Belissar stood before the shrine in the Third of the Sixth’s ho lava field, one where the God of Fire had a brazier. He held the stone jar with the burning ad up over the brazier.
“I’m sorry it took a while, but here you go. I hope you like it, I’ll keep making more too. Thank you for all of your help and blessings.”
Belissar really hoped the God of Fire liked the ad, because he had no idea if it was good or not. He had tried it, but even a tiny drop set his mouth ablaze from how spicy it was, and he had not managed to identify the taste through that pain. However, he knew that Urubran and Chief Rohsuak had both consud burning honey directly with seemingly no ill-effect, so he guessed that dangerous level of spice was the goal for the God of Fire and those blessed by him.
Since he had at least confird the burning honey had fernted into ad, he decided to hope the God of Fire would like it. He thought about asking Chief Rohsuak or Urubran to try it but…if it worked, he wanted to offer it to the God of Fire first. Additionally, since the God of Flowers gave him a mission to offer ad to the God of Fire as soon as possible, Belissar assud this was urgent. So, he decided to believe in his bees’ honey and the quality of ad it could produce, and lowered the jar into the brazier.
He had barely pulled his hands back when the brazier erupted into a giant pillar of fla that pierced the ash-covered sky. He cried out and stumbled back, falling onto his behind as he tripped over the rocky ground. It took him a few monts to realize he had a ssage from the Tower.
Mission: Make and offer ad from Fire-attribute honey completed!
Reward: One Fire-type perk choice.
Mission: Complete the God of Fire’s ad mission as soon as possible completed!
Reward: One rare Flower-type room feature choice.
Belissar’s pounding heart slowed as he read the ssage and he soon began to smile. It seed the God of Fire liked it after all. With that knowledge, the burning pillar of fire no longer seed so intimidating. Belissar sat back and appreciated the blaze, the display of divine power and approval lighting up the Lava Field in lieu of the sun hidden by ash and smoke.
“I’m glad, I’ll make sure to offer you more going forward.”
The pillar burned even brighter in response.
Eventually, the blazing pillar died down and the brazier returned to normal. Belissar, as usual, put the choices aside until the post-purification gathering, so he set his mind to other tasks for the ti being. After all, he had another offering to make.
Tamosd had recomnded sending the pixie queen so honey as thanks for Princess Finnakynne’s help with the battle. And, apparently, all the warnings regarding the princess all applied to her mother, only to a much, much greater extent. If he was to be extrely careful around Princess Finnakynne, he was apparently supposed to avoid even eting the pixie queen in person if he could help it. He decided that he would much prefer to stay on the good side of such a person.
Fortunately, the First of the Fifth had finished evolving her entire hive to honeyswirlers and all the honey she produced was now swirled. There was, therefore, enough of that honey to maintain her hive, provide to other hives looking to evolve, and offer so to Belissar all at the sa ti, and she was looking to expand even further with broodmothers. He could offer the pixies swirled honey from his own share without cutting into the bees’ supply.
Strangely, but conveniently for him, Princess Finnakynne had not gone ho yet, so Belissar headed over to et with her. He moved to the bumblebee adow where she was apparently staying. The flowers had continued to grow larger and larger, there were now flowers coming up to his waist or even torso. The bumblebee workers were rolling around across the big flowers, absolutely coating themselves in pollen before heading back to their hives.
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Belissar walked over to the hives, greeting and brushing all of the bumblebee queens that tackled him once he approached. After they were satisfied and returned to their hives, he found one of the bumblebee soldiers guarding the area. Princess Finnakynne was currently latched onto her back, burying her face in its hair. She didn’t stir as he approached, leaving him to open the conversation.
“…Princess Finnakynne?”
She sighed without stirring.
“Beely, huh? I guess I knew you’d co eventually. Any chance you could just…pretend you don’t see ?”
Belissar tilted his head.
“Uh, why? Are you ok?”
Princess Finnakynne grunted.
“Oh, don’t mind . Just a pixie princess who got caught by the very mortals she was going to toy with. Because she sohow didn’t think of spider people who live in dark, underground caves relying on more senses than sight. Idiot.”
