chapter 13

The night passed by slowly and my mind was too busy to get much sleep, but it was warm and peaceful. I felt rested enough when the sun rose the next morning. I was already up, dressed and sitting on my bed in the warm blanket of sunlight from my window, doing light headed morning thinking, when Tremarch came to my door to wake me.

We were soon ready to leave. Tremarch’s armor suit had disappeared the night before and he wore his regular plaid and denim. Once I had settled myself into my accustomed spot on top of the trailer deck, he gave me a beet and kidney bean sandwich wrapped in a pink tea napkin and we were on our way to town.

The morning was quiet. It had gone by with both of us hardly saying a thing. Just a few “excuse me”-s and a “oh my gosh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t see your foot there” as we got our boots on in the small porch. The morning was almost solemn. The trailer was pushed slowly at Tremarch’s pace. It went smoothly over the tree roots which entwined the worn path. I quietly played, through the fabric of my blouse, with the capsule Tremarch had given me. The air was calm. Humidity breathed from the green trees and the birds sang politely.

I was a bit sore from the day before. I had a scratch under my chin that I wasn’t happy with, but I’m sure Tremarch was worse from all the jumping around he did.
Tremarch…
Maybe I had changed a little bit, since I had met Tremarch. I thought I may actually miss him. I’d traveled with others before. Even for as long as a month in one case, but I couldn’t wait to get back on my own as soon as I no longer needed them. I don’t like to tie people down like that. I guess it makes a difference when you get sick… or fight bees, and truly depend on someone for a while.
I hope Tremarch doesn’t think I’m a big jerk for invading his home… Even if it’s true. Argh! I can’t let it bother me now! We’re not going to see each other anymore after this! Everyone is destined to separate at some time! I can’t let this slow me down! I’ve never had trouble leaving people behind before.

“Sally,” Tremarch interrupted my emotional seizure.
“Hmm?” I raised my head from between my hands.
“What might you have planned to do in town?”
“Well, you said that there’s a castle there. That means that this ‘town’ is really this region’s capital, right?” Tremarch nodded after a silent moment of staring back at me. I put on a smile and flashed it in his direction. “I can get some real mad shopping done there! Just think: The Capital! All the leading fashion designers send their top products there! And all the top bakeries! It’s a young girl’s haven!”
“Sally,”
“Hmm?”
“I know you don’t got any money.”
“Peh. Dream killer.” I pouted and threw my head away from Tremarch. I rolled my eyes up at the sky and nibbled the inside of my bottom lip. “Actually,” I said quietly, still not facing him, “I just want to get my own life. A place to live. A job to support it. Or maybe fall in love.” I dropped my vision down to the deck. I could feel a quiet smile growing on Tremarch. Slightly annoyed that I could sense this about him, I turned and looked. Tremarch’s eyes gleamed with swelling tears. “Geh…” I exhaled bitterly.
He’s totally having an old man moment. “Oh, the passion of youth…” or something like that.

I bucked my back and leaned in closer to Tremarch as he continued to push the vehicle.
“So? What are you gonna do now that your bees have flown the coop? Won’t the king be mad he can’t have ‘Royal Honey’ anymore?” Tremarch opened his eyes wide and exhaled exaggeratedly through his inflated cheeks.
“Oh don’t you go be gettin’ worried about me! I can handle the king, let me tell you! And still, I’m the finest lumberjack in the whole dern kingdom! A royal lumberjack, I tell you!” Tremarch rolled his eyes at me and I giggled through my fingers.

“Sally,”
Geeze, he’s been saying that name a lot lately. Maybe a little too much.
“I’d love to tell you that you can stay with me anytime you need too. ‘owever, I still don’t want you wandering through the forest by yourself!” I grimaced.
“Still telling me what to do…” Tremarch shot a look in my direction, I quickly pretended to be watching the sky.
“I want you to take good care of yourself in town. No more gettin’ sick!” There was a moment’s pause. I held a forced smile. That is, a polite one. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had anyone stay in my house… I, I’m going to miss ya.” I clenched my teeth and glared at the back of Tremarch’s head.
He’s saying this now? We’re not even half way there! The rest of this trip is going to be so awkward…

And it was. Neither of us said anything for the longest time despite the tingly atmosphere demanding a follow up. Tremarch just trotted forward and once the atmosphere faded and I gave up trying to think of what to say next, I just day dreamed in the warm but empty air. Gradually, the high steeples of the castle came into view. As we walked closer, the tall towers rose with the noon sun and soon I could see the activity of travelers along the main road from around the forest, heading into town.

