The Bee Dungeon

Forgemaster Ughlarer trembled as he turned back to Tamosmed, while armed black elves surrounded moved to apprehend the younger black elf.

“Never in all my years did I ever imagine it would come to this. The day when my kin, my own flesh and blood, would turn his back on his family, his people, and all that is fair. Tell me, Tamosmed, what is it you have done?”

Tamosmed held his head high.

“I have done no such thing. All that I have done is in service to my people and my kin, whether they see it or not.”

“Ahem.”

Ughlarer’s face contorted.

“Your forges remain lit though you are a smith no longer. You continue the trade though you have lost all recognition and standing. And did you think your comings and goings have gone unnoticed?! You have spent your days consorting with those who doomed the world! You carry now one of the manuals you were honor-bound to surrender, intending to hand it over to a human! Is there even a single law, a single oath that you have not broken in this past week?!”

“Excuse me!”

Tamosmed scoffed.

“Hey, listen!”

Ughlarer whirled towards Princess Finnakynne.

“By all that is fair, can you not shut your chittering trap for five Hunger-bitten minutes, Princess Finnakynne?!”

Finnakynne puffed her cheeks.

“But it’s important!”

Ughlarer ground his teeth.

“And what is so important that you would interrupt the treason of my own son?!”

Finnakynne smirked, earning another growl from the Forgemaster.

“You see, I may not be able to get mommy dearest to get off her chair…but you boys certainly have!”

A gust of wind blew past the black elves, carrying with it leaves and flower petals. It swirled into a cyclone that covered all from view, then the leaves and petals blasted away all at once, revealing Queen Vanieskon and her court. The pixie queen leaned back against her throne as giggling pixies flew around her. Princess Finnakynne sighed and slapped her head.

“…unless she brought the chair with her. Of course.”

Queen Vanieskon glanced at Finnakynne out of the corner of her eye.

“Finnakynne.”

Finnakynne started and gulped.

“Yes, mother dearest?”

“Silence.”

Finnakynne just made a sewing motion over her lips and slowly floated away. Meanwhile, the pixie queen and black elf forgemaster turned their attention to each other. Forgemaster Ughlarer raised an eyebrow.

“Vanieskon. I see you’ve left your abode.”

Vanieskon returned the gesture.

“As have you, Ughlarer.”

Ughlarer scoffed.

“It’s obvious why I’m here. Don’t tell me you intend to interfere?”

Vanieskon leisurely crossed one leg over the other.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“I am here to enforce the Compact, nothing more.”

Ughlarer turned away from her.

“Then you’ve come for nothing. The Compact has no say in the affairs of my family or my forge.”

Vanieskon placed an elbow on her throne’s armrest and leaned her head into her hand.

“And neither your family nor your forge have any authority here.”

Ughlarer froze. He slowly, carefully turned his neck, just enough to glare at Vanieskon out of the corner of one eye.

“What did you say?”

Vanieskon just waved her hand.

“Henilett.”

The pixies’ Compact representative flew forward.

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Henilett conjured a scroll, opened it up, and dramatically cleared her throat.

“Ahem. Forgemaster Ughlarer has officially disowned Tamosmed, formerly Ughlarerson, so the Compact recognizes that they are kin no longer. Forgemaster Ughlarer has also stripped Tamosmed, formerly forge adept and golem crafter, of all standing and position among the black elves. Therefore, at present, Dungeon Master Tamosmed has no affiliation whatsoever with Forgemaster Ughlarer or with any organization he represents as recognized by the Compact. Ergo, according to article twelve subsection fifteen of the Calwaskon Compact, Tamosmed is to be considered a general citizen of the Compact, and all accusations against him are to be addressed by a joint selection of representatives assembled by the signatories of the Compact. He may also be considered in his role as a dungeon master of the Circle, and so grievances related to said role may be brought before the Circle for investigation in cooperation with the Compact.”

Ughlarer whirled around, face full of fury.

“That’s Hunger crap and you know it, Vanieskon! This boy has broken every single rule and tradition the black elves have! The Compact has no right to prevent his punishment!”

