Ezekiel had been walking alone for several minutes without encountering any more crickets or Ilmarillion. He had never found being on his own in a forest that troubling before. The unnatural silence of the rift was unsettling though. There was no birdsong, smaller insects or even wind to rustle the leaves, just an eerie stillness to everything. It didn’t help that the only creatures he had seen in the rift so far had all tried to kill him.

  A sudden thump behind him made him spin around, expecting another cricket. Seeing nothing out of place he looked around warily in case something was creeping up on him.

  “Ilmarillion, is that you?” he called out cautiously.

  Soft laughter echoed through the forest. looking up he saw the faerie stepping out from behind the trunk of a tree onto a branch grinning mischievously. “You really need to look up more. I have been back for a little while already.” she said.

  “Did you find the last of the crickets then?” he asked, irritation from the prank evident in his voice.

  “I have found two more crickets, turn to the right a little more and keep walking . You should come across them shortly.” she answered.

  Picking up the pace again. He really wanted to finish and leave the rift as soon as possible. It was definitely exciting but he could do with a little less life threatening excitement right now. He would rather try and figure out what was happening to the world he thought he knew.

  When he saw the crickets ahead, he dropped his pack and readied himself. Moving cautiously forward he used the trees for cover but didn’t try to be completely silent in his approach.

  Halfway to the crickets, they reacted to his presence. He stepped out from behind the trees he was using as cover to better see them. He continued taking a slow approach making sure his spear was ready.

  With a quick jab, he pierced the first crickets eye. Taking several steps back he prepared for the second cricket. The second cricket died to an almost identical strike to the first.

  He knew these crickets weren’t the hardest of enemies, they just blindly attacked him without any thought for strategy or self preservation. But he still felt a certain sense of accomplishment. Despite all of his mistakes, he was able to kill so many while only taking one cut. He knew it wasn’t necessarily due any skill or talent he had, the spear's reach, the size difference between him and the crickets and the crickets large eyes making for an easy target all made it possible. If he had been forced to fight with no weapon or even a shorter weapon, things could have gone very differently.

  “Now I know I said there would be twenty to thirty crickets but I was only able to find these last crickets. Above ground, anyway.” she said.

  She took off again flying into the clearing the crickets came from “Come on, it is just in the clearing.” she called.

  Ezekiel's stomach dropped at her wording. Dreading what he was going to find, he followed after her. As soon as he entered the clearing, he saw that it was larger than the others he had come across so far. In the centre of the clearing stood a tree twice as tall as any he had seen in the rift so far. It almost looked as if multiple trees had been planted close to each other before fusing into the one tree. He couldn’t even estimate how large the circumference of the trunk might have been. What really caught his attention though was at the base of the tree he could see multiple dark holes leading below.

  Knowing the answer but hoping he was wrong he asked Ilmarillion anyway. “I’m going to have to go in there aren’t I?” he asked. “The rift hasn’t collapsed yet, meaning there is still too much essence left within the rift. That means, any crickets left are down there. Are you sure there were no more anywhere else?”

  “Wow, I am impressed. I was not sure you would be able to figure that out on your own” she said. “I flew around the rift twice to check. There are no other crickets above ground.”

  “Damn, I hate being right.” he said, exhaling sharply.

  Circling the tree, he counted the number of holes. There were five separate holes leading under the tree. Two were barely large enough for a single cricket, while the largest was wide enough for two crickets to walk side by side. He wasn’t claustrophobic and had gone caving several times in the past. But going down into a hole, filled with killer crickets, where he would be on his hands and knees, was an experience he could do without.

  Positioning himself on the opposite side of the tree to the largest hole, he banged the butt of his spear against the roots of the tree and yelled out. Then he sprinted as fast as he could to the tree line before turning back hoping to have lured them out.

  Nothing emerged.

  He waited a little longer, hoping at least one would emerge. Circling the clearing while staying within the tree line till he could see the largest hole. Nothing had emerged from any of the holes. Feeling both relieved and frustrated he once more approached the tree. He tried one more time making noise to lure out anything within the tunnels. He glanced at Ilmarillion for guidance.

  She shrugged “Maybe they have a queen that is unable to leave the hive. You will need to go in and check, unless you feel like waiting for the rift to spawn more crickets in.”

  Returning to his pack he grabbed out his flashlight. Turning it on, he was relieved to see it still worked. Searching for his spare batteries just in case. He did not want to be stuck in a dark hole with killer crickets. He had seen too many movies where people's torches had run out in just such circumstances for him to risk it.

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  “Ooh what is that?” asked Ilmariliion, curiously.

  “It’s a flashlight,” he said, looking up at her. “It runs off electricity like the computers and phones I told you about. This just creates light though.”

  As he came near the tree he shined his torch into four of the holes before it started fading and going out completely.

  “Ha! I knew it.” he muttered.

  Taking apart the flashlight he replaced the batteries in it and flicked it on. The torch stayed on for almost five seconds before it once more faded. Trying a different set of batteries and hoping they would work, the torch wouldn’t even turn on. Frustrated he shoved them back into his pockets. First his phone and now his torch and batteries, electronics didn’t seem to like mana.

