POBee 131.1 - The Daily Buzz

POBee 131.1 - The Daily Buzz

The First of the Fifth’s First Daughter drew her attention away from the gardener and scouts she had sent to accompany the King. She then turned to a communer standing next to her, one that was not the Fourth of the Seventh’s...or her own. She could even feel mana flow through the mana of the joint hive and into the communer...and then onward to her. She shook herself a bit. The mana still resonated with her, but it tickled now, not flowing as naturally as it did before. Still, it was enough that she could feel the attention of another queen upon her.

“Queen mother, have news. King built new room as discussed yesterday. Room strange, but gardener says good for flowers. King wants gardeners to help raise many flower types.”

The First of the Fifth’s First Daughter was still, well, the First of the Fifth’s daughter, and made regular reports to her mother on the state of affairs in her hive as well as the Orchard in general. She felt her mother’s reply through the communer her mother had sent.

“Amazing, incredible, King is best king! Can take care of room with Orchard hives?”

She danced her salute.

“Can.”

“Good, then do. Let know if need help. If find new flower types, recommend give to one subordinate queen.”

The First of the Fifth’s First Daughter saluted once more and then felt her mother’s attention pull away. She then sent word through her own mana for her own daughters to gather. And, thanks to the drone, her mana passed through the Fourth of the Seventh’s communer as well, and then on to the Fourth of the Seventh’s daughters. She started a happy dance, seeing once again that the Fourth of the Seventh’s hive could now act as one with her own.

Which meant she was now well positioned to fulfill the Fourth of the Seventh’s duties within the hive of hives in her place. The new room was fortunately timed for the Orchard queens, their daughters were just getting up and running. Additionally, some of their daughters indicated a desire to see more than the grove they had been born in, no doubt due to the stories their mother told them. The First of the Fifth’s First Daughter had so far focused on raising them into excellent queens with well-ordered workers, and so could not allow them to venture abroad.

But now? Now there was a brand-new room that was their responsibility. A strange room that was more difficult to traverse than usual, and that had an unpredictable nature. Even the King, in all his wisdom, and the Conduit, with all her experience, did not know what to expect. It would, therefore, make a perfect place for her daughters to send their first scouts, a chance to explore the unknown without leaving the safety of home, all while fulfilling a task assigned them by the King himself.

But what a help they would be once they did. The Firstborn was still shocked the bumblebee queens had raised soldiers larger than her own lancers. And they had done so with help from the First of the Fifth, help that had only been possible due to the First of the Fifth’s meticulous focus on honey production.

And that was why the Firstborn was glad to be part of the hive of hives now. Each queen made up for the weaknesses of the other, and all played their part. The Second of the Sixth worked to heal the wounded lancers the Flower Meadow queens had raised. The First of the Fifth helped the bumblebee queens raise soldiers larger than any other, who the Flower Meadow soldiers were now trying to integrate into the army. The Apiary queens continued to donate honey, including a new shipment from the digging queen, so that the Flower Meadow queens could raise soldiers that would fight in the Dirt Tunnels. And in turn, the Flower Meadow’s soldiers now helped the karnuq lift wood and cloth and ropes to build mighty hives as the King had done for them...all the while listening to the karnuq’s instructions and taking note of how such things were made.

For the first time in a while, the Firstborn could say she was satisfied. Her hive still had many flaws and was dependent on many others...but such was not fatal in the hive of hives. As long as she continued to contribute however she could and raise the army as best she could, the hive of hives would carry the day.

And speaking of which, she received word that messengers from the Orchard had arrived, bearing news. Yet another symbol of the hive of hives, that the Orchard hive would spread information to the others rather than keeping it themselves. She went to greet them herself, and listened intently as they described the newest land the King had built. She had no doubt such the room would elevate the hive of hives in new and unforeseen ways...

“Wait, dance that again.”

The Firstborn froze and then stared intently at the messengers as they repeated the last piece of news.

“Drone that Fourth of the Seventh saved found job. Can bind mana of different hives together, let queens command other queens’ workers.”

The Firstborn spun around and began a frantic dance to her workers.

“Assemble the queens! Need talk!”

This changed everything.