POBee 437.3 - Bee-ciphering the Great Essence-Weaver's Plans

The chimeric cuckoo bee stood in the hive, uncertain of what to do. The monster bee empress had left, but the chimeric cuckoo bee had no illusions the empress could not see her every move. The problem was…she had no idea what the empress’ intentions were.

Was this a test? The workers acted like they thought she was part of the hive, but surely they knew her identity as their empress did. Would they turn on her the moment she made a move? Was this some sick, elaborate method of execution, to torment her with a prize only to snatch it away at the last moment?

She had no idea…but, unfortunately, she was very hungry and the honey before her looked very tasty. She glanced around at the workers all around her…but, eventually, she gave up. She wasn’t leaving this place, not with the empress’ thralls all around her, nor could she do anything when the workers turned on her. So, if the empress was going to execute her…she may as well die with a full stomach.

She gingerly extended her tongue and began to drink, while keeping her wings ready to beat and fly away. The workers…kept working, making no effort to sting her for stealing their honey.

She nearly stopped drinking, but the honey tasted very good, so she slurped it up while she pondered this state of affairs. She was completely stumped, even as mana and bits of monster bee essence within the honey filled her body. If she were allowed to drink the honey from this hive at will…she would eventually grow powerful enough to resist the empress’ control. She would have the opportunity to ambush the empress and take her essence, then usurp control of the empire. The empress must surely know this…so why would she allow such a threat to grow?

Eventually, she had enough mana and essence to shift her body in full. Her monster bee disguise now became truth as she took on the aspect of a queen. She gently probed the hive’s mana, harmonizing her mana to fit within it as one of its own bees, then started looking for the queen of the hive. She had seen no signs of a queen’s physical presence, but one could be hiding in another hive on the empress’ orders, so she had to be extra careful…

Her antennae twitched…for she found no other queen in the hive. The empress had told the truth on that count. She did, however, find that the worker ahead of her was connected to a queen elsewhere! As was the worker next to it, while the next…wasn’t? The third worker was connected to a different queen…and the worker next to that to yet a third queen.

The chimeric cuckoo bee’s mind spun. All the workers here were from different hives? But that…that would be the worst way to keep a cuckoo bee in check! It would be exceptionally easy for her to slip into the hive, any discrepancies in her mana and pheromones could be excused by claiming she was from one of the other hives! And if she took control of this many workers from a single hive, the queen would surely notice…but if it was a conglomeration of workers, such that only a portion were from any given hive, she could swipe them bit by bit and go entirely unnoticed!

…was the monster bee empress an idiot? Or…maybe…just maybe…did she actually mean what she said? Was she honestly trying to help a monster cuckoo bee that could destroy her entire empire?

Her thoughts turned to the Great Essence-Weaver, the queen who could create essence from nothing. Surely she wouldn’t have bothered spawning the chimeric cuckoo bee only to let her be immediately executed. But the Great Essence-Weaver had also commanded her not to harm her prey. Those two thoughts were contradictory…unless the empress was actually telling the truth. If the monster bee hives would willingly provide honey and essence and even workers…then wasn’t it possible for her to grow without preying upon their queens?

The idea was unthinkable. Her every instinct screamed it was impossible, that no prey hive would ever tolerate her presence, much less actively participate in their own demise! And yet, the Great Essence-Weaver’s actions made no sense if it were not true…and the Great Essence-Weaver’s mana suffused the very walls of this hive. If the Great Essence-Weaver had a hand in the construction of this hive, had commanded the empress to provide workers…then maybe the monster bees were not acting upon instinct alone. Maybe the Great Essence-Weaver’s plans had forced the empress to comply and leave herself vulnerable.

The chimeric cuckoo bee…had to know. She had to know if the Great Essence-Weaver was supporting her and offering her all that she needed. If her spawning came with the purpose she believed…or if the Great Essence-Weaver had discarded her before she even came into being.

So, she decided to take a risk. She dropped the aspect of the monster bee, displaying her base form overtly, and marched through the hive. She pushed past monster bee workers that should have been swarming her and crawled directly to one of the brood cells. There, in open view of the entire hive, she laid a cuckoo bee egg. She did not even bother disguising it, laying a black egg with no aspect to hide behind.

She stepped back and observed, waiting to see what the workers of this hive would do with her spawn so blatantly infesting their home. And the workers crawled over to the cell immediately and…started to tend to the egg that was obviously not one of theirs, passing their mana into it to check on and nourish it.

The chimeric cuckoo bee stared for a moment…then shifted to the aspect of a monster bee queen. She flared her mana and her pheromones, attempting to seize control of one of the workers tending her brood, preparing to crush its resistance and make it hers.

The worker didn’t even resist and her mana flooded into it. Her brute attempt alerted the worker’s original queen, her mana crashing into the queen’s. And the queen…willingly withdrew her mana, not even attempting to contest the cuckoo bee stealing her offspring.

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The worker danced a salute to her, then went back to tending the egg. The chimeric cuckoo bee vibrated…then started to spread her mana out, taking control of the workers one by one. Since the queens were not resisting, she did not bother with subtlety, since the workers were not resisting, she did not need to use strength. With but a pittance of the mana and time she thought she’d require, she made a huge swath of this hive her own.

And now…she had her proof. Whether the Great Essence-Weaver’s will, the monster bee empire had not only tolerated her, but had donated an entire hive to her. She still didn’t comprehend the situation but she did understand one thing: the Great Essence-Weaver’s plans went beyond mere instinct, whether hers or her prey’s. She would have to go beyond as well if she wanted to become the Great Essence-Weaver’s greatest creation.