Tremarch’s forest had diminished. The massive trees had all become subtle shrubs. We rolled through a grassy hillside, rather awkwardly because of the size of the trailer, but there was a path present from all the previous times Tremarch had delivered to the king. We pulled up in the middle of a field just outside the town wall, just out of view of the main path. Tremarch brought us to a stop. Nothing was said, but it was apparent that it was time for me to get off, so I hopped to the soft ground. I stared at Tremarch plainly as I held my elbow close to my side and shifted my weight nervously between my feet.

“I’m delivering for the king so… I can’t take you to my gate.”
“I see.” I replied somberly.
I really don’t know what to say in situations like these.
“If you don’t think things will work out, I’ll leave ‘ere tomorrow at noon. You’re welcome to come and stay with me as long as you would like.”
No.
A cold voice said from inside me.
I can’t bother this man anymore.
I knew he was going to say something like that and I knew I wouldn’t let myself accept. Typical ridiculously generous Tremarch…
“Thanks,” my eyes shifted everywhere except towards Tremarch’s, “for everything. I appreciate it… GACK!” Tremarch threw his arms around me and squashed his blunt nose into my sternum. I gagged as my locked elbows dug into my sides.
He must really have been alone in that house for a long time!

As soon as he let up I jumped out of his arms and hopped in the direction of the town’s main gate. “Alright, alright already! Get going, already!” I kicked a heel full of dust in Tremarch’s direction as I continued to hop backwards. Tremarch smiled and waved silently with a tear in his eye. I clicked my tongue and snapped my neck towards the main gate. It was time to move on! My time with Tremarch was over and I was at a brand new place to focus on. A place where anything could happen!

I sure hope its something good.

chapter 12

“Was a bit more trouble than we were hoping for, eh?” Tremarch beamed while attempting to catch his breath. I turned my head in his direction, a discontented smile floated across my face. Then my face grew red. A rage crawled up my shoulders and stressed against my closed eyes. A swelling rose up in my throat, but I swallowed it.
“It certainly was.” I grinned sheepishly. Tremarch grinned back with satisfied expression. Then my expression cracked.

I started sobbing. I tried to muffle the first one with my hands but it choked in my throat, then I couldn’t stop. A worried Tremarch advanced towards me with an outstretched glove. I quickly turned my head down towards the liquid ground.
“That was too scary!” I exhaled, “Don’t ever do that to me again!” I slapped my fists against the yellow pool but the splash was much too viscous to be satisfying.

“C’mon,” Tremarch solemnly directed, “let’s get you cleaned up then head to town.” He climbed up the sliver embroidered tree stump left by the hive and helped pull me to my feet.
“We need to come back,” I said as Tremarch took my arm and I leaned my head into his shoulder. “We need two buckets of honey. There’s only one here.” A subtle smile lay across Tremarch’s whiskers.
“You know, lass. I think you’ve changed since you’ve been here. When we first met, there’s no way you would ‘ave given two shakes about my needs.” After a pause he continued, “I’m sorry for dragging you all this way.” I smirked a little.
“What do you think you know about me, when we first met, old man?” We both grinned at each other as I pushed myself up from the honey, with my hand on his shoulder.

“But still, we need a second pail of honey, right?” I took a couple steps away from Tremarch and tried to jiggle loose some of the gobs of honey hanging from my arms.
“Grab that pail over there, will you Sally?” Tremarch requested, materializing his regular aura of optimism. I waded over and pulled the bucket I had filled free from the sticky ground. I turned to walk back but stopped and grimaced.

“Where’d you get that?” I asked. Tremarch looked innocently down at the bucket held by the handle in both his hands, identical to the one currently in my possession.
“This?”
“Of course that!”
“It was ‘ere! I got it from right here!”

I twitched an eyebrow in his direction. Tremarch had obviously not moved a step in the thick gook and there definitely was no can there before. He casually scooped it full of honey as I swayed with my own bucket back to his side.
Well, I guess I didn’t have to worry about coming back here for more…

We both started our way back through the over sized cobwebs to the trailer. The pail of honey was heavy and after the struggle to get from the top of the tree stump to the level ground I made Tremarch carry both our buckets.
I’ve seen how strong he is, I’m not going to feel sorry for him.
So we continued our peaceful walk all the way back to the trailer. My legs were still a bit shaky so I was glad to sit back up on deck with the Royal Oak logs and Tremarch’s axe resting across my lap, linking the two buckets of honey on either side of me.

