Chapter 155: A Bee-utiful Name

Chapter 155: A Bee-utiful Name

Ok, so Sehfitis the augur was now his sworn defender. That was nice and all, but now that this affair was handled there were some wyverns Belissar and the karnuq needed to deal with. So, Belissar just gave Sehfitis as serious a look as he could muster.

“Stay here for now, and don’t do anything again. I’ll be back when I have time.”

Sehfitis bowed his head.

“As you will, Tower Keeper.”

Belissar gave one last glance to the man before turning and leaving. Once he left the room, Metsaitti followed.

“It seems it went well, Sacred Den Master? Should we continue guarding him?”

Belissar paused.

“Oh, right, you couldn’t understand most of that, right?”

Metsaitti shook his head.

“Not until the end, after he became one of yours.”

Belissar blinked.

“Ah, right.”

Then he rubbed his chin.

“...yeah, I think we should keep an eye on him for now. I’m...still not sure about him, even with the oath and all that.”

Metsaitti nodded.

“I understand.”

Metsaitti gave orders to the karnuq hunters at the door, and then he and Belissar made his way over to the larger building next door. There, they found the wyverns now with their mouths and limbs free, though still with ropes tied to their harnesses and the walls. The young human was calming them down. He turned and bowed his head.

“Ah, Tower Keeper, sir. We were just finishing up here. Thank you for preparing a space for them.”

Belissar’s eyes widened a bit.

“Ah...um, you’re welcome? You...managed to get them inside all right? I thought you couldn’t speak with the karnuq.”

The young man and the karnuq hunters with him both shook their heads.

“We couldn’t but...we managed to work it out somehow.”

Belissar nodded.

“I see. Oh, um, what’s your name, by the way?”

“Hirkolos, sir.”

Belissar rubbed his chin.

“I’m Belissar. So, Hirkolos...do you want to join the Tower?”

Hirkolos froze.

“Um, sir?”

Belissar shrugged.

“Your augur friend just swore himself to the Tower. Figured if I let him, then I should let you too. You cooperated and helped the bees, after all. It would let you speak with the karnuq, too.”

Hirkolos stared out into space.

“The augur did? How did that happen? ...please forgive me for saying this, sir, but it’s hard to imagine an augur joining a Tower with...beastkin.”

“Spoke with the Oracle of Bees, apparently that convinced him.”

Hirkolos blinked at that.

“Huh.”

Belissar shrugged again.

“So, how about you?”

Hirkolos focused back on him...and then began to frown. Eventually, he hung his head.

“I...don’t know, sir. I’m just...confused.”

“Name is...what Hive-Builder calls worker? Worker has one?”

Belissar nodded.

“Yes, I call her Niobee.”

The queen’s antennae twitched about.

“Why?”

Belissar opened his mouth, but then paused.

“Um...because she’s my friend?”

“Friend, what that?”

Belissar had to rub his chin for a bit at that one.

“Um...it’s because I like her and want to distinguish her from other bees, so I gave her a name I can call her.”

“But can call worker worker already?”

Belissar shook his head.

“There’s other workers, though, right? So, I gave her a name that other workers don’t have. That way...she knows when I’m talking to her and not another worker...or something?”

The queen stood still at that for a long while before slowly starting a dance.

“I...see. Worker is special, so not just worker. Niobee is name for special worker?”

Belissar nodded. He thought that was right?

“And you’re a special queen, since you’re Niobee’s mom. So, do you want a name, too?”

The queen stood still for a moment before breaking out into a quick dance.

“Ok!”

Belissar let out a sigh and then chuckled.

“Got it. How about we call you...”

He paused. He now realized that in his efforts to explain what exactly a name was in the first place that he hadn’t given any thought as to what Niobee’s mom’s name should actually be.

“Um...let’s see...”

The queen danced.

“Um let’s see is name?”

Belissar blinked and then quickly shook his head.

“Ah, no, I was still trying to think about what your name should be. It, um, generally is a unique word that doesn’t refer to something else...sometimes.”

The queen just looked confused again so Belissar decided to just think of a name instead of trying to explain. What should he call Niobee’s mom, who was also the Oracle of Bees?”

“How about...Velebee?”

Smashing together part of a famous oracle’s name and Niobee was...pretty much in line with Belissar’s naming thus far.

“Velebee?”

The queen danced around once with unsteady steps and then stopped. A moment later, her eyes burst into golden yellow light that flooded the area, forcing Belissar to shield his eyes. When the light died down, he found the queen bee dancing about rapidly.

“Queen of All Bees says she likes!”

Belissar smiled at that. Niobee began dancing around as well.

“Niobee likes too! King is best king! King’s names best names!”

Belissar chuckled and was about to respond when...

You have performed a service for the God of Bees: Naming the Oracle of Bees.

Reward: +500 DP!

Oh, it seemed the God of Bees really liked it.