Vanieskon didn’t react at all to the black elf’s rage.

“Is it in the Compact?”

Ughlarer stopped and blinked.

“What?”

Vanieskon just raised an eyebrow.

“The rules and traditions you say he has broken. Are they recorded in the Compact?”

Ughlarer scowled.

“They hardly need to be! Every black elf knows that…”

Vanieskon didn’t wait for him to finish before glancing over at her assistant.

“Henilett.”

Henilett closed and reopened her scroll.

“Yes, Your Majesty! According to article twenty three subsection five of the Calwaskon Compact, no law, rule, tradition, social norm, honor code, regulation, restriction, agreement, bargain, pact, precedent, etiquette, common sense, basic decency, or other form of social or legal binding that is unspoken, implied, unconfirmed verbal, or otherwise unrecorded by the measure of the Compact shall possess any authority over any citizen of the Compact. Shall I read subsection six regarding the exceptions to subsection five, Your Majesty?”

Vanieskon waved her away.

“That won’t be necessary.”

She turned her gaze back to Ughlarer, who was currently clenching his fists with all the strength he could muster.

“You’ve made a mistake, Ughlarer. Once you disowned Tamosmed, he ceased to fall under your authority. If you have a grievance with an unaffiliated citizen of the Compact, you may submit it for mediation and judgement. But you may no longer unilaterally punish him, as is recorded in the Compact that we all signed.”

Ughlarer glared at her.

“Hang the Compact, you cannot tell me what to do with my own kin…”

Vanieskon narrowed her eyes and the temperature dropped. Everyone but Ughlarer held their breath.

“…do you wish to break the Compact, Ughlarer?”

Ughlarer held her gaze. No one dared make a sound as the black elf forgemaster and pixie queen stared at each other, neither moving a single muscle. Ughlarer narrowed his eyes.

“So that’s how it is. You’re siding with the human too, Vanieskon? I had thought you wiser than that.”

Vanieskon rolled her eyes.

“Spare me the dramatic exaggerations, Ughlarer, you know I am above such things as taking sides. The Compact is clear, no matter how much we deceive ourselves. The Wardmaster will force our hands eventually and we have no solid argument to prevent it. And no one, not even you or I, is above the Compact.”

She rose to her feet, causing Finnakynne’s face to silently contort, and strolled over to Ughlarer, gently brushing her hand against his shoulder.

“So, the human will gain access to the Compact, it is only a matter of time. But do not fear, are not we, the wisest of the fair who have witnessed the past with our own eyes, capable of handling one single human, no matter how powerful? I won’t allow him to manipulate our children as he pleases, nor to stumble about with powers he does not comprehend. Leave him to me, I know well how to deal with their kind.”

She leaned in to whisper the final word into his ear, then turned and strolled back to her throne. Ughlarer furrowed his brow, clenching his fist. He glanced at Tamosmed one last time before scoffing and turning away.

“Let’s go.”

And with that, the black elves marched away. Princess Finnakynne flew over and landed on her mother’s shoulder, kicking her legs back and forth.

“Wow, mommy dearest, you got old Ughy to back down!”

Queen Vanieskon sighed.

“Can you not remember any of our lessons, Finnakynne? The trick to dealing with a stubborn man such as he is to appeal to his honor and his pride. Remind him of the agreements he has made and he will be loathe to break them, imply that he is being deceived and he’ll strive to best you. Never tell him anything you can convince him is his own idea. I truly will need to reeducate you from the start.”

Tamosmed stepped towards the pixies, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.

“I suppose I should thank you, Queen Vanieskon.”

Queen Vanieskon glanced over at him and smiled.

“And are you prepared to act on those words, Dungeon Master Tamosmed? Just how grateful do you feel, I wonder?”

Tamosmed frowned but steeled himself. His father had warned him, often, about dealing with Queen Vanieskon. But here he was, and what honor he had left demanded that he repay her assistance. Even if it meant leaving himself at the mercy of the pixie queen.

But so long as he could save his people’s future, he’d sacrifice anything. It was just about all he had left.