By the time Tremarch had pulled us back to the cabin, my clothes had become terribly uncomfortable from the drying honey. Sure, as you could imagine, being covered in honey wasn’t a pleasant experience from the beginning, but it wasn’t like I had just a couple sticky spots bothering me, I was thoroughly saturated. The consistent coverage wasn’t so irritating at first but it was starting to get difficult to move. I had to have Tremarch help peel my bottom off the deck so I could get down without falling on my face.

Tremarch had insisted that I take a bath as soon as possible.
You’re the last person I want to hear demanding that I take a bath!
When I refused to clean up in the cold river, Tremarch rushed inside to rinse out the dinner cauldron and heat it full of water in the middle of the kitchen table. He seemed to be quite in a panic by the time the water was warm so I didn’t object too strongly when he said he’d scrub all the honey off me. However, I did boot him out of the room when he tried to pull my shirt off.

With a bit of struggle I managed to get undressed. Luckily, Tremarch’s clothes were wide enough that I could just peel them off because the buttons had been glued down with dried honey. It was a tight fit, but I managed to ease myself down into the pot which we ate dinner from the night before. Ew! With my knees up guarding my chest, I gave Tremarch the signal that he could come in.

Ehh….
Tremarch scrubbed me for a good hour, despite me telling him that I wanted out after about twenty minutes. He made sure every ounce of honey was washed away. While I was in a towel he went through my hair and scraped with an razor blade the tips that had been stuck together with the goo. Sure I appreciated it, but I could have done it myself. Was that his way of showing his appreciation?
Is he that much like a monkey that he wants to help preen me?

I was all cleaned up and back into my regular attire. Tremarch had managed to scrape away some of the honey which coated my boots so that they weren’t completely useless. Actually, he did a surprisingly good job. Put those carpenter skills to good use by carving through the semi-dry honey, I guess. The shoes were no longer uncomfortable to walk in, but they were still quite a bit heavier. Then Tremarch retrieved the honey soaked clothes I had borrowed and tossed them onto the garbage pile behind his shed. There was a loud shattering as they collided with the other debris, it wasn’t the clothes which shattered though.
What the heck did that honey do to those clothes?

“Sally, come ‘ere for a second. I ‘ave something for you.” Tremarch beckoned me after he had gotten all our supplies prepped for our trip. I got up from a short sewing book I had found in the living room and approached him quizzically. Taking me by the hand, Tremarch slipped an urn shaped capsule into my open palm. I raised an eyebrow.
“It’s some of the Royal Honey we collected. Cleaned and ready for use!” Tremarch answered my silence.
“Oh! Thanks, I guess,” I held the palm sized capsule by its leather strap and inspected beneath it. “Does it taste better than regular honey?”
“Don’t eat it, Luv. You’ll get sick.”
“Oh,” I expressed lowly, squinting at it.
“Royal Honey is used to embalm things. When it hardens it is stronger than steel, resists extreme temperatures, illuminates subtitle lights a thousand times, and even has magical properties which are still being researched today.”
“Oh,” I expressed inquisitively, then added, “well that’s… neat.”
So that’s why Tremarch was so set on helping me bathe, it’d probably be like having bits of metal permanently embedded into my skin. Guess that also explains why everything Tremarch owns has that glow to it. He’s coated everything with this honey! But what the heck am I supposed to do with this?

I lowered the strap around my neck and rested the capsule beneath the top button of my blouse. I said my thank yous to Tremarch and smiled politely. He assured me I’d find some use for the small sample of honey. Then we ate supper (supper which didn’t require the cauldron for cooking) and called it a night. It was my last night sleeping in Tremarch’s house. The next morning he would take me to town and we’d say our good byes!
It feels good to finally be moving on!

… I think.

chapter 11

As soon as I recognized the initial sensation, an explosion of claws and spines enveloped me! The thundering waterfall of marching insects with piercing cries invaded my ears and chilled my skin. I flipped myself over with a wide swing of my legs and swung my arms at the scurrying shapes which leaped from side to side of my body!

Do they have stingers?! Can they sting me?!
It didn’t matter, really. The fangs extending from their faces were more than enough to worry about! I slapped and shoved as many of the things off as I could but they were fast gathering! Then a shriek shot through the ground and the creatures trembled off me! I quickly jumped to my feet and twirled to look at the source. Between the edges of Tremarch’s helmet I saw the giant queen bee pin Tremarch against a tree and jackknife her body to rear its disgusting head in my direction.