It would be difficult and confusing…but she was a chimeric cuckoo bee queen. Adapting to unprecedented circumstances was exactly what she did best! And she’d prove it to the Great Essence-Weaver!

Then a bigger worker, one of the warrior variants the chimeric cuckoo bee queen believed, crawled into her hive. The chimeric cuckoo bee was taken aback, did the Great Essence-Weaver’s support go so far that the empress would gift her with warriors too? But well, she was trying to adapt to the situation as it was, so she tried to take control of the new bee…

And failed utterly. Her very body and mana seized up the moment she tried, and only then did she realized who had entered her hive.

“Hi, am Niobee! New bee need anything?”

…the Conduit. The bridge between the Great Essence-Weaver and the weavers of all things. The one who channeled the mana of the Great Essence-Weaver’s realm, one who was a part of everything the Great Essence-Weaver made, including the chimeric cuckoo bee herself.

And that Conduit…was one of the prey bee species. The chimeric cuckoo bee had no idea how to adapt to this circumstance…

Fortunately, the chimeric cuckoo bee managed to survive her encounter with the Conduit, apologizing heavily for daring to bare her stinger towards her. But now…the chimeric cuckoo bee found herself in yet another circumstance she had no idea how to adapt to. The Great Essence-Weaver held her up in his hands, as he was apparently a drone of his species, displaying her to all present.

“Hi everyone, this is the First Chimeric Cuckoo Queen of the First Dynasty of the First Chimeric Cuckoo Queen Spawner, the first of her line.”

The Great Essence-Weaver glanced at the Conduit, who confirmed the First Chimeric Queen’s new titled, then began introducing her to all the prey he had created. Her instincts writhed at her being revealed to all possible prey, but she did her best not to let it show.

She couldn’t help but buzz, though, when a giant monster bumblebee queen landed in front of her. Said queen could squash her with a single leg and was raising one right now. If the First Chimeric Queen was not standing on the Great Essence-Weaver’s hand, she would have fled with all her might.

But she was, so she decided to trust that the Great Essence-Weaver would not let her be killed. And indeed, the giant bumblebee did not attempt to squash her, but gently lowered her leg so that her big hairs would rub against her head. Then the giant bumblebee shook her leg, making her hairs rub back and forth across First Chimeric Queen’s body.

Was this giant bumblebee trying to groom her, the consumer of bumblebee hives? She had to abandon all instinct in that moment, for her instincts had no idea what to do other than scream at her to fly away.

Still…it was impressive to see what the Great Essence-Weaver had wrought. Even a monster bee empress was not enough for him, he had gathered multiple species within his realm. Giant monster bumblebees, a monster stingless hive that traded their stingers for ferocity, big monster carpenter bees that could fell entire trees. Monster bees of all shapes and sizes, with many elemental adaptations along with many different caste types. She nearly extended her tongue from the sheer banquet of essence on display before her…until she reminded herself of the Great Essence-Weaver’s command. She could not hunt these bees…so she’d just have to do her best to fulfill the Great Essence-Weaver’s plans. When she did…perhaps he’d gift her with some of the many essences he had woven…

Such were her thoughts that she nearly missed the monster bee queen approaching her and releasing her hive affiliation pheromones.

“Hi, am First Queen of the First Dynasty of the Fifth Spawner, the first of her line.”

But the moment the pheromone hit her antennae, the First Chimeric Queen couldn’t help but buzz her wings. That pheromone…greatly resembled one she had already received.

“Empress’…queen-mother?!”

The First of the Fifth danced a confirmation.

“First Daughter takes care of hive of hives, does good job. Have question…First Chimeric Queen can change with honey? Like honey evolutions…burning queen, digging queen, swimming queen?”

The First Chimeric Queen was in a daze…she had not expected the monster bee empress to have a living queen-mother, who would almost certainly be more powerful than her child. But the pheromones didn’t lie…so she had no choice but to believe it. That being the case…it would be best for her not to make an enemy of this queen.

“…can, if have essence.”

The First of the Fifth’s dance picked up speed.

“Can combine adaptations? Can figure out which work together, how make new bees?!”

The First Chimeric Queen took a step back.

“C-Can? Think can? Don’t know if can make new prey bees but can make new cuckoo bees? Can learn which essence can combine, if have?”

The First of the Fifth had now crawled onto the Great Essence-Weaver’s hand, while the First Chimeric Queen had crawled back to his arm.

“What essence?! How get?!”

Such was the First Chimeric Queen’s confusion that she replied honestly.

“G-Get some from honey, a little from mana, but get most from eating prey. B-Brood and corpses best, especially queen…”

The immediate buzzing of every bee around her did not help her state of mind, making her stumble over her dancing.

“B-But don’t need! C-Can eat larva moltings too!”

The First of the Fifth pressed forward. The First Chimeric Queen back into the Great Essence Weaver’s arm where it was bent, running out of room to retreat further as the First of the Fifth pushed their antennae together.

“Can help figure out new bees?! Will give honey, larva moltings as need!”

The Great Essence-Weaver did not intervene, so the First Chimeric Queen had no choice but to respond on her own.

“O-Ok?”

The First of the Fifth…took off and began a happy dance.

“Amazing, incredible!”

And the First Chimeric Queen…slumped onto the Great Essence-Weaver’s arm, having absolutely no idea what was happening. All she could say was…the Great Essence-Weaver’s plans were truly beyond her comprehension.