Chapter 200: Bee-view the Bee-fences

Chapter 200: Bee-view the Bee-fences

Belissar smiled at Tarwantrad.

“Thanks for your help. Looks like we might be able to complete some of those missions sooner rather than later.”

Tarwantrad shook her head.

“I did nothing but alert you to what your bees had already achieved. And we have not yet decided what to trade, but I think I have an idea. As far as bee species are concerned, I have seen monster versions of honeybees, bumblebees, and carpenter bees in your tower. Are there any others?”

Belissar shook his head.

“No, all the others are evolutions of those three.”

Tarwantrad nodded and made a confident grin.

“In that case, would you like some of mine? I have some species you don’t have represented yet.”

Belissar’s mind crashed. Tarwantrad...had more bees? Bees he didn’t have? His jaw opened and closed a couple of times as he stared blankly until his mind resumed. Once it did, he had to wonder why he was so surprised. He knew Tarwantrad was surprised and excited to see his bees, but that didn’t mean she didn’t have any of her own.

He then realized he had been staring blankly and in silence for a bit, so he flushed and nodded his head repeatedly and as quickly as he could.

“Yes! I would love that!”

Tarwantrad covered her mouth and giggled.

“I thought you might. Let me know when you have a queen ready to move, I will prepare my bees as well. Ah, I am also open to the same offer for your bumblebees, carpenter bees, and any other bee species we may gain access to, if any of them should like to move.”

Belissar nodded and leaned forward towards her.

“Sounds good. So...what sort of bees do you have?”

Tarwantrad giggled again, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

“You will have to wait and see. I would like to show them to you as you have shown me yours. How about once we have prepared the flower nurseries for each other?”

Belissar groaned but slowly nodded. He guessed he’d have to get on that sooner rather than later.

Tarwantrad asked for permission to leave a flower monster by the nexus door in Belissar’s Tower so that he could contact her if needed. Belissar agreed and Tarwantrad departed soon after that, leaving Belissar to deal with Nenavann’s boons. He checked them in more detail.

Vapor Hemlock

Belissar was in the karnuq village, reviewing the state of the karnuq hunters with Chief Rohsuak and Metsaitti in preparation for the expansion, when he heard a shout.

“Tower Keeper!”

He turned to find Juosiutik walking briskly towards them, twitching as if she wanted to run but keeping to her pace. She held a round pot in one hand and a jar in the other, holding both very carefully and with gloves.

“Hi Juosiutik, did you need something?”

Juosiutik smiled and shook her head.

“No, I have something for you instead.”

She knelt down and gingerly placed her cargo on the ground. She motioned to the jar.

“Deathcap poison, thickened with mana honey. If I’m correct, it should be extremely toxic, not to mention imbued with mana. Should be thick and sticky enough to coat our spears and arrows with, but the hunters need to be really, REALLY careful. I’ve been working with the bees on antidotes but we haven’t tested them, and with how toxic this is we might not have time to apply one even if they work.”

She gave Metsaitti a pointed look at that and he nodded.

“I’ll make sure the hunters are absolutely aware of the danger.”

She stared at him a moment longer before motioning to the other pot. Belissar now noted that there were slices of fire radish wrapped around it.

“Well, this is really simple. Just a pot full of mana honey and some fire radish, as you see. Throw it, it breaks, mana honey covers the fire radish and...well, you’ve seen what happens.”

She sighed.

“Sorry, I’m trying to figure out something better.”

Belissar shook his head and smiled.

“No, I think this will work great. Thank you, Juosiutik. You’ve been busy.”

She looked up and met his gaze with a serious expression.

“You, your Tower, your bees, and your patron god have given us everything, Tower Keeper. Given me everything. I’ll make sure to protect it.”

Belissar eventually gave her a nod.

“We will.”