Oh no.
There was nothing left to think about as instinct took over my body. Swiveling my feet around, once more I ran with all I had towards the glowing mouth of the Royal Oak. The ground shook rhythmically. The queen! She was chasing me! I lost my footing every time I took a step with the shaking ground, so I had to time my strides in between the queen’s and push against the ground for all it was worth!

The worker bees were scattering away from the hive, I could tell the queen was getting close. Her pace had doubled and I could barely move forward without falling down, but I was there! I had made it to the mouth of the tree. I could grab hold of the knotted roots above the ground and heave myself into the opening! There was the old metal bucket. I lifted it, it was light, I needed honey! I was in the hive, there was honey everywhere! My boots were thick with honey. I dragged the bucket along the golden pool I was in and filled it to the rim. Now we could get out of there! We had filled the king’s order of a full Royal Oak, and two pots of honey!

…
Wait. I think Tremarch may have overlooked something.

I shot my head towards the outside. There was nothing there. The forest was quiet. I couldn’t hear the queen, but she was after me, right? Cautiously I backed away from the opening. Grasping the handle of the bucket close to my chest, I hunched as I walked and stopped at what felt to be the center of the room. I slowly turned around and looked.

There were no bees. No movement of any kind. The walls had large honeycomb compartments built into them and the rear wall was covered in white, bottle sized bubbles, extending up high into the tree. Honey covered everything. The thick syrup caught the little beams of sunlight and spread it through the whole hive. Golden stalactites dripped from the higher walls and with careful listening, I could hear the subtle splashes of a chorus of droplets within the impressions of the honeycombs.

A slight wheezing sound like some kind of spray, came from the opening of the hive. The queen! I hurried and jammed my back up against the side of the hive, trying to get out of view of the entrance. I breathed deeply. I couldn’t see the queen. I didn’t want to see the queen! That hairy disgusting mass! I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed into the wall.

Nothing intruded. The spraying sound continued and when I opened my eyes I could see little tufts of floating white thread glimmering from the entrance. I gasped.

I know what she’s doing!
I dropped the bucket of honey, ran to the center of the hive and looked towards the doorway! A white, stringy blanket had formed where the opening once was and it grew thicker and thicker.
“TREMARCH!” I screamed, “What happened to you?! Why aren’t you helping me out? Get me out of here, NOW!”

There was a creaking noise and my eyes lit up, but the noise hadn’t come from the doorway. I turned my head to look behind me. One of the bubbles on the back wall had ripped open. I turned around and stepped toward it, looking closer. Each bubble had a pale yellow glow to it and a dark, opaque center, except for the one which had apparently ripped. It was empty.

The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and my hands started to tremble. My heart quickened, but I had to get a closer look. I inched in towards the wall and leaned my face close to the circular objects. I traced the shape within with my eyes. Among the blob of a shape that filled the globule, I could make out a large circle which looked like an eye and some smaller circles which looked like a series of folded up legs.

There was another crunch. I looked up, to the left and there was a second ripped bubble that was empty. I exhaled a quivering breath and quickly stumbled back away from the wall and sat rigid in the puddle of honey. My eyes were wide and my body grew horribly tense. Something chirped.

A small, damp ball of fur sat in a honey comb next to the wall of orbs. It bobbed its small body up and down periodically, then it spread out a small pair of wings and buzzed droplets of moisture from them.
No more. No more, no more, no more, no more. Please God no more!
The tiny creature set back on its eight hunched legs, raised its fangs and hissed in my direction.

A hot tear streamed down my cheek. Unblinkingly, I watched the entire three plus story wall of Black Widow Wasp eggs begin to rip open and the fresh spawns chirp, buzz, and hiss in hungry harmony. My hands inched back behind me, as far away from the wall as I could. Was the queen still at the door? It didn’t matter. I needed to get out of there! The wall had come alive with miniature monsters creeping out of their shells, biting at each other and shaking the fluids off their wings, all the while, their coal like eyes watching me. I wanted to keep quiet. I wanted to be invisible, but I could no longer control my breath and I couldn’t help but whimper.

“TREMAAAAARCH!!!” I wailed until my voice cracked! The giant black shadow burst from the shining wall and streamed over itself towards me! I raised my arms in defense but it just knocked me down to my back! In frozen horror I stared straight up the hive. The queen. She was still coming for me! High up into the tree I could see her! The newly born bees scurried and pinched every crevice of my body, as their mother hauled her over sized body down the narrow top of the tree.

