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BD - Chapter 248 - Battle of Bee and Spider
🕑 Added 2025-03-25 20:05:01 +0000 UTCSince some spiderkin had escaped the vanguard, the army abandoned the slow, stealthy approach and began to march as quickly as they could. They soon came to a spot where the Underway expanded into a giant cavern supported by pillars, a place tall enough for the bees to fly. The bee scouts reported the spiderkin arriving in force at the far side of the cavern, led by a large spiderkin with noticeably greater mana than her peers. It seemed both armies settled on the same place for their battle.
The cavern was full of webs, so the army had to take its time removing them while deploying. The spiderkin spread out through the cavern in the meantime and were making their way towards the army. The karnuq took up the center while the sigmaka guarded the flanks. The bees stayed grounded behind the karnuq’s shields for the moment, as they knew from Princess Finnakynne’s plight that the spiderkin would respond if they detected anyone flying. They would take shelter until the battle was joined in earnest.
Belissar and Chief Rohsuak had both moved into the Underway and waited in the tunnel behind the cavern, just in case their magic was needed. Belissar watched through the senses of the bees as the two forces approached. Spiderkin crawled up on the floors, on the roof, and up webs strung between the pillars.
He resisted the urge to call out as he watched the spiderkin start to draw bows. The bees had already informed the army through the communers and they had a plan. As soon as the two forces marched within range of each other, every light bee traveling with the army flew up into the air and unleashed bright flashes of light. The spiderkin hissed as the flashes stunned their sensitive eyesight. And they were completely exposed for the karnuq, sigmaka, and monster bee archers to launch attacks of their own.
The fight was on. The spiderkin didn’t stay stunned for long and returned arrows. Spiderkin on the roofs and pillars began tossing nets weighted with stones through the air to trap the karnuq and sigmaka below. Monster bee sprayers and archers began flying up into the air to target them in return. The spiderkin changed targets and tossed their nets at the bees, while the bees launched stingers and toxic sprays. Bees were caught in nets and pulled to the ground, spiderkin were doused by sprays and shot by stingers and fell from their perches.
And then the digging hive struck. The digging hive had taken advantage of the subterranean environment and tunneled up above the roof of the cavern back when they were searching for the spiderkin nest. Digging monster bee soldiers now used these tunnels to burst from the roof and sting the spiderkin hanging there. Soon, all the spiderkin above ground level were occupied fending off sprayers, archers, and digging soldiers attacking from all directions.
On the ground, the army was gaining ground. The spiderkin arrows couldn’t penetrate the karnuq’s shields. The sigmaka, on the other hand, were launching balls and sprays of noxious compounds ahead of them, disrupting any spiderkin attacks on the flanks. All seemed to be going well.
So, the spiderkin made their move. Spiderkin pulled on web strings, unleashing bundles of rocks held up by webs on the roof. Larger spiderkin imbued their arrows with Dark mana for their next volley. Angry wolf-moles trapped in webs were tossed and unleashed towards the army.
The Tower’s champions responded. Honeycomb made of golden mana spread out in front of the army as Hirkolos moved to block the incoming arrows. Lightning stingers from the battlecaster squads pulverized the rocks following from above. Tyghak’s squad of blessed karnuq took down the wolf-moles with their mana attacks.
An arrow packed with exceptionally dense mana shot from the spiderkin and struck Hirkolos’s barrier. The honeycomb shield cracked and shattered, Hirkolos himself fell backwards. A larger spiderkin woman stood in front the rest, a bow glowing with dark purple mana. The other spiderkin rallied around her as she stepped up to fight. The spiderkin queen made her appearance.
And that’s what the bees were waiting for. Three squads of soldiers took to the air and flew over the spiderkin. The soldiers from the single soldier bee spawner Belissar had installed in the Apiary had previously trained to drop fire radish slivers into Pit Traps. They had not had much chance to shine recently, as the Hunger’s shades had largely learned to evade the traps. But now, finally, they were able to join the bee army in open combat.
