Apoidea

The Hive was all she'd ever known.

The bees of Sornieth were a strange phenomenon. Some were the average size - miniscule flying insects which fit perfectly inside everyday flowers. They were the pollinators of the world.

Then there were the Bumbles.

This large subspecies of bee had arisen in answer to the enormous flora of the Viridian Labyrinth. The lands surrounding the Gladekeeper and the Behemoth were teeming with gargantuan plantlife. Flowers the size of dragons - trees large enough to hold entire villages of treehouses- bushes of berries which towered high overhead.

The average bee could not hope to ever pollinate such massive plants.

But Bumbles?

Bumbles could.

Enormous insects, Bumbles thrived in the Nature realm. The sound of their wings beating rapidly could be heard as a droning buzz for miles around the Hive. Their bodies were massive - larger than Faes and Veilspuns, though smaller than Guardians and Ridgebacks.

Thick black plates of chitin serve Bumbles as a natural armor. Their bodies are covered in coarse yellow fur, to which pollen clings, making pollination an easy task. Bulbous, faceted eyes present a multi-fractaled view of the world. Six sturdy legs end in thick talons, which can be surprisingly delicate when handling eggs or petals. And of course, the Bumbles have a fearsome stinger should they need to defend themselves.

Bumbles are also possessed of a fierce intelligence. They quickly learned to communicate with dragons, striking up a mutually-beneficial partnership. The Bumbles help to keep the Nature lands thriving and flourishing. They trade their bountiful honey supplies for dragon-made goods. In return, dragonfolk provide them with plenty of plants to consume, protect their hives from Plague incursions, and act as defense against the equally large Stingers.

Sometimes, individuals within the Hive form friendships with dragons. Many Bumbles have left home to see more of Sornieth with a draconic friend. Sometimes they return; others have started hives of their own across the continent. Some young Bumbles have begun to view these journeys as a rite of passage.

But only one dragon has ever joined the Hive.

No one knew where her egg came from. It was simply there one day, tucked in amongst the Bumble eggs in the larval chamber. It was roughly the same size and shape. No one gave it a second glance.

But when it hatched...

Out tumbled a tiny Spiral.

The Bumbles were shocked. The little spindly noodle was so different from their own larvae.

But she was here.

She was part of the Hive.

She was a Bumble.

And so they cared for her. They fed her royal jelly, rich pollen, and nectar. She stayed in the pupal chambers as the other hatchlings entered their cocoons. She did not molt - nor did her thorax ever develop. But when the time came, she chewed her way through the hex-shaped wax egg cell just like the others.

She was a Bumble.

Her stinger was strange, oddly long. She had thick, gently curving antennae that didn't seem to sense anything. Her eyes were not faceted. Her wings were not transparent, and did not buzz as she flew.

But she was black and yellow. Her talons could grip to climb, or be gentle to gather. And she flew very well.

She was part of the Hive.

And it was the Hive that she served.

She left the Hive with the other worker Bumbles every day. She quickly learned how to pollinate, how to bring back pollen to the Hive, how to make honey. She was always tender when tending to the young. She helped to feed the larvae, and would watch proudly as the pupae emerged from their cocoons as full-fledged Bumbles. She taught the new Bumbles everything she knew.

She repaired the hive after a storm. She fought off a hostile clan of Stingers beside her sisters. She served her Queen in all that she did. She even helped with trades with the local (and very bewildered) dragonkind.

She knew she looked different than the others...but it didn't matter.

She was a Bumble.

She was part of the Hive.