The Bee Dungeon

The karnuq hunting group had finished their preparations and left the Tower. Belissar watched them a bit through the digging worker’s eyes, but they didn’t go very far today. They stopped at the tunnel down underground and set up a small camp next to it. Metsaitti and Belissar tested the link, he found he could speak with them and could remain aware of the karnuq’s general location and status but had trouble seeing through them like he did with his bees. So, the digging bee would remain with them as Belissar’s eyes, even though she wasn’t necessary for basic communication. Metsaitti then explained the expedition could potentially take multiple days, so it was important to have a base to return to. They might even make another one underground, depending on how far they ventured.

But since the karnuq wouldn’t be heading into the underway today, Belissar turned his attention back to the Tower. It was just about time for the next purification.

This time, something changed.

Rather than a wolf-shade or a bird-shade, one of those fast cat-shades from the latest expansion appeared. There was only one of them, but it was the same size as the ones from the purification…and this time, there was no Dirt Tunnels in the way. Belissar wasn’t moving the Dirt Tunnels for the daily purifications and while he planned to add a new Dirt Tunnels to the first floor, he hadn’t actually done so yet.

So, this time, the bees only had the short amount of time it took the shade to form to rearrange their formation. A handful of sprayers launched their attack before it finished forming while the soldiers rushed to tighten the encirclement.

The shade roared as it formed and toxins sprayed all over its back. It immediately pushed forward with its wind and began running. The soldiers hadn’t finished forming up so it broke through their formation and began sprinting across the field. Belissar’s eyes widened from his position by the Bee Barracks. He quickly turned to Chief Rohsuak.

“Get ready! A shade has made it past the army!”

Chief Rohsuak’s face turned grim. Fortunately, not all of the hunters had left with the expedition and those that remained joined the purification. Chief Rohsuak formed them into a tight formation in the hallway through the Bee Barracks that led to the next floor, with Belissar and Chief Rohsuak behind them. Belissar hoped against hope that the shade would prioritize moving deeper to attacking the exposed barracks.

But it turned out he needn’t have worried. While the soldier bees’ formation hadn’t been completed, it hadn’t been empty either. A handful of soldier bees had latched onto the shade as it sprinted past them and were stinging it repeatedly. The shade began to slow down as it crossed the Flower Meadow.