POBee 438.1 - Bee-hold the Great Essence-Weaver's Plan

After discussing things with Tarwantrad, Belissar headed back to his Tower along with his fellow dungeon master. It would soon be time for the next chimeric cuckoo bee queen to spawn and besides, Belissar wanted to start implementing some new challenge ideas.

However, as soon as passed through the gateway, he found a nicely dressed silver elf waiting for him.

“Are you by any chance the honored signatory Belissar?”

Belissar tilted his head.

“Yes, that’s me. You are…?”

The silver elf bowed his head and extended a rolled up letter with a fancy seal.

“Lord Aratodel would be most honored to welcome you to his dungeon and extends an open invitation. Please, feel free to call upon him at your convenience, honored signatory.”

Belissar took the letter with thanks, after which the silver elf departed. He then turned to Tarwantrad.

“I guess I’ll go visit Lord Aratodel after the chimeric bee spawns. I should probably wait until I talk with him before making a new challenge, sorry for the change in plan.”

Tarwantrad crossed her arms and sighed. Belissar tilted his head.

“Is something the matter?”

Tarwantrad thought for a moment, then shook her head.

“No, it’s just Aratodel and I don’t agree on taking care of flowers. I believe in giving the flowers what they want to thrive and then letting them exist as they do in nature. They grow as they please, they bloom and whither upon their own merits, and they create a self-sustaining ecosystem upon which countless other lifeforms thrive.”

She puffed her cheeks.

“Lord Aratodel, meanwhile, must always be in absolute control of everything! He doesn’t let the flowers grow, he cuts and mangles them to force them into the lines and shapes that he wants! He forces them to bloom at the times he desires, not the ideal times for their pollination! His ecosystems are artificial, unnatural, practically barren deserts compared to mine! Plus, he’s snobby and stuck-up and really rude to people he finds beneath him!”

Belissar wasn’t sure how to respond. Fortunately, Tarwantrad shook her head and took a deep breath.

“But…I guess that’s just me. The God of Flowers did tell you to be nice to him, so I guess she doesn’t mind all that as much as I do. Just…promise me this, Belissar. Promise me that, even if you do take some Aratodel’s advice, that you’ll still let most of your flowers bloom as they please.”

Belissar could agree to that.

“Of course, the bees want as many flowers as will grow.”

Tarwantrad smiled.

“Thank you. Well then, let’s meet your new bee and then go deal with the, ugh, lord.”

The First Chimeric Queen was processing all the essence she had consumed when the monster bee empress returned. First Chimeric Queen came out to greet her, only to find the empress had a request for her.

“New chimeric queen spawning. First Chimeric Queen can help King and hive of hives greet?”

First Chimeric Queen fluttered her wings. So, the Great Essence-Weaver was going to spawn more of her kind? Her instincts…told her to kill the rival immediately. Another monster cuckoo bee would not only compete for prey, but would also increase the risk that the prey hives would notice the infiltrators in their ranks. Should the prey hives discover one cuckoo bee, they would subsequently sweep their homes for any others. It was in a chimeric queen’s interest to ensure she was the only infiltrator in the area.

Not to mention the possibility of gathering additional essence from a rival. The essence processed by a fellow chimeric bee was less stable so she would never acquire everything the rival had gathered…but it was possible she might gain an aspect or two…

But that was just her instincts talking. When she thought about it, she realized that none of that applied. The prey hives were all already aware of her presence and sharing their essence willingly. She already had more essence than she could reasonably process in a day, it would not matter if the prey bees shared some with another chimeric queen. The risk of discovery from multiple infiltrators was a moot point. And as this rival chimeric queen would be newly born, there would be no possibility of gathering any essence from her. There was, thus, no reason at all for First Chimeric Queen to assault the incoming rival.

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“Ok, will go.”

She didn’t really know how to interact with another chimeric queen besides consuming her, but she was curious to learn more of the Great Essence-Weaver’s plan for her kind. Plus…if she was not going to kill the rival, she should then make sure the rival was aware that she was the first and most powerful predator in the area. It would not do for a rival to try and prey upon the hive that was now hers.

So, First Chimeric Queen followed the empress back to the place she had spawned. The Great Essence-Weaver waited there, along with another of his kind, one brimming with power and Nature mana.

“That flower one, is friend of King. Queen of own realm, has lots of flowers, shares with King and King shares bees with.”

A…flower Essence-Weaver then? A curiosity, but nothing more for First Chimeric Queen. She could forage flower nectar to gather the strength for her initial infiltration…but with a host hive to call her own that was now unnecessary. Still, it was enlightening to learn there were multiple Essence-Weavers…perhaps this Flower Essence-Weaver would have novel prey? Though, the Great Essence-Weaver must certainly have plans for another Essence-Weaver, so she would wait and maybe check with him before making any moves of her own.