And this time, rather than fire radish slivers, they were working together to carry the pots provided by Juosiutik. They let go as they approached the spiderkin lines and their aim was true. The pots broke open, bringing the fire radish slivers tied to their sides into contact with the mana honey-based concoctions within.
The entire cavern erupted. Spiderkin hissed as flames and lightning and poisonous vapors exploded in their midst. The queen herself vanished under flame and smoke.
The Fourth of the Seventh and her nomadic bees took to the skies and began to beat their wings, creating a gust of wind to ensure the fires and toxic smoke blew away from the army…and deeper into the cavern.
The digging bee scouts on the far side of the cavern reported in.
“Spider-King things running back to hive!”
Belissar exhaled his breath. He frowned, though, as one of the scouts caught sight of the large spiderkin. She had smoke rising from her body, but she was still alive. He turned to Chief Rohsuak.
“They’re running. It looks like we won…but the queen ran with them, so I guess it’s not over just yet.”
Chief Rohsuak gave him a smile.
“She’ll be most dangerous now that she’s cornered…but this is already a great victory, Tower Keeper. We have the chance to end a threat that has driven us to run time and time again.”
Belissar nodded back, furrowing his brow as he looked back over the army. They had to wait for the flames to die down and the poisonous vapors to thin out, so they were taking the chance to take care of the wounded. The Second of the Sixth and her hive were already hard at work. Neither the karnuq nor the sigmaka’s defenses were perfect, so there were arrows to remove and poison to cure. A couple of sigmaka were in critical condition. Most of the bees evaded the worst of it, but the sprayers and archers hadn’t escaped unscathed. A few were hit by lucky arrows. The ones caught in nets were freed but a few had caught stray attacks while stuck on the ground. A few sprayers had perished from direct hits. Some digging soldiers were hurt engaging the spiderkin in melee as well.
Belissar gripped his fists. He forced himself to take a deep breath. He knew this could happen, and the battle wasn’t over yet, so there well may be more to come. He couldn’t bring back the bees they lost, but what he could do was finish this fight and ensure their sacrifice was not in vain.
***
Fortunately, the magical flames died down quickly as they consumed the mana honey, while the Fourth of the Seventh’s hive was able to blow the vapors away. The army was soon ready to move out once more. The flames had melted many of the webs in the cavern as well, easing their march.
They came to the end of the cavern. The digging scouts led them away from the larger exit to the rest of the underway and to a small entrance on the left side wall. Within was a network of small tunnels. Since their numbers would be restricted, Metsaitti took Hirkolos, the other fully blessed karnuq, one squad of monster bee archers, and one squad of monster bee battlecasters to lead the way, though the digging bees would be tunneling through the walls around them in case they needed reinforcements.
They made their way carefully, with Noigakkuq and digging bees checking the way ahead. They found the remnants of webs that once sealed off the tunnels, but these had been recently torn down. The group stayed on their guard, but the spiderkin didn’t launch any more ambushes. They found some web-triggered traps and even a pit trap, but these had been disabled and the pit had been exposed. Noigakkuq and the bees could, however, still sense powerful mana ahead, so they knew the queen was still there.
They followed that mana until they arrived at a chamber in the center of the network. There, they found the queen…leaning on a web hammock. Behind her, about a dozen eggs the size of a small human child were clustered against one of the walls.
Metsaitti gripped his spear and stirred his mana. The queen lifted her hand. She opened her mouth but began hacking and coughing. Only after she regained control of her breathing did she speak. Her voice was chittering and raspy…but Belissar could clearly understand it.
“Hold, bearkin warrior. Let me speak with your Sacred Den Master and I won’t resist any further.”
Author’s Note:
…that’s quite silly of you, non-bee, to attempt to speak with the King after hurting the bees. I say she gets the sting.
Anyways.
Will the King bother listening to one who hurt bees? Will he end the threat of the spiderkin today? Who will get to sting the silly non-bee? Tune in next time, to find out!
Comments
Presten
I was really careful to not use the word hostage, because I agree they were not being used as hostages. I apologize for saying children and not egg, but I was talking about the broader actions of villians, not just this one. I would also put forward that she did a fantastic job of getting her eggs in danger, and a terrible job of preventing that danger from ever developing in the first place.
