Norbert looked towards the cavern. Seeing the path open ahead, he did not believe what his eyes showed him. Norbert saw what was making the noise in the most extensive cavern yet. A massive sack was in the centre, taking up half the height; Norbert scanned the sack to see what it was.

At the top appendages came out were such large-looking parts of the cave; Norbert just stared at the size of the queen before him. Reminding Norbert of ant queens, he had seen back on Earth but this one was on steroids and some growth hormone.

Norbert looked down, white cocoons coming out of the base of the sack before workers came and moved them to the side. Norbert looked down at the ground, seeing the floor was filled with these cocoons. Norbert saw that on the outer ones, they started to shake before a crack appeared.

With horror, Norbert looked and saw the creature be birthed at the full adult size of one of the workers. Around the queen, Norbert saw what he assumed were soldiers, twice the size of the workers he had currently seen, their carapace having protrusion-like spikes all around, so it would just have to hit you to turn into a pin cushion.

Moving his eyes back up to the queen, Norbert finally saw what had caused the buzzing he heard. In the air, constantly hovering around the chamber, were flying insects. If the soldiers had bulk and size, these were all for aerodynamics. Thin and elongated, twice as long as the worker ones but thin, their wings taking up most of their body, Norbert looked as they flew and darted around.

Norbert once saw them charge after something; Norbert could not even see what it was before it was swarmed; whatever it was, Norbert never knew. Looking at where it was, Norbert saw another passage out of the room, the only central tunnel path they had encountered in their underground journey. Gulping, he returned to the group, indicating quiet for Dousan to follow him, showing him what he had found. He only showed signs of a knowing nod as he looked at what Norbert pointed out before moving back to the group, out of sight of the cavern.

Retreating further back, they continued several times around the bend until they were hopeful their voices wouldn’t echo to the queen. “Ok, in twenty rotations, we will head in. I want Flanch and Nessie to go top side, back the way we came and notify the other teams through the surface. Head up now, as if it goes by the norm when we attack, they will all wake up.”

Receiving nods in reply, the two of them bolted up the opposite way, back up the spiral path quickly out of sight, only the steps they made as they ran the only sign they were once there, which were growing quieter quickly.

The rest turned towards Dousan again. “We will be attacking in the usual formation; prepare, and can someone keep track of the time?” A hand shot up in the air, confirming the time as people departed and moved around, mentally preparing for the assault and discussing tactics to be used against them.

Dousan came towards Norbert, signalling for one of the armoured wielding a spear to follow him. The two of them approaching Norbert, he knew he did not like what would happen next. “Norbert”, Dousan stated, “Your job is to ram these stakes into the ground, with the final one into the queen.” Five half-a-meter stakes made of solid metal were revealed from the spearman who had opened his backpack inside. Norbert gulped and just stared out at them.

Taking one from the spearman’s hand, Norbert investigated it; holding the torch next to it, Norbert saw the same markings indicating magic. Meeting Doosan’s eyes, Norbert stated, “Don’t know how much help I can be, not like I can activate these for whatever they need to do?” Norbert said, tossing the stake to Dousan.

“You don’t need to activate them; just place them in the ground at a rough equal distance and the last one in the queen. The mages here will use it as a tether to attack the queen directly.” Dousan said, tossing the stake back to Norbert.

Catching it, Norbert replied immediately, “And what makes you think I can even get to the queen. Wouldn’t someone else from the scouts or you be better?” tossing the stake back to Dousan.

Dousan grabbed the steak out of the air in one hand, he chucked it back to Norbert, saying, “The others need to stay here, and don’t think I haven’t read your report. Though you have the gloves now, don’t your superiors know?” Breathing in, his hand on Norbert’s shoulder, he whispered in his ear, “And don’t think we don’t know you had a strength elixir.”

Norbert instantly opened his mouth, trying to refute him, only receiving a hand in return. “I’ve seen it with my own eyes; your footprints in the ground around the hills the other day are ample proof of this. And my final reason, do you believe in me?”

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Norbert thought about what he was saying; already, his secret was out just when he figured he only had suspicions about what he was given. He moved his eyes around the group, all tense and looking towards the discussion. Norbert just wanted to be part of them, able to laugh afterwards and drink. Looking into the eyes around them, all solid in their belief, remembering when the other scouts split off immediately without even giving it a proper thought.

Norbert opened his mouth to speak “I don’t trust you, but I trust those here” Norbert pointed to the group around them “and if you’ve earned their trust. Guess I need to believe in them.”

