His head was pulsing... he could hardly bear it, driven to his knees moments before by the pain of their voices. Still... there was something different now. A silence not felt before. One of the hives seemed to have suddenly gone quiet. He began to inhale and exhale deeply. Focussing himself before rising from his feet.<br/><br/>He carefully approached the silent hive. The air seemed unnaturally quiet now... almost as if the bee's where afraid t- The hive exploded.<br/><br/><br/>The ground became littered with the corpses of thousands of his children as a sea of enormous hornets errupted from within.<br/><br/>Vernasus jumped back and drew his arms in close to his body. Time seemed to slow around him once more, as he closed his eyes and concentrated. He called out to his children.... and they answered.<br/><br/>In moments the air filled with the holy swarm, and at once they flocked to their protector.<br/><br/>The bees flew in close around his arms and legs, till they seemed to be covered by a skin of yellow and black.