Presten
I did not mean literally hiding behind her children, I thought that would a be clear euphemism, I'll be more clear in the future. I also very clearly and carefully never said they were hostages. If it was the logical conclusion that the attackers would destroy the eggs she did a terrible job protecting them. She didn't retreat to a sperate room, nor did she lead them by the nose to a different location. She didn't even meet them in the tunnel leading to the egg chamber. She let them enter the chamber with the eggs so they could be visible while she talked. I think she put her children in harms way so she could, potentially, get an advantage in "negotiations". I often enjoy your comments phantom, I hope you understand what I was trying to communicate now, and I regret that there was any misunderstanding.
The furry in your walls in your walls
Well we already got bears working with the bees, why not add spiders to the mix?
Durphymcbob
She was in charge of sending out hunting parties to attack and rob and kill people, it is not self defense, she is basically the general of an enemy army.
Fernando Oliveira
Yup, might be worth capturing her to interrogate fully. Wonder if god of bees would like spider queen sacrificed to her. Would be ironic and amusing. Lol
Durphymcbob
I could the eggs being adopted and raised properly. But I do agree the queen is to much of a threat.
Charlie Jones
Also I didn't read it as children being held hostage, those are eggs the size of children, not cocoons. What I assume is they are her eggs that have grown that large. She is protecting her children.
Lisa
Yes, but they ambush attacked an armed party underground with no warning or attempted conversation. No they didn’t directly attack the tower itself, but today’s attack was still retaliatory self-defense from the tower.
phantom
The children are behind her. And she never once said the children were hostage. That is a pretty ridiculous idea as logically the attackers would wipe out the eggs too. Have you heard anyone say the children are taken prisoner?
phantom
Actually I don't think there is evidence she knowingly attacked the tower. The recent battle was in self defense.
Fernando Oliveira
Thanks for the chapter. Loved it. And the spider kin were nearly crushed. With some probably fleeing and the queen being cornered with a dozen eggs. And now she asks to negotiate. Welp, I don't know if belissar will go and speak with her, but he might be willing to depending on how she acts. Personally I don't know if I'd trust the spider queen but the eggs might be salvaged. Nature vs nurture is constantly argued and the fact that these are an intelligent and semi competent people the children might be worth raising as new members of the hive of hives.
Presten
Classic villain behavior, "oh no you beat me! Surely you won't harm these defenseless innocents who wouldn't be in danger if we hadn't attacked unprovoked? If you attack me it will be like attacking them! I'm not useing them as living shields!" I hate them and that rhetoric so much. You started a fight, you lost, and now you hide behind children.
BelligerentGnu
Hmm, interesting.
fanfan8000
Typo? Lightning stingers from the battlecaster squads pulverized the rocks following(falling) from above. - I feel like following makes some sense if you take the previous sentence into account but it would still likely be better to replace it
Durphymcbob
They would have is the stigmaka ot kurnuq where not in the way.
Alric Good
More forces are always welcomed to defend the hive maybe we get spider bees. Spider bees spider bees does whatever a spider bee does
Alric Good
To be fair they didnt hurt the bees till they got attacked.
Durphymcbob
Thanks for the chapter! Wow that battle went well while yes, their were losses and injuries on our side the spiderkin are clearly on the backfoot, and are in no position to win. I do not trust this Queen, the only reason she is surrendering, and is willing to talk is becasue she is outmatched she has already shown that she is willing to attack not just the Bees tower but also the Stigmaka. This honestly feels like a trap where Belissars would be attacked. Plus both The Kurnuq and the Stigmaka, have a negative veiw of the spiderkin, as they are the worst bandits of the Underway. They do not seem like a group that can be intergrated into the Little colliation Belissar is building. I could see them being given the chance to flee, and to never return or be killed and wiped out on sight, to spread the message that The bee tower does not accept such banditry within is area of influence, but i do not see them staying around.
phantom
So they do speak. I'd say speak for one simple reason. This is a chance to gain valuable information out of them. Also it is worth noting that the children yet to be born are innocent.
