In a daze I send a stream of flame into the air, stuck staring at all the demons and my ears ringing with their roars. Then they see my fire, and the first demon lunges off to chase me. All of its siblings almost instantly following it, a wave of demons flooding towards me.

My legs didn't give my mind to be numb any longer because they flat out sprint at supersonic speeds towards that portal. I swear I have never ran so fast, nor have I ever had such a great motivator, in my entire life. The dying out flames bursting to get me away.

I can't help but to shred what strength I have to propel me even faster as the shrieks and roars get louder and louder behind me. I know I don't have a lot of fire left, but I really don't care. My future self can deal with that later, I'm much more concerned on making sure I actually have a future self that isn't dead.

Spotting the nether portal's island, I leap off. Letting my fire explode beneath me to actually get me there. Despite my hammering fear, I stop before scrambling through the portal. Checking behind me to make sure that I do have every single demon's attention. There is a purpose I'm living off of fear right now.

My legs again take free will out of my hands and push me through that portal when I see the first couple demons leap at me, claws outstretched to grab me and I instantly decided that they can make that jump.

The energizing crisp heat slams down onto me, although it's probably the only nice thing that has happened here so far, and I keep running on the railroads. A new fear burbling up as I hear the demons flood into the Nether only a second after me.

Praying as I continue to run along the minecart tracks, hoping that I at least drew all demons away from everyone in that Dome. That's the plan, the only real plan I had but somehow not actually regretting. Maybe I'm too absolutely terrified to leave any room for regret.

I nearly trip over these stupid railroad ties as I'm sprinting down them, occasionally using a burst of fire to launch me forward when I hear the demons get way too close. Close enough where I think their acid can hit me at least, I would prefer them to all be banished to Fire World.

If only I had a minecart, life would be great. I don't, and I can't get one, and these blasted demons are getting super close! My fire seems to be dwindling too quickly, but I can't exactly run faster than the demons without it. I don't stand a chance. My muscles, and whatever I've managed to injure, wouldn't even be functional without some fire.

Some sixth sense forces me to look back, just in time to see a demon in spitting range about to drown me out in some death acid. My mind staggers at the sight, my feet fumbling over the ties. And I trip, flailing down into the lava.

Time suspends as I fail closer and closer to the bubbling lava. The demon up there actually jumps down to still try and eat me, but sharp happiness and relief quickly drives through me when I see the scores of demons scurrying over the netherack. It looks like I got them all in here, the Redstonians and my friends are safe.

I splash into the lava, expecting to die but don't. I don't get a chance to comprehend that, I quickly have to swim to avoid that demon about to fall onto of me. Note to self: lava is much harder to swim through than water.

Looking behind me, the demons don't seem to have that problem. They're moving much more gracefully than I am right now, and I don't want to die before I can brag to anyone that I can survive in lava without a fire resistance potion.

Desperately shoving out enough flames, flickering dangerously low, I manage to launch myself out of the lava and to the closest bank of netherack there is. It hurts, it physically aches feeling my fire dwindle further and further down into wisps. How do I have such little left? I had much more than this before I got to the Nether.

Staggering back onto solid ground, and even the fire retarded Redstone Riot has gotten itself mostly degraded, I'm mostly just wearing the under armor. I glance behind me, the demons advancing steadily. One after the other jumping off of the minecart bridge to get to me.

Without any choice at all, I run further into the Nether. I have no clue where I'm going and I have a horde of demons chasing me. Not to mention I have very little fire left, which is dwindling really quickly even though I'm keeping it inside me.

Lukas, that's it. I gave him some of my fire, and I never took it back. What did that symbol say? A few hours on the best connection? Less if I'm using my fire at an insane rate? So I guess I have to worry about Fire Deprivation if I somehow manage to lose the demons. Great.

A bloodthirsty roar rings in my very heart, and my eyes give me the horrific image of one of the demons making it on land. I'm not that far ahead, I have mere minutes to figure out something before I'm forced to use more of my fire.

My nice flattish coast I've been sprinting on ends, and I'm force to push myself uphill. Not good, I can feel my muscles turning into bricks trying to speed my way up here. I don't really think these demons will have the same problem.

The demon screeches, and although still a bit away, it spurs my fire to burst out. Pushing me up to the top, but I sway a bit before correcting myself. I'm not running on fumes yet, but I sure am close. I'll give myself five to ten minutes if nothing else happens to force my fire out.

I spot a nether fortress, just sitting all by itself in the middle of a lava lake. I know I shouldn't burn any more fire, but if I can get there then maybe I rest long enough to figure out a way back. Once I do that, I can get through and destroy the portal.

Grunting, I sprint towards the edge. Hearing the roars and shrieks, telling myself I have to do this. I have to use this bit of fire up or else I'm just eventually going to get hunted down.