In any case, the Great Essence-Weaver had noticed her presence and gave her a smile.

“Hi First Chimeric Queen, thanks for coming!”

She danced a salute in the manner of the monster bee hives, which the Great Essence-Weaver seemed to enjoy as he turned his attention upon her.

“Before your new sister spawns, is there anything you can tell us? How do chimeric bees normally interact?”

The Great Essence-Weaver was…asking her? Was this some sort of test? Surely the being that wove her essence into existence already knew everything about her, so maybe he was looking for a different answer? On the other leg, though, First Chimeric Queen still could not comprehend the Great Essence-Weaver’s vast plans…so she decided to just answer honestly.

“Normally would kill rivals but…Great-Essence Weaver has plans for?”

The Great Essence-Weaver’s smile dropped a bit, indicating a decrease in his pleasure. First Chimeric Queen buzzed her wings…that was clearly the wrong answer! The Great Essence-Weaver must have been testing if she would go beyond her instincts and she had failed!

“Ah…yes, please don’t hurt the new chimeric bees, either. I’m hoping you could help them get to know the hive of hives and learn not to hurt the other bees too.”

Understanding dawned upon First Chimeric Queen. That…made complete sense! The Great Essence-Weaver had commanded her not to harm the prey bees and subsequently had commanded the prey bees to offer up a hive to her. The prey bees were even helping her instead of killing her.

When she remembered all of that, the purpose of her presence here became obvious! She was to enforce the Great Essence-Weaver’s command upon the new chimeric queen! The presence of a superior chimeric queen would immediately inform any new queens of the futility of resistance, but also of the possibility of survival despite a monster bee empress becoming aware of them. They would thus have an easier time adapting to the Great Essence-Weaver’s plan than she had.

But…was that all? That might help the Great Essence-Weaver, but ultimately his commands and the monster bee empress’ power were sufficient to force compliance from any newborn chimeric queen. They didn’t need her help with that, so the Great Essence-Weaver’s plan must be vaster still…but what could it be?

She had the monster bee empress within her view…and then it hit her. The prey bees had a queen of queens, an empire, a hive made of hives for the prey. And because of that, the Great Essence-Weaver’s will could easily be imparted to all the prey bees at once. Not a single hive had attempted to cull her, one word from the Great Essence-Weaver to the monster bee empress had secured her life from all prey hives.

Would the Great Essence-Weaver want anything less for the predators, those with the potential to become his greatest creations? Of course he wouldn’t! The monster bee empress hadn’t been at her birth to suppress her or to be offered to her…she was an example of what the Great Essence-Weaver had already wrought! She was the goal, the prize he wanted his greatest creations to aspire to!

So…what was she here to do today? Not to kill her rival queens…but to command them! To go beyond her instincts and become something more! To become a queen of chimeric queens, to lead a hive of predator hives as the monster bee empress did for the prey! Not just to become the Great Essence-Weaver’s greatest creation, but to create an empire of them! An empire of ultimate predators, supported by an empire of prey, both with the Great Essence-Weaver guiding them!

She stared up at the Great Essence-Weaver in awe. Finally, she understood! Truly were his plans vast and his ambitions great! She had nearly failed to comprehend his great intentions for her…but she would not fail again! She would become the greatest of his creations, greater than any chimeric bee had ever become! She immediately began to zip around in a most enthusiastic salute dance.

“Won’t! Will take care of new queens!”

The Great Essence-Weaver smiled once more, clearly pleased that she had finally comprehended his will.

“Perfect, thank you.”

First Chimeric Queen burst into dance, feelings erupting from her that she had never known before. Fortunately, it seems the prey bees had an appropriate reaction for these feelings, so she drew upon their essence for this moment.

“Amazing, incredible! Great Essence-Weaver best essence-weaver!”

Once her dance concluded, she locked her focus upon her spawner. Soon, a new chimeric queen crawled out of the ruined hive, just like she had. Before the new rival could even move, First Chimeric Queen swooped down and landed in front of her. She flared her mana, letting the new queen get a taste of the essence she had already consumed, teaching her immediately which of them was superior.

And then, per the Great Essence-Weaver’s will, First Chimeric Queen shared a bit of her gathered essence through her mana. Just enough monster bee essence for the new queen to comprehend their dances, as chimeric bee instincts made no provision for complex conversations with one another. Once the other chimeric queen instinctively shifted to a monster bee aspect, First Chimeric Queen started to dance.

“Hi. Am First Chimeric Cuckoo Queen of First Dynasty of First Chimeric Cuckoo Bee Spawner, creation of Great Essence-Weaver. Welcome to Great Essence-Weaver’s plan, will teach what do.”

And so the First Chimeric Cuckoo Queen took her first steps in fulfilling the Great Essence-Weaver’s will…and her first steps in becoming his greatest creation.