Chapter 195: A Fier-Bee Gift


    Belissar awoke the next day ready to get to work. The various negotiations with Tarwantrad, the Compact, and the Circle had taken up much of his time and attention recently, but it was time to refocus. The karnuq were ready to make a concerted effort at challenging and earning the blessings of the gods while the bees were working ever diligently to improve every aspect of his Tower. His Tower now had multiple motivations to grow: to fend off the Tower Lords should they return, to encourage both the sigmaka and Compact to remain cooperative, to develop more options he could trade with Tarwantrad and the Circle, and, not least of all, to continue fighting off the Hunger. He had multiple missions from the gods still waiting for him toplete as well. All in all, there was much to do, and it was time to put aside all this diplomacy and work.


    At least, that was the n until he saw Urubran step out of the nexus door and wave.


    <em>“Hi Belissar, just here to drop off my boon for you. Don’t feel the need to wee me or anything.”</em>


    Thanks to that heads up, Belissar decided not to disturb Chief Rohsuak and made his way to speak with Urubran with just Niobee and his usual beepliment. Urubran gave him a smile as he approached.


    “Hi Belissar, nice to see you again.”


    Belissar made a small smile himself. Urubran had been friendly as well and seemed to get along with the karnuq, so Belissar found he didn’t mind seeing him either.


    “Hi Urubran, nice to see you.”


    Urubran grinned. Belissar now noticed he was holding a metal box of some sort as he moved to open the lid.


    “Here, take a look. I’m sure you’re going to like them.”A wave of heat mmed into Belissar’s face as Urubran opened the lid, followed by a strong acrid scent. He resisted the urge to back up and hold his nose, forcing himself to peer into the box. He found a bunch of lotus flowers with bright red petals and ck stems and roots. Urubran chuckled.


    “Nice, aren’t they? Tarwantrad bred them for me. She’d have a fancy name for them but I just call themva lotus. As the name suggests, they grow in moltenva, perfect for your Lava Field. Their nectar is as hot as theva they drink and they release acidic fumes into the air. Their roots, if you can get into theva to actually retrieve them, are packed to the brim with fire mana and volcanicpounds. Superb if you have fire, poison, and acid resistance, you can dilute them down though if you don’t. Or use them in alchemy, should be plenty you can do with that. And if you get enough of them in one ce, they can even cause acid rain, though you’d need a source of moisture in the room for that to ur.”


    Belissar’s eyes widened at that. Acid rain? That sounded…bad.


    “Are they dangerous?”


    Urubran made a full grin showing off his teeth.


    “Yes, yes they are, at least if you let them grow unchecked. Most of the karnuq and your bees should be careful around them. I’m pretty sure your burning bees will be fine, though, seeing as they already live aroundva rivers and volcanic fumes. You <em>have</em> to let me know if and when they make honey from these. Chief Rohsuak should be able to handle the fire aspects, though she might need to be careful about the poison and acid. Otherwise, they’d be great to put in a room that might get some uninvited guests, if you catch my meaning.”


    Urubran had brought enough for Belissar to absorb, so he nodded and did so.


    <em>Lava Lotus</em>


    <em>- Type: Fire, Nature, Poison, Trap, Resource</em>


    <em>- Mana Upkeep: 20 per node, 10 to enable inpatible rooms</em>


    This narrative has been uwfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    <em>- Description: A flower that thrives on extreme heat. It draws nutrients and energy directly from molten rock and geothermal activity, releasing volcanic fumes as a byproduct. Enough of them in one area will fill the air with toxic and acidicpounds. Potent fire mana imbues every part of the nt for those who can brave theva to harvest them.</em>


    Belissar smiled and gave Urubran a nod.


    “Thank you, Urubran. These look like they’ll be helpful and I’m sure the Third of the Sixth will love them.”


    Urubran grinned again.


    “Just let me know when she makes honey with them, I’m sure we cane up with a great trade. The burning bees too, if any of them want toe and see what life in a Fire dungeon is like. I have plenty of flora and fauna that could bring your Laval Fields to life.”


