He had meant to explore the new continent in full in time, and after what had happened a month or so again, that invasion of his homeland that they had repelled he thought that this place was good place to start. A really good deep exploration of the Understory, and then he’d start to take time to travel around some more, bring Basselina along as well if she was up for it and didn’t have other duties to attend to. Maybe Kiba as well if he wanted to explore, and Lokir guessed that his Champion would want to as well.

Lokir was here alone, however, walking through the Understory and not worrying about a thing in the world. Any predators in the area took one look at him and knew that, in this forest, so long as Lokir was around, he was the top of the food chain. So they gave him a wide berth and avoided him at all costs. Lokir had no armour on, no weapons on him and was wearing plain clothing. However, he wasn’t hiding his Divine powers, oh no, anything that had a sense for magic would feel the power radiating off of him like a heavy fog.

The bear god stopped for a moment at the sound of something large coming his way. He waited with a grin as a huge beetle came into view. It clapped its large mandibles together with a clicking sound and then turned its attention to Lokir as it took notice of him. The grey haired young man smiled and waited until it decided he wasn’t worth it and the beetle scuttled away. ”Ya, that’s what I thought.” He chuckled and continued on.

He knew where he was going and soon enough it came into view, the Wasp Hive. As he came close the guards spotted him and got their weapons ready. ”Halt! Turn around, human, you aren’t welcome here.”

Lokir just smiled and continued getting closer before stopping just outside of spear range from the four armed wasps. ”Check with your hive mind. Ask around for anyone that knows the name Lokir. I simply wish to explore your city, nothing more, I assure you.” He grinned and the wasps looked at each other and Lokir waited.

“So you are telling me there is a whole island that you have never been to?” Killian stated. He was with Luna in the control room – Killian had found an article in a news paper about Onnen. More specifically he had read an article about the Amhara – the wasp people. Hive mind. Killian loved a good old hive mind. Clever people like him could hack into them telekinetically. It was his simple but effective plan to learn everything the Amhara knew about the island.

Impulsive as ever the Novella didn’t wait for Luna to reply – she had just told him she hadn’t been there. Instead he pulled the lever and the ship was sent hurtling through the void like a stone bouncing down an impossibly long well. It reappeared with its characteristic wheezing noise in a quiet tunnel just off the main hive. They both left the strange eight foot tall teardrop shaped ship and Killian locked it and cast an invisibility spell on it.

The tunnel was taller than a lot of surface buildings it had two channels dug into the wall carrying water, one fresh one waste. There was a moss that coated the walls, Killian scanned it with his wand. It seemed to eat soil and excrete air. They walked down the tunnel a way and came do a giant balcony overlooking the citadel a gigantic structure seemingly built from wax. It was built out of a million hexagons wrapped together to create a city. It was incredible, beautiful mathematical and had been built entirely by the Amhara. “So Wasp people, pretty cool. Shall we say hello and ask if we can take a look at their hive mind – have you met a hive mind before?” Killian was rambling.

As they turned a corner, they were confronted with a wall of needle sharp swords. At least twenty soldiers were patrolling the tunnel and had instantly taken a disliking to the odd pair. “Hello!” He gave them a hopeful wave.

It did him no good. The solider wasps were clicking angrily and a moment later another platoon came rushing from the other direction. Killian and Luna were surrounded. Then together, all the wasps attacked. Killian flourished his wand and sent streaks of lightning through them, his other hand clutching Luna’s as they fought off their attackers.

“To be fair… There’s a lot I haven’t done. I told you that.” She chuckled at him. Killian had been busy researching these Amhara and it showed by how childlike his curiosity was. His need to know just about everything there was to know. Of course she could only reply after he had taken them there. Impulsive but she had grown to like that about him.

The silky hadn’t been to too many cities but the Amhara city was amazing to her. Her moonstone eyes were huge as she looked around. “Wasps sting Killian… Best be careful. Also, remember that I haven’t met a lot of things.” Wasps weren’t known for their attitudes being gentle. And of course, Killian went and kicked the nest. Luna mentally facepalmed but still this was an adventure wasn’t it?

“Not that I want to be a downer but…” She got closer and whispered to his ear. “Killian, I don’t think they speak common… Also they don’t like us.” She had put her arm around his waist. Her fan had appeared where they couldn’t see it but his waist was obscuring it. “I think its… best if we fight back now…” Her whisper continued before she whipped her arm out from behind his back and sent a mighty gust in their direction. The wasps tried to use their wings but her storm winds were much too strong for some of them. She readied her magic again but found Killian still holding her other hand.

