It didn't make things feel any easier, the crumbling rock, the removal of the nutrients and all within it.

"Looks like our friend's been snacking, huh?" he said, looking at it with a wary expression. He ran his own fingers delicately against the surface and it started to crumble beneath his touch.

He started to speak but stopped as he saw the swarm, frowning over at it.

"Yeah," he said, still wary. "Maybe the rock was just the appetiser?"

He gestured again, this time towards the cave mouth. "Well guess there's only one way to find out. Lets just try not to be the main course."