Screaming out, I leap off. Igniting an explosion beneath me to force me closer and closer to the fortress. I do it another time, my fire puffing to keep up, and then another time. My numbed body collides onto the nether brick, my limp body rolling across it.

I now begin to shut off some of the fire to stop numbing my injuries. My neck and stomach have now decided to give me torture. My arms screaming with the deep wounds and back really killing me. Doesn't matter though, I have to do this. I have to keep going, adrenaline will hopefully get the cue to numb those.

My muscles aren't as stiff as I thought they were going to be, but I'll take that with no complaints. I'm sure if I survive this that there will be day close to the future where every single cell of mine hates me.

I stagger to my feet, my entire back just throbbing in agony, and look past me. There are already demons in the lava swimming at me, the ledge I jumped off of covered in the disgusting green of scales the demons.

Moaning, I try to scurry through the halls and look for some way up to the top. Kinda hoping that the chests haven't been looted yet, maybe I'll be lucky enough to find a golden apple, but if I have luck then I'm hoping that the minecart system is close or there's another portal around here.

Turning the corner, my eyes widen when I see the blaze I'm about to ram into. Cursing myself as I plough straight into it and can only see the bright light of its fire.

To my horror, some of my fire dissipates. A good chunk of the little I have left gone. But my body doesn't care as it jumps away from the blaze, my very hurt sword arm whipping out my blood stained diamond sword.

And I nearly drop it when I see the blaze has changed color. The fire within its rods now my green fire, it's rods a darker shade of green themselves. I really didn't need anymore weirdness as I'm just trying to get through this alive.

I keep my sword out, but all my instincts are screaming at me that the blaze isn't the real threat. Instincts proved right when I feel a foreign draft of confusion float into me. It's so basic and not at all what I'm feeling, so I'm going to say I'm feeling the blaze.

"So are you a part of me?" I almost smack my forehead at the fact I'm talking to a blaze, but just end up sighing when it nods. It actually nods. My life is so messed up.

"And you can understand me?" Another nod, hopefully this is an opportunity that will let me live to the next day. "Do you know where the minecart bridge is?"

Another draft of confusion, and I seriously don't have time for this. "A line of netherack just kinda floating above a pool of lava?"

A nod and a unnatural ping of pride before the blaze flies off, my completely exhausted body struggling to catch up. Such little fire left, hopefully it's enough to get me to the surface. That's all I have to do, get to the surface.

The blaze leads me up to the top, where I have to stop for a moment. Just a moment to let my heart pound and my oxygen to blast to all the muscles and injuries. I'm not using any fire for physical improvement anymore, it's just really hard to keep pushing myself. The only reason I don't feel dead is because of that blessed chemical adrenaline.

Now that I've stopped, I can hear the screeches of the demons. Thankfully they're not as close as I feared, these fortresses were built to be protected by them, but hearing hundreds of demons roar isn't making me feel any better. Just remains me of the very lethal situation I got myself into.

The blaze hovers at the edge, but then stops to look at me lagging behind. It scurries over to me, and actually tries to push me forward with its head. My legs finally begin to stagger again, and I thank the blaze in my thoughts.

We make it to the edge, and the blaze begins to fly off a bit to the right. I have to squint to see the bridge all the way out there. It's a completely open area, nothing for me to jump to or anything. I don't have any blocks either, I don't know how long my fire can go.

Groaning, I jump off out to the blaze. Forcing the last wisps of my flames to burst out beneath me to stay in the air. Every burst though is like a punch to the chest, it just hurts so much. I'm becoming so empty and hallow and dead-like, cold creeping up on me.

I manage to keep pushing myself though when I hear the shrieks get quieter. They're still quite loud, but that's only because there are so many demons. I'm getting further away from them, finally.

I almost fall when my fire coughs and dies, but the bridge is so close. I shove out some of the last of my flames to get there, and collapse onto it. And while I'm panting heavily on the rails, trying to restore some form of life into me, I sneeze.

And just to make me feel even worse, I sneeze again. The blaze makes these groans and grunt sounds, wafts of concern drifting into me. Sighing, I somehow stagger to my feet again. Trudging off in the most painful jog I have ever done on the railings.

Isn't my fire suppose to replenish in the Nether? Lukas said I have to kill things to do that, so maybe a ghast could be so kind as to fly by me and I could launch its fireballs back into it.

I don't necessarily get my wish, but the rails up ahead go onto actual land. Where I can already see some zombie pigmen. That'll do, that'll do. Just swing my sword, get enough fire so I don't feel like I'm knocking on death's door, and get back to the surface.

Stumbling over there, my legs completely replaced by brick at this point, my blade hisses as I clumsily pull it out. The blaze, who's just been floating alongside me, gives a groan like screech, not really an intimidating attack noise.

