say new flowers will soon bloom. First of the Fifth’s Third Daughter has raised new bee type. Karnuq got fire wings.”
“Karnuq got fire wings.”