This ti, the enemy was a wild pig—entirely unevolved. It was smarter—or more cautious—than spiders. Despite its size, it chose to not pick a fight against a swarm of bees and backed off. But Redsting's scouts still trailed it for a while longer.
Only after this we could return to the fort. By then, the sun was touching the horizon and turning the sky red.
I told Redsting all that I learned from watching the traits of mantises and jumping spiders we've t, as well as so other solitary insects we saw (and usually chased off) on our way.
"Thank you for your wisdom, Father! I will make sure my soldiers are prepared for these enemies."
"I don't doubt that. Also, kill these mantises you caught, Redsting. Next ti, if you want to catch soone, one sample will be enough."
"Yes, Father. For the sake of effectiveness—can we use the mantises as training targets? The newbies can sharpen their skills in fighting them!"
"Of course. It's much better to get so combat experience in a controlled environnt."
Redsting puffed out her chest, clearly pleased that I approved her idea, and saluted.
"I'm happy to work for the Empire! Now, Father—did you want to see anything else in our camp? We are going to send out night patrols soon and wake the second shift of soldiers."
While the original border patrols only patrolled during the day, now our security tightened a lot. Soldiers were fighting in shifts, day and night, because our enemies were often nocturnal.
The night battles, where bees could see much worse than during the day, were the worst.
But clearly, Redsting's soldiers didn't need my help, which was great.
I smiled and shook my head.
"No, I'm going to return to Hive Supremo while I can. Just… Hm, Destroyer, I'm hungry, which ans you are too—let's all grab a snack!"
"Yes, Father!" Destroyer saluted from behind my shoulder. "Executing snacking! Soldiers, bring out field rations!"
"There's no need!" Redsting protested. "Let treat you to sothing better! We always have fresh at here. And soldiers will be so happy to see you in their ss hall…"
That was how we got roped into greeting soldiers in the ss hall and raising their morale between bites of my snack, which was more like a second dinner.
Admittedly, the food really was delicious—but I didn't dare ask whom the at belonged to.
This al stretched for a long while, and in the middle of it, I got a telepathic ssage from Ambrosia, wondering why I wasn't ho yet, sharing our bed.
So, of course, after I finished eating, even though it was almost fully dark outside by then, I wanted to fly ho as fast as I could.
And heaven must've heard and decided to ruin my plans by sending a storm down. When I left the ss hall, I could hear its drumming even over the buzzing of bees. When I looked outside, I saw only a dark, moving wall of water.
"A storm! That's great news for the soldiers in the night shifts. They get to rest an extra day…" Redsting, who ca out to send off, said. She smiled, then realized what this ant for . "Father, I will imdiately order to prepare sleeping places for you and your bodyguards!"
I sighed.
Flying in these circumstances was impossible, even for . If I wouldn't get beaten to the ground by water or freeze from headwind and wetness, I will lose my way in the low visibility.
This also applied to all other insects and most of the larger beasts. During storms, our borders were safe, even without protection.
"Well, I guess I have no other choice. Let's see how long this storm will last, at least…"
I told Amby that I will be late today, sorry dear, love you, would've kissed you if I was there, then asked her to ask Oracles about the weather.
Trying to talk telepathically with Oracles directly was a bad idea. They were so deep in their visions, even at the best of tis, that they wouldn't hear you, anyway. And reading their thoughts… Was like reading the thoughts of a hundred people at once.
After a while, I got my ssage.
'In the weather chart for today, the chance of a storm was very small. I asked one of the Oracles myself, and she replied that if a storm began, it probably won't last too long. But of course, they weren't absolutely sure, Necty.'
'Thank you, Amby. They never are! Alright, then I will fly back the next morning. Goodnight!'
***
It was *not* the next morning.
As if to spite all predictions, the storm lasted for the better part of the day, forcing soldiers in the Redsting's fort, instead of their usual idle training and relaxation, dig extra trenches to lead the rainwater away.
The mantises had all drowned in their pits before the storm eroded them completely.
And I had to do all my work remotely. Telepathy was convenient, but too much of it—especially when more than one person was ssaging at once—was giving a headache.
When I finally returned to Hive Supremo, I was fully ready to call myself unavailable for the rest of the day, hug Ambrosia, and just relax.
But when I stepped into the Royal Chambers, about to give my bee-wife a small (she must've heard about my arrival already even if I didn't warn her) but a pleasant surprise, I saw sothing that made gape in shock and wonder if I was drunk.
In our living room, where Ambrosia liked to sit comfortably on fur-stuffed pillows while she read docunts and listened to Attendants, were sitting…
Two Ambrosias! Identical to the last shiny scale on their dresses and to the last number in their system sheets!
I rubbed my eyes, but the second one didn't disappear. One was reading reports, while the other was eating honey from the jar with bare fingers.
What the hell happened in the hive in the short ti I was away?!
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