Chapter 154: Receive the Prophe-Bee!
A short while later, one of the bee monsters returned, carrying a more normal sized bee on her back while several more honeybees buzzed around them. The augur watched as they hovered before the Tower Lord…or Tower Keeper, as he preferred to be called. And a wise man does not defy a Tower Lord if he can help it.
“Thanks for coming. So, the God of Bees wants to say something after all?”
The bees flew about in seemingly random patterns and circles as far as the augur was concerned. But the Tower Keeper derived meaning from them, one of their many gifts from the gods. The Tower Keeper nodded and stepped to the side.
“He’s over here.”
The augur watched as the small bee lifted off of her larger counterpart’s back and flew towards him, accompanied by the rest of the honeybees. So, this was the oracle that had traveled with them? Part of him wondered how a bee who couldn’t speak with any tongue of man could be an oracle but the augur knew better than to question it. He had had the privilege of speaking with oracles in the past, as well as speaking with others who had as well, so he knew that oracles came in all shapes and sizes. A talking tree, a pool of water that imparted visions, even a pile of bones that formed words when dropped. If the God of Bees, as it were, chose a bee as their oracle, then that was their right. So, the augur rose to his feet to greet that oracle.
It did make him curious as to how he would receive the response. The Tower Keeper could translate for the bee, it seemed, but an oracle should be able to pass the will of a god directly. Besides, the augur himself had failed to understand the intentions of this god even after receiving a direct message. He did not wish to hear another filtered through the Tower Keeper.
He bowed his head toward the bee.
“I’m honored to speak with you, Oracle of Bees.”
The bees buzzed. The augur waited for a bit, then cleared his throat.