    Belissar frowned a bit at that, but Urubran just gave him a smile before he could decide what to say.


    “I know, you really like your bees, so no pressure. I’d invite you to see the dungeon and where they might want to live, but we may need to get you an invite to the Compact first. Just think about it, and we can discuss it when you cane and see my dungeon. Chief Rohsuak and any of the karnuq who wish to see a Fire dungeon are invited as well once that happens.”


    Belissar just gave him a slow nod, which Urubran returned.


    “Well, that’s all for today. I’ll get out of your hair now, just let Tarwantrad know if you want to meet with me. Or when the Third of the Sixth makesva honey!”


    With that, Urubran took his leave. Belissar took a deep breath. Trading with the various dungeon masters of the Circle would be an excellent idea for his Tower, no doubt. And yet…Belissar could not say he wasfortable sending any of his bees away, even with Tarwantrad or Urubran.


    He pondered it for a bit. He recalled how regr honeybees swarmed every year if he let them, splitting their hives in half to go off and find new homes. He took another deep breath. Now that he thought of it…letting his bees go off to newnds was normal bee behaviour. So that, like bees fighting and dying to protect their hives, might be something that he just had to get used to. He didn’t like the idea, but he also didn’t like the idea of holding his bees back solely because of his own difort.


    Besides, it’s not like <em>all</em> of his bees would leave him. He reached up and brushed Niobee, sitting on his head as she had taken to do most of the time. She buzzed and danced happily. He tookfort knowing that she’d always be there, and not even death would keep her away.


    Perhaps, then, he could handle it. He could always ask the queens to raise new daughters to send off. While the bees currently kept their daughters in their own hives, he did know that the First of the Fifth had sent her first daughter off to make her own hive, and eventually to move to a new room entirely. It seemed the monster bees did originally have the usual swarming behaviour, so perhaps they wouldn’t be bothered by such a thing.


    Well, he’d have to figure out a way to find out what they thought of it. For now, though, there was work to be done and a new flower to nt. And that was what all this effort had ultimately been about.


    “Niobee, I’m going to nt the new flower in the battle Lava Field. It might be dangerous, so could you let the Third of the Sixth know? We’ll test it there before adding them to her room.”


    “Ok!”


    Belissar made his way to the first floor Lava Field and wasted no time cing ava lotus node. As Urubran and the Tower description imed, the node could only be ced in or right on the banks of theva rivers themselves. Belissar ced the node along the first river from the room’s entrance. t, ck leaves spread out across the surface of the river, then ck stems began to rise up before blooming into bright red flowers. They almost blended into the color of theva itself, save for their solid yellow centers.


    A few minutes after Belissar had ced them, he saw faint smoke drifting up from the leaves of the node, and could detect an acrid tang in the air. Shortly after, Niobee arrived with one of the Third of the Sixth’s workers.


    “Niobee, could you check it? And be careful, it’s already starting to release poison.”


    “Ok!”


    Niobee, brave as ever, flew right into the faint smoke andnded on one of the flowers. She immediately began dancing about and quickly took off.


    “Is hot! Too hot for normal bees! Burning bees ok!”


    Belissar looked at her with concern.


    “You didn’t get burned, did you?”


    Niobee danced the negative.


    “Didn’t! Mana protected!”


    Belissar nodded at that. It seemed the same sort of protection the Tower offered him worked for Niobee as well, thankfully. Still, he held out his hand and created some medicinal honey for her. Even if she wasn’t hurt, he figured it’d be nice to let her have something tasty to drink.


    As Niobeended on his arm and began top up the honey in his hand, he nodded at the worker. The worker flew forward, passing through the smoke seemingly without harm, andnded on the flower. She spent a few moments drinking its nectar before buzzing her wings and dancing rapidly. She zipped up into the air, flying in rapid circles.


    “Amazing! Incredible! Need to tell queen!”


    Belissar blinked before smiling. It seemed these flowers would work for the burning bees after all. He may have that honey Urubran wanted sooner than he thought.


    And that had him looking forward to the next boons to arrive too…