Norbert looked back at him, staring into Dousan’s eyes cracking a smile Dousan replied “Well, then, believe in me that believes in you. Ok,” Finishing with his hands spread open. Norbert just nodded and took the other spikes.

“Excellent, and after going in there, I want you to go out the other tunnel and find the other group down here. We will need all the hope to come out of this place in one piece.” Norbert nodded in response, holding his breath as he juggled the five stakes.

Jogging around the place, Norbert tried to carry them in a way to allow easy access. After several minutes and being unable to do so, Norbert bundled four under his left arm while having the fifth in his right hand. Pacing around the group, Norbert waited for the time to go off, focusing on breathing.

Hoping that it would be activated this time with no issues, Norbert believed in the power he received from the ancient temple. Both too soon and not long enough, the time was called. Feeling the back of his skin crawl, hairs on end, Norbert walked with the group once more walking down the winding tunnel.

Around the bend, they went until they once more saw the light at the end, hearing the buzzing and movement that the chamber ahead held. Norbert stopped in his tracks, closing his eyes as he focused only on breathing, in and out; slowly, Norbert felt his heart slow down from the racing that it was before. Norbert opened his eyes, accepting his fate to make it to the other side. Spinning around on his heels and smiling at the group, waving his right hand, still holding the spike, Norbert said, “I’ll see you all in a jiffy”, hoping to hide his nerves from the others.

Facing the exit, Norbert sprinted off, hearing his steps boom in the tunnel, the cracks on the stone as they broke through, and he wrenched them free again. In several steps, Norbert cleared the twenty meter until it opened, leaping. Norbert flew through the air, seeing the earth flash before his feet.

In the middle of the air, time seemed to stop for Norbert; still in the future and not dropping, Norbert examined the world around him, not believing what he was doing. That stuff he had must have made him a bit wacky to allow him even to be here.

The immensity showed as he looked around the room; the hundreds to thousands of eggs almost seemed to open up beneath him. In the air, tens of flyers now still, the soldiers on the ground swarming and moving about the queen, and the workers everywhere remembering the difficulty from before of just escaping. Now he was head first in the deepest part.

Time began to speed up again as Norbert felt himself falling, crashing into the ground, pulverising an egg, instantly coated in sticky goo. Norbert threw down the spike in his right hand before taking another and sprinting off.

The change was immediate; the noise vibrated everywhere, forcing Norbert to stop his sprint or fall. After the impact wore off, Norbert sprinted forward, whipping his head around to gauge what he would be dealing with. In the air, Norbert saw a group of flyers come for him; the workers were already swarmed, and several soldiers were within their group.

Leaping forward, Norbert smashed through the first two, it is becoming jelly underneath him. Finally believing what Dousan said about the elixir Luck had given him, Norbert continued to bulldoze his way through.

Ahead seeing a break as no more workers came after him, Norbert jumped, landing precariously on top of a soldier, making sure not to hit any of the spikes. Norbert took the steak in his hand and smashed it through the insect with a crunch breaking through its body and placing it into the ground.

Kicking it further into the ground, Norbert leapt into the air, where the flyers ambushed him—immediately in the air, one of them breathed fire at him while another body slammed in the opposite direction.

Unable to avoid it, Norbert took the hits, the wind coming out of him as his body sang. Falling to the earth, Norbert crashed into the earth. Leaping out of the crater he formed before being swarmed, Norbert knew not to jump too high, or the repeat could happen.

Slamming another spike in, Norbert dashed through, and now the worker ants started throwing fireballs at him. No longer caring about the eggs around him, they just wanted the pest out of their nest. Sadly for them, Norbert was not complying.

Running forward, Norbert tried to smash through as many eggs as possible, knowing that the more he had on him, the easier it would be for his group to clean up after him.

Slamming his fourth stake into the ground, Norbert looked up at the sack now engulfing his vision. Swallowing, Norbert sprinted forward, closing the hundred-meter gap in seconds before leaping into the air, trying to get as high as possible on the queen to find its head.

Running up, feeling his feet squish into the sack, Norbert climbed to the top, until finally reaching the top of its head. Looking at the sheer size of its head, the armour plating all over, Norbert held the spike and shoved it into its head. Only hearing it glance off the side with a spark.

Seeing its mouth open, trying to point right at Norbert, he felt the temperature rise; deep within its throat, a ball of fire formed. With no time to spare, Norbert shoved it on the inside, not catching anything but falling past the flaming ball.

Jumping off, Norbert fell to the ground, now ten or so meters up, waiting for the impact that was to happen.

As he was about to land on the ground, a flash of light burst from behind him; Norbert waited for whatever the queen was cooking to be unleashed upon him.