[Verse 1] The gate was right there Forty meters, maybe less
Castor said: steady Castor said: keep moving Castor said: we are almost—
The sound came first
The sound like something between A warning and an announcement Like something very organized Had decided to have opinions about them
[Pre-Chorus] The bees of Level thirty-four Had lived here since before the chariot fell
They had built the guard They had built the amber walls They had built a queen Who had been protecting this level For a very long time
And four people had just walked into it
[Chorus] The Hero and The Hunter This is their kind of thing The Hero and The Hunter The bees picked the wrong four Castor held the center The Swan held something else entirely The Hero and The Hunter Figured out the weakness Watch — watch — This is what they do
[Verse 2] Castor called positions The Hunter read the swarm There was a pattern — there is always a pattern The Hunter found it in forty seconds Which the Hero said was too slow
The Hunter said: you find the pattern then The Hero said: I wasn’t finding the pattern I was finding the solution The Hunter said: what solution The Hero reached into his pack
The Hunter said: why do you have honey The Hero said: I always have honey
[Pre-Chorus 2] The Swan started dancing
Not a fighting stance Not a defensive posture Just dancing The way he always danced Except now there was something else in it
Something that hummed like a song That had been waiting in Level thirty-four For a very long time
The bees nearest to him stopped And watched Because even bees know when something is moving The way music moves
[Bridge] The Hunter took the honey
He pulled back, he swung He sent three jars of honey In a clean arc directly at the gate
And every bee in Level thirty-four Made the same decision At the same time In the same direction
Castor said: NOW
[Final Chorus] The Hero and The Hunter Sprinting for the gate The Swan still dancing Through everything Not a single sting Not a single landing And the gate was right there And they all went through And Level thirty-four went quiet
[Outro] Castor said: what are your names
They both looked at him They both looked at each other
The Hunter said: I don’t know yours actually The Hero said: I don’t know yours either Castor said: we’ll figure it out later
The Swan was humming something It sounded like a sun chariot Falling very slowly Toward something that would catch it This time
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