I was crying. The giant, dark, furry monster of tiny bodies wrapped my body tight then pulled me. It pulled away from me. A massive firework had erupted! A blinding beam of light shot through the doorway of the hive, through the embodiment of bees, and shattered the white shelled wall on the other side! The walls all ripped apart and I felt like I was flying. Slowly, creature by creature, the blanket of bees unraveled, pulled from my body, and sailed into the air. The whole tree sailed end over end, high into the forest tree tops, a white shredded cape of web trailing behind it. I floated in the air and watched through the narrow visor of Tremarch’s helmet.

With a jarring slop my back hit the thick puddle of honey which covered the remaining tree stump. The Royal Oak with the hive struck the ground some distance away and the entire forest quaked. I tried to grasp onto the waves of thick goo as the puddle I laid in rocked me back and forth. An impenetrable screaming and buzzing picked up as a thick black cloud poured out of the decapitated hive and rose into the air. The left over bees outside of the tree leaped and flew to join the crowd. With a maddening racket which I’m sure could’ve been heard all the way to the castle, the inky cloud of bees dissipated high above the trees and vanished into the sky. The earth continued to tremble long after the army had gone.

I failed to pull myself out of the pool of sticky honey, but with wicked effort I did eventually manage to roll over and push myself free. Not before nearly suffocating in the horrid stuff, though. I sat up and looked around.

I felt reasonably secure now that the normal forest insects had started singing again. The net of webs enclosing the area had broken and sunlight poured in thickly. I peeled Tremarch’s helmet off from the back of my head and attempted to clean the honey off my face and neck with the bandanna that was still wrapped around my hair.
Perhaps I’m feeling too safe? Now would be the perfect time for a follow up attack wouldn’t it?
Well, after all that, there’s no way my poor head would ever have been willing to admit that the worse might not be over.
What the heck is that growing whirling sound?

A gleaming beam of light shot in from above me and soared across the nest! It whizzed through the air and took the form of an axe as it struck into an out stretched gauntlet.

Covered in leaves, bits of bark and clods of webbing, Tremarch exhaled exhaustively as he lowered his arm and turned his mighty blade to the ground so he could rest his head upon the bottom of its handle.

Megapak1

Cover for an atari game pack by Songbird productions.

chapter 10

As Tremarch exterminated the population of bugs, the webbed walls and trees became clearer. The waves of crawling and jumping insects became sparser. The pile of black exoskeletons grew and the glowing goo became a moat around Tremarch and his swinging axe. Meanwhile I cowered in the bushes and nearly jumped out of hiding every time a severed leg or wing was thrown my way.

As the bees grew fewer, the central hub of the hive became exposed: a thick Royal Oak tree with a large open mouth facing the center of the webbed sphere. Why was that tree the central hub? I don’t really know. It just seemed to stand out from the rest of the trees sewn into the walls of the dark silver room. Besides, there was an obvious yellow glow being emitted from the mouth of this tree and as I squinted through the bushes… Yes! There was a small metal pot just inside the opening.
That has to be the pot Tremarch was talking about! He must of left it there the last time he collected honey.

I rolled over in the bushes to look back at Tremarch. The bees were attacking in smaller numbers and Tremarch was slowing down, but his swing still retained its power. Even the roar of the insect’s wings had been dying down ever so slightly.
Maybe there’s something special about that axe which makes it so powerful? But that doesn’t explain Tremarch’s ability to move giant trailers carrying trees.

Suddenly, from the far end of the nest, a bee came screaming towards Tremarch! Its eight legs spread out in a pounce and it flew with a large wad of built up webbing trailing beneath it. Tremarch brought his axe straight down through the assailant and the net, but the sticky glob still struck him head on! A few other scattered bees seized the opportunity, turned their abdomens up to the air and squirted thick strands of web over Tremarch.

He kept breaking his arms free but the torn net was quickly repaired as the goo continued to crowd over him. His movements were becoming narrower and narrower. My eyes were widening in worry. Should I help him? Could I help him? The webs hissed as the bugs leapt and bounded in sequence, striking their wings in confident vibration.

“Yeeargh!” A call sailed from Tremarch’s throat as he struggled to lift his fist with the axe. Stretching webbing from his sides, he raised the tool above his head. A fast jut down and Tremarch’s axe flipped from his grip! The weapon sailed end over end like a propeller, twirling in an arch around the nest! Without hesitation it sliced straight through several of the web throwers which were hindering him.