She buried her head in the bumblebee’s hair once again and let out a muffled scream.
“I should just disappear. Just give up being a pixie and go and live with the bees. I’ll just beco one of them, ok?”
Belissar wasn’t sure how to respond to all of that, so he just focused on the part he understood.
“Ok? You should help her gather pollen and nectar, then.”
Princess Finnakynne just buried her face back into the bumblebee. Belissar frowned.
“So…you’re not going back ho, then?”
Princess Finnakynne shook her head.
“No. Absolutely not. I don’t want to even think what mother dearest is going to say. Ugh.”
Belissar raised an eyebrow.
“Aren’t you a dungeon master? Don’t you need to take care of your dungeon?”
Princess Finnakynne just waved a hand around.
“It’s fine, the other pixies will take of it. Mother dearest only put in charge so I wouldn’t be as bored. No one will care if I’m not there, I run off all the ti.”
Belissar furrowed his brow. Well, he guessed she wouldn’t help him deliver honey then. He’d have to ask Tarwantrad then, or maybe Tamosd? He was apparently talking with the pixie queen so maybe he could help.
As for the princess herself…well, Belissar did agree to let her to visit the Tower, so as long as she didn’t cause trouble? She didn’t seem to be in a trouble-causing mood at the mont and she was with bees that could keep an eye on her, so maybe it was fine? Just in case, he checked on the bumblebee soldier in question.
“Hey, are you ok with her hanging on you?”
The bumblebee soldier just ran circles around him. Belissar smiled and pet the soldier’s head once she stopped running. If the bumblebee was fine with it, then he was as well.
“I see.”
He left it at that and turned to leave, as he wasn’t really sure what else to say about the situation. Princess Finnakynne looked up and tilted her head as he turned to leave, then plopped her head back down once it was clear Belissar wasn’t going to say anything else. He took a couple of steps before he heard her voice once more, this ti nearly a whisper.
“Beely…are all mortal fights like that?”
Belissar stopped and glanced back.
“Like what?”
Princess Finnakynne raised her head but didn’t look directly at him, staring off into space instead. Her voice grew even softer.
“Like…with all the shouting and screaming and bleeding and stuff…”
Belissar frowned.
“Well, I’ve only seen a few but yes? As far as I know?”
The pixie shuddered and lowered herself into the bumblebee’s hair once more.
“…I see. It…wasn’t how I imagined…”
Belissar waited a bit but Princess Finnakynne didn’t say anything else. He himself didn’t really like dwelling on the details of the fight, especially the screaming and bleeding parts, so he decided not to say anything more about it himself. He did feel, though, that it’d probably be bad to leave without saying sothing.
“…let know if you get hungry. I can share so honey with you.”
Princess Finnakynne didn’t say anything but he did see her nod slightly. With that, Belissar took his leave.
Belissar went back to the Apiary farmhouse after that and started filling up new jars for another round of ad. He filled a bunch with different kinds of honey, then began carrying so jars to the Lava Field to fill up with hotspring water, now that he knew he could successfully make burning ad with it. He figured that, in addition to the God of Fire, Chief Rohsuak and Urubran might appreciate a jar. Maybe others could as well if he diluted it down…a lot. As he worked, he spoke to Niobee.
“Hey, Niobee, anything good happening lately?”
He definitely felt a bit down after the conversation with Princess Finnakynne, not to ntion the whole situation with the karnuq. He could really use so good news, and the bees provided so more often than not.
Niobee imdiately began dancing around.
“Second of the Sixth will ask if can try evolve soon! Taking care of wounded karnuq, bees right now, but after finished will ask King if can!”
Belissar smiled. As always, the bees delivered whenever he needed them. He took a deep breath as he started to feel a bit lighter, focusing once more on the gods’ rewards they’d check out tonight.
The whole spiderkin situation may have beco all complicated, but the bees and the Tower buzzed on. As long as he had them, he was sure they’d be able to work everything out.
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