  “Do you have any way to light up the tunnel?” he asked.

  “Absolutely, I have multiple ways. My favourite way when dealing with an infestation is fire.” she said with a smile. “Burn it to the ground. It kills and provides light. Anything that does not die to the flames will come running out.”

  “But, as I have said. This is an experience for you to handle on your own. Good luck trying to burn that tree down without a magical fire of some kind though.” she finished

  Wishing he had someone more helpful with him and the ability to burn the entire rift to the ground, or at least this giant tree. He crouched down in front of the largest hole. Keeping his spear up just in case anything suddenly came bursting out he tried peering deeper into the darkness. Not seeing anything he was about to creep a little deeper into the tunnel when he heard the sound of something rushing up the tunnel.

  Tumbling backwards he lifted his spear up defensively. But he didn’t need to worry, the cricket had stopped just short of exiting the hole with both front legs raised threateningly. It slowly backed down into the tunnel moving its front legs in such a way he was positive it wanted nothing more than to attack him but for some reason it refused to leave the hole.

  “See a Queen just as I said” Ilmarillion stated proudly.

  “It wasn’t bigger than any of the other crickets though.” he said.

  “It does not matter, it is protecting something down there and if a rift creature is protecting something it will be something that contains a lot of rift essence.” she responded.

  “Well how am I supposed to kill it if it won’t come out and what if there are more down there?” he asked. “I’m not going down there, I can barely move in there let alone fight and the only easy way I can kill them is by shoving a spear through their eye. I can’t see in the dark let alone fight in it.”

  “That is for you to figure out.” she said grinning

  Grabbing the spare spear from his pack, he placed them down a safe distance from the tree, in case his current spear was damaged. Watching the hole he slowly got closer to it, stomping on the ground and yelling trying to lure the cricket into coming out and attacking him.

  He wasn’t sure if anything he did made a difference but as he drew closer to the hole he could see the cricket lurking, just far enough back in the darkness, he almost couldn’t make it out. It probably just hadn’t retreated further back since last time and had just been observing them. As he drew nearer, the cricket, ever so slowly started coming out towards him, front legs raised and ready to strike.

  Being able to see where it was helped him feel more confident in beating it but he would need to lure it further out of the tunnel for a proper strike. The roof of the tunnel, along with the creature already being ready to strike, made him concerned that his attack would either miss or have his current weapon sliced in two.

  Approaching slower now he took one slow step after another, hoping to find the distance that would trigger the crickets attack. It almost felt like playing a game of chicken, waiting to see who would back down first.

  He was within about a metre of the entrance when the cricket finally came charging out. Because he had been expecting it, he easily dodged backwards, the crickets legs slicing through where he had been standing. The creature slowly retreated back into its hole, legs raised aggressively.

  Grabbing another spear he approached slowly and stopped just a bit further back than where he thought the line to attack would be. Being able to see down into the hole he hefted the newer spear up and threw it at the cricket. His aim was better than expected as it actually hit the cricket, scraping along its back dealing no damage and continued into the darkness of the hole.

  Enraged, the cricket surged out of the hole ready to strike at him with its legs. He tried to skewer it with his spear as he had the others, but it swiped down with one of its legs cutting his spear in two. Retreating further he saw the cricket stop once more, front legs raised threateningly.

  Taking the opportunity to grab his last spear, he watched as the cricket gradually backed away. Approaching it before it could retreat fully into its tunnel once more caused the cricket to stop and instead move forward trying to raise its legs even higher. Using the last of his original spear, he tried carefully jabbing at it to make it lower its legs again. The creature barely reacted to him as he was unwilling to get within striking distance of the legs.

  Seeing this tactic fail him, he chose to throw the last of the spear at its head instead. The half a spear managed to hit it in the head causing it to swipe down with its legs from pain and trying to keep him away.

  Seeing his chance now that the legs were lowered, he thrust his spear as fast as he could into the large compound eyes, killing it.

  Pulling the spear out, he walked around it to the large hole once more. He tried yelling and banging but nothing else emerged from the hole. Picking up the half a spear he had thrown at the cricket he returned to his pack. Searching through it he pulled out his camp stove and a spare top. He was about to wrap the top around the end of the stick when he looked down at his top, which had definitely seen better days at this point, covered in insect blood and guts. Swapping to the clean top he wrapped his filthy top around the end of what was once his spear.

  His improvised torch might not last long but it should provide some light, he just hoped it lasted long enough. Praying that his camp stove would work, he tried turning it on. The stove lit with a burst of flame. Even on the lowest setting it was still burning hotter and stronger than what it would previously on its highest setting. Grateful it was at least working he quickly lit the torch before turning the stove off and heading towards the hole.

  Looking at the torch and the black smoke it was giving off, he really hoped that it wouldn’t be asphyxiation from the smoke that killed him. Bending down low he threw his torch as far as he could. It guttered and almost went out but managed to stay lit. Briefly checking the other holes leading under the tree he could spot light from his torch in two other holes.

  Being able to see and knowing most if not all holes led to the same place helped give him confidence in descending down under the tree.

  Taking a deep breath, he crouched down and descended into the tunnel.