No way! He can throw it like a boomerang?! This isn’t standard lumberjack or bee keeper skills, right?
The axe halted with a crashing thud in the trunk of a webbed tree on the other side of Tremarch. He then used the opportunity to break completely free from the net of glue. The bees hesitated momentarily then continued their initial assault. Their wings screamed all the more and Tremarch fist fought his way over to reattain his weapon!

Like lightning through my body, a train whistle blew and the forest shook. It was that sound again! I screamed and covered my head in my bush, but the event quickly ceased.

“There she is, Sally!” I looked out toward Tremarch who was pointing while he shouted. I moved around some branches to check the direction he was indicating. “There’s the queen!”

I froze and halted my breath. My jaw dropped and my pulse shook my vision. Several long hairy legs gingerly swayed her giant striped body from side to side as she dragged herself out of the glowing Royal Oak across the nest. She was bigger than a work horse, built like a bumble bee, and had a giant set of hairy, thorn-like fangs guarding her fearsome face. Her mighty rainbow splashed wings sprawled towards the tree tops as they began to buzz and roar. Even Tremarch fell to a knee at the shaking caused by such a thunderous sound.

Tremarch quickly rose back up to keep striking the smaller bees which wouldn’t let up the attack. Suddenly the flash of a white whip struck the offending pile of bees and raised a large cluster into the air. Throwing them into the wall of net behind the queen as she struck down her abdomen, releasing the large string of web. The surviving bees quickly paved a way for their queen as Tremarch used his axe head to push a pile of insect remains out of the way so he could face the queen boldly.

The queen roared loudly and the insects scattered. Tremarch again fell to his knees with the shaking floor. His armor rattled loudly as he pulled his body back up to a standing position. Tremarch ripped his helmet from his head. Glaring at the black diamond eyes of the queen bee, he threw it in my direction, towards the bushes. His hair flared about wildly.
“Be ready, Sally! This is it!” The giant creature stomped heavily through the carcasses of its fallen children towards Tremarch. “Just run to the hive, make sure the pot is full, then run for yer life! I can keep her at bay so don’t you worry about the big one! Just keep your wits about you so you can dodge the smaller ones!”

Oh no, oh no, oh geeze!
I planted my feet and prepared myself to leap towards the hive. I was scared stiff and I couldn’t think up a proper plan to avoid all the left over bees scurrying around the edges of the nest, but Tremarch wasn’t exactly giving me time to prepare. I had to do this no matter what! At least for the sake of having Tremarch get me out of this hell hole!

Another earthquaking shriek and the queen charged full barrel towards Tremarch! I fell back down to my bottom and tried not to allow myself to be shaken out of the bushes. Tremarch leaped into action! Literally, as he flew over top the queen, doing a series of flips with his axe blade held above his head.
Now he’s a ninja?!
Tremarch landed, kneeling, and threw his axe backwards behind him, striking the mighty beast on the leg with its blunt side. The creature threw its front legs into the air like an attacking tarantula and jumped a lightning fast one-eighty to face Tremarch. Who then plummeted his armored shoulder into the beast, avoiding its dripping fangs and knocking the thing sideways, off its feet.
“Now, girl! Go!”

I exploded out of the bushes, throwing as much cobweb out of my face as I could! I pushed forward hard over the smaller bees and in a quick swoop I retrieved Tremarch’s helmet, forcing it over my own head. The sides of the helmet blocked most of the bees from the sides of my vision, it’s no wonder Tremarch threw it away when he decided to get serious. I dropped my chin down and booked it as fast as I could in the direction of the large Royal Oak!

My emergence was unexpected to the bees. They didn’t put forth much resistance as I could simply leap over them. Each hesitated over whether to follow me or keep its attention on the main fight. However a small collection was beginning to follow and snap at me from behind as I closed in on their base!

I didn’t look at them. I kept my eyes on the mouth of the tree and jumped every time I sensed a set of jaws get too close to my feet.

Closer, closer, closer! It was a stone’s throw away! I prepared for the final stretch! I pushed down with my legs as hard as I could and reached out for the glowing finish line! All the force of my legs pushed out behind me; flew out behind me— with my legs! A loose bit of fallen web fluttered from beneath my feet and I strained to look up at my raising goal as my face flew closer and closer to the ground.

A heavy crunch and a cloud of dust, I skidded a short distance on my face in front of the hive that was inside of the Royal Oak tree.

The forest silenced, my mind blanked, and my heart stopped. For a moment the world was still and I might have even thought it peaceful. Then a thin spiny leg curled around the inner thigh of my spread legs and a stiff fur swiftly grazed across the back of my neck.