Despite the dull numb ache pounding all throughout my body, I can still cut down the creature really quickly. It dies, but I don't get any boost. Nothing, nada, none at all. I only have my fire running on fumes in a breaking body with no way to recover. Something's wrong right now, because of course it is.

Moaning, I drag my feet again. Slowly making my way back to a portal again. I have to get to the surface, I have to get to Lukas. The others can chain me if they have to stop me from roasting myself, but I have to survive now if I'm going to survive then.

My legs quiver and I nearly fall off the bridge. The blaze snaps over to help steady me, its worry a firm rock in my mind. I'm already dreading to when I'm not so exhausted and empty that I'll actually start to think about this. Green blazes? Fire not recovering? Giving me a headache already.

I wish I could stop, or maybe at least walk, but I'll die if I do that. I tell myself that over and over again that stopping means dying, and it is the only thing that keeps me from fainting or collapsing. I really must have one strong self-preservation instinct, it's keeping me going after all of this.

Although my pace is everywhere. My numb legs try to slow down, I remind myself not to die, I try to pick up pace, stumble and lose balance, and repeat. A very agonizing never ending cycle of not stopping but really wanting to never move another muscle ever again.

It gets to the point where the blaze gets behind me and starts to push me again. Going flat and trying to push me forward with its head. It helps a lot, my pace finally get faster without my legs pounding as they wither away. It definitely doesn't help with balance though, only through pure luck did I not fall down again.

The main junction comes into view, but I'm so dead and empty that I can't feel any happiness at all. The only real thing that I do experience is a fluttering of relief from my throbbing heart.

The chant of stopping means dying still repeats nonstop in my head as I drag my broken body into the old building. Moaning as my legs shaking to get me up the stairs. I can't believe how sick I thought I felt first time I came here, I would laugh for hours if I could trade that pain with my former self.

My knees lock and my legs buckle when I get to the top, arms shooting out in a desperate attempt to steady myself. The blaze somehow gets its head underneath one of my arms, the sole reason why I didn't fall over.

Taking short, unsteady steps to the portal, I lean more and more on the blaze. The numbness in my body intensifying and growing as the throbbing actually dies down. But I can't feel my feet at all anymore, hands and legs not far behind.

We go through the portal, and the blaze vanishes, leaving me to flail in the water. I manage to raise my head above the water, the really bright sunset stinging my eyes. Not enough though to where I can't see the blaze hover as high as it can to stay away from the little lake.

Whimpering I drag my body out of the lake, forcing my dull arms to punch away at the dirt. If the demons did follow me or still have my scent or something, they need to be blocked off. If I'm going through this then I'm only going through it once.

I only get half a stack though when I collapse, my lungs and heart working furiously as my mind shuts down. I lay there panting for a few moments when the blaze comes and nudges me. That one small gesture enough to get the gears turning again, at least enough to place some dirt.

Again, I lean on the blaze until I get to the water. Then I fall into the liquid, slouching through on my knees to the portal. The light suddenly dims, or maybe I just noticed, and I glance behind me to see that it's night. My thoughts whispering again to me that stopping means dying.

As fast as possible, which is a staggering pace, I place all of the dirt around the portal. Trudging back through the water with only the dirt hut as my goal. Feeling slightly content that any demons that try to get me now are going to have a fun time suffocating.

Once I'm out of the water, the blaze begins to push me again. Almost making me fall a couple of times as I stumble into the door. Awkwardly, I open the door for the blaze. To which the fiery creatures squeezes through that space.

I get through the door, shut it, take a few steps before collapsing again on the ground. Panting but fully content to never move a muscle again. At least not until I think the world is freezing and I'm going to die soon, but that's a future problem. Rest is the only thing I care about now.

The blaze comes down to nudge me, maybe trying to make sure that I'm not dead yet. I look up at it, the gears in my mind turning slowly as I just stare at it. Starring as if thinking about something important but really, I'm not.

"You don't have a name." I blink, yawning mid-way through. "I think I'm going to call you Blake. Yeah, you're now Blake."

My eyes slink shut as a proud sensation sprinkles onto me. That's okay though, I deserve to be proud. Lukas is still alive, everyone in Redstonia should still be alive, and now scores of demons can endlessly wander the Nether. I'd call that a success.

Which is my last thought when the claws of exhaustion finally ensnare me.

****

Yay! Jesse didn't die!

However, this is my question: success or fail? The demons are trapped in the Nether, success. Redstonia has been destroyed, fail. The Redstonians are safe now, success. Most of them are injured or on the brink on the death and now need to evacuate, fail. Jesse's alive, success. Jesse will die soon if he doesn't get help, fail.

And does the blaze count as a success or fail? Having a widely considered hostile mob following you around a good thing? He was certainly a help now... but, it's blaze. Just, just let that sink in.

Whelp, that's all for this week. Next chapty will be our next week!