“I would suggest that we run away now… I imagine they must be like their smaller counterparts… More will be here soon.” This time it was Luna who was impulsive as she yanked him with her as they took off down another route. Using her fan she harnessed sharp winds and collapsed the tunnel behind them to secure part of their escape. “Survive now. Information later.”

The tunnel opened up to a high ledge that led into the deeper parts of the city. “LOOK OUT BELOW!” This time it was also Luna to didn’t give Killian a chance to think as she jumped with a wink at the Novella. They fell down into some of the largest most fluffy leaves she had ever had the pleasure of landing on. “OH!” She saw a human looking male. “Not to alarm you! But — we startled them.” Some wasp soldiers broke out from a lower tunnel.

“HALT!” One of the wasps yelled.

“OH! They can talk to us.” There was a surprised tone that left her lips before she yanked Killian up and ran towards their newer friend who looked like he was in just as much trouble. “Luna. Killian. Run. Talk later.” She grabbed that man’s sleeve as well after she blasted the wasps in front of him away with her fan. “Let’s go! WHERE IS LADY ANGELA WHEN YOU NEED HER?!” That goddess was always in someone’s business until you actually needed her.

“By the way, we can cross off… pissing off an entire race in one night off of our list of things to do before we die.” She said pointedly to the Novella.

As the guard wasps connected to their hive mind to find out what Lokir was talking about, the God noticed that they suddenly seemed interested in something else. They turned around and looked in one direction, Lokir could see nothing in that direction, but soon heard footsteps coming towards them. Suddenly from above a cry out to look out and then two figures dropped from the ledge above into the fluffy leaves for, more or less, safe landing.

Lokir raised a brow with a slight grin, this was interesting. The guard wasps moved to intercept the two humanoids while more came from above having followed the two this far. The female of the two grabbed Lokir, spoke their names quickly before blasting away the two guards that had been in front of Lokir and trying to pull Lokir along.

But Lokir didn’t move, she wasn’t about to be able to move him either, hearing as she called out, asking where Lady Angela was when she was needed. Angela?! Ah, these two weren’t from Onnen then, so how did they end up here in the Hive and being chased?

Lokir turned to see that the two guards Luna had blasted were getting up, but now they also knew who Lokit was it seemed by the way they were looking at him. ”Stop.” Lokir spoke his voice holding command in it and the wasps all stopped at the same time and looked at him. ”Ah, you know who I am then, good, that will make this easier.” He commented with a smile and looked to Luna and Killian next. ”I must say, seeing you two here, who I am assuming are from at least Canelux, if you know Angela’s name, is a surprise.”

One of the wasps stepped closer to Lokir. ”They are intruders to our Hive, they must be punished.”

Lokir turned to face the Wasp. ”And now they are under my protection, so if you wish to harm them you’ll have to get past me.” He explained calmly. The wasp stared at him for a moment before stepping back with an ugly glare on his face. Lokir nodded and looked back to Luna and Killian again. ”I am Lokir, God of Strength and War, a pleasure.” He introduced, he wasn’t hiding his aura of power so with everything calmed down a little it was perhaps felt a little more. ”Why do you two and I step over there for a little privacy and you can tell me how it is that you got into the Hive and then chased out of it?”

“Little rude, aren’t they?” Killian replied as they landed in the leaves. Heart racing Killian sprinted along with Luna. “Hello!” Killian shouted politely as they sprinted past the stranger. Luna had already introduced them. Angelia would have been helpful right now – provided she had stopped giggling to herself. “You can if you like, I got that badge years ago.” Killian teased, his hand squeezed hers for a second as he did so.

They didn’t run far from the entrance – The man hadn’t followed them, the pair skidded to a halt and turned to see what was going on. It was usually him stood there talking at an oncoming army. It was curious to watch, certainly looked like a daft move from this point of view. Killian found himself taking a few steps closer as the man started speaking to the Amhara. Which made it easier to hear him when he turned his focus on them. “I’m not from Canelux. Are you Luna?” Killian asked. “Angelia is an old friend; how do you know her?” The Novella remembered why that was a stupid question as the man continued.

Lokir introduced himself after declaring his protection of them. It seemed to work as the wasps retreated a little back into their hive. “Thank you Lokir, sincerely for that.” Killian said. The fact that he was now stood in front of the God of War wasn’t filling him with a great deal of hope. Killian had had enough of war to last him a hundred lifetimes. Despite his reservations Killian followed the god a little way before he answered. “I landed my ship in there, in one of the maintenance tunnels.” He said it casually, but really it had been a rather spectacular dematerialisation. The mathematics involved in judging a safe place to appear was astounding. “Getting chased out was the easy bit. They didn’t seem to like me.” He smiled. “Dunno why, I’m charming.” He added.