The Bee Dungeon

When evening came around, Tarwantrad visited the Tower along with Tamosmed and asked to speak with him. Fortunately, there were no major decisions to confer with his council on and no particularly enticing options in the daily purification rewards, so after celebrating the victory and selecting more mana Belissar gathered with the two elves. From there, they relayed what had happened when Tamosmed reported on the slime bees to his father, the leader of the black elves. Apparently, things had not gone as they had hoped. Belissar looked over at Tamosmed.

“Are…are you ok? Do you need to do…something about your father?”

Tamosmed grimaced and shook his head.

“No. This is bigger than me, or that old fool. This is about the fate of our entire people, and he’s too stubborn to see it. I’ll do this with or without him.”

Belissar frowned. Now that he was being honest with himself, he could admit he had spent most of his life longing for his parents. Even now, just the thought of them sent daggers through his chest. So, the idea of being separated from a parent that was still alive was…inconceivable to him. But Tamosmed seemed pretty serious about this whole thing and the fate of his entire people did seem like a pretty big deal, so Belissar held his tongue. He didn’t know what to say about all that anyways, so instead he focused on his own involvement.

“So…what are you going to do then?”

Tamosmed looked him in the eye with an intensity that nearly caused Belissar to step back.

“I’m going to offer you my full cooperation. All of my knowledge regarding all crafts and professions. Blacksmithing, mining, golem construction, enchanting, the works. All the secrets my people have guarded from the times before we began recording history. All the resources and metals I possess.”

Belissar did his best not to gape at that, especially as Tamosmed’s gaze grew even sharper.

“To do so without the approval of the forgemaster is a violation of every taboo in my culture. To do so after having my rank as a forge adept stripped…it is the highest betrayal and dishonor a smith of the black elves can commit. Even if I succeed, my people will likely never accept me again, but I will save them regardless. I say this so that you know I do not offer this lightly. And I do not ask for my compensation lightly either. I need your bees. I need you to promise me that when you raise metal slime bees, you will share them with me and teach me their secrets as I am teaching you mine, my father’s, and all of our people’s.”

Belissar did not reply at first. This situation had rapidly grown beyond what he could wrap his head around and it was all he could do not to be overwhelmed by Tamosmed’s intensity. However, that same intensity caused Niobee to begin buzzing her wings, and that brought Belissar’s mind back into focus. He quickly reached up to brush her back and tried to get a grip on what was going on before Niobee took matters into her own mandibles.

So, setting aside things he couldn’t really comprehend right now like Tamosmed’s family relations or the fate of all black elves or something, what Tamosmed was asking for was his bees, and offering everything he had in exchange. That was certainly worth considering and he had already exchanged bees with Tarwantrad at this point…but that very exchange gave him pause. Belissar crossed his arms and hummed for a bit. He looked up at Tamosmed, who was still looking at him with the same intensity as before.

He still barely knew the black elf and their first meeting had been a bit rocky, but apparently the man was willing to sacrifice his relationship with his people and his own father over this. The least Belissar could do was consider things seriously…and speak honestly.

“I…am willing, but I have my own request. I need you to promise me you’ll take care of any bees I give you and keep them happy. I also need you to learn how to take care of the bees first. I’d like to see whatever home you make for them…unless the Compact still doesn’t let me. If so, then could you let Tarwantrad check on my behalf?”

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He glanced over at Tarwantrad to make sure she’d agree to that and found her already nodding. He turned back to Tamosmed, who was nodding as well.

“Not only will I agree to that, I would have requested it of you if you hadn’t brought it up yourself. It is a foolish craftsman who does not care for his tools and his aides. I would not dare take your bees until we are both certain I can take care of them to perfection. Now then, if that’s all, let’s swear before the gods.”

Belissar had no objection given the gravity of the situation, so the three moved to the nearest shrine. Tamosmed went first.

“I, Tamosmed, Dungeon Master of the Circle and former forge adept of the black elves, swear in the name of my patron the God of Crafts, to cooperate fully with Tower Keeper Belissar. To offer him access to any knowledge or resource I possess in exchange for the slime bees and knowledge of how to care for them.”

Belissar followed along.

“I, Belissar, Tower Keeper and beekeeper, swear in the name of my patron the God of Bees, to cooperate fully with Dungeon Master Tamosmed. To offer him slime bees in exchange for his knowledge and resources, and to teach him how to care for them.”

Tamosmed let out a deep breath as the oaths settled on them, his shoulders drooping.

“…and so it’s done. Thank you, Tower Keeper Belissar. At least now there shall be hope for my people.”

Belissar wasn’t sure how to respond to that so he just nodded silently. In any case, Tarwantrad looked like she had something she wanted to say now. He turned to her and she smiled.

“Thank you, Belissar, for working with Tamosmed.”

Belissar shook his head.

“It’s fine, he’s helping me too.”

Tarwantrad’s smile grew for a moment…before dropping to a frown.

“Now, to my own business with you. Belissar, I’m going to introduce you to another dungeon master soon.”

Belissar tilted his head.

“Yes?”

That sounded like a good thing to him, but Tarwantrad kept frowning. In fact, she now leaned forward with an intense look in her eyes not unlike Tamosmed.

“The dungeon master in question is a pixie princess, so you need to be extremely careful. Her patron is the God of Mischief and she’s always dreamed of toying with humans, so she will try to trick you. Don’t make any deals with her, don’t agree to anything, in fact, try not to say yes or nod in response to anything she says at all. Don’t accept any gifts except the boon and confirm it’s the boon before doing so. Try not to tell her anything about yourself, or the bees, or your Tower, or the karnuq. Try not to even tell her your name if you can help it.”

Belissar gulped at Tarwantrad’s barrage. Tamosmed crossed his arms.

“The name is a…slight exaggeration. The name thing was a one-time occurrence in very specific circumstances and by her mom rather than her, so you…shouldn’t have to worry about that…much. But Tarwantrad is not wrong about her generally. She once offered me mithril for my services. She neglected to mention it was mithril plated silver that was absolutely useless to me. Or the time she offered me charcoal…from a blasting tree that exploded when lit.”

Belissar was no longer looking forward to meeting this dungeon master. He narrowed his eyes.

“She better not hurt the bees.”

Tarwantrad’s face turned dark and she nodded a couple of time. Eventually, though, she let out a sigh and calmed her expression.

“I definitely agree. To be honest, I didn’t want to expose you to her at all if I could have helped it. But…right now, we need her help. Or more specifically, her mother’s help.”

Tamosmed nodded.

“With the forgemaster being a fool, the pixie queen is the most influential signatory who hasn’t indicated where she stands regarding you. The only one with enough influence to counter the forgemaster and get the Compact to make a decision before those Tower Lords show up.”

Tarwantrad took a deep breath, letting it out very slowly.

“We need someone to convince her. So…the princess.”

Belissar furrowed his brow.

“But…how do we do that? Especially if I’m not supposed to agree to anything with the princess?”

Tarwantrad made a light smirk.

“About that…we came up with a plan. You have the ideal weapon against her, Belissar. If you use it correctly…I have a feeling convincing them to open the Compact to you won’t be a problem.”

Her smile then dropped once more.

“No…the problem will be…keeping them away afterwards…”

Belissar was now deeply uncertain about this whole affair. Honestly, this whole thing with the Compact, besides the Circle’s help, just seemed to be getting more and more complicated.

But well, as long as these pixies or whatever didn’t hurt his bees and gave him something they would like, then he could put up with it. Hopefully.

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