Note: This took way too long, sorry guys! Been a bit busy. Might post another one tommorow, might not if i'm busy, but I will definitely post one at the weekend! :D Anywho, hope you enjoy! CAPS LOCK IS OUR LORD

Mitch's POV

My eyes flicker open. My head was throbbing hard. I'd had worse, but it still hurt. Stirring, I shifted. Memories clouded my thoughts, remembering that someone knocked me out. Jerome...

Focusing on the room around me, I try and move, but to no avail. Looking down, I realize my mouth is gagged and my hands and legs are tied up in chains. I try and shout but my voice is muffled. "Mmf!" There's the sound of footsteps and I brace myself as Jerome comes up the stairs. "Oh, you're finally awake" Jerome smiles. I glare at him, struggling through my restraints. "Look, just listen to me before you get angry" he sighs, sitting down too close beside me. I stiffen, leaning away from him. His hand reaches up to stroke my forehead and I cringe. 

"You've been spending too much time with Liam." he continues, sliding his arms round my neck and I grimace. The feel of his paws on my skin made me shudder in displeasure. He untied the gag and I spit it out furiously. "So you thought instead of talking about it to me, you'd knock me out and kidnap me?" I snarl, wriggling free from his furry paws. "You would of just got angry with me" he countered, chucking the gag aside. "And you thought I wouldn't angrier at this?" I snap. He sighs again, getting to his feet. "You don't understand. You never will." Slowly he turns to face me and look me dead in the eye.

"I've loved you for a long time. A very long time. Every day I would think about you. You are the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing at night. Everyday, when I look into your eyes, I see a world that promises me happiness and love. But it's not my world to have. It's his. That's not how it's supposed to be, Mitch! We've been partners for so long, and then I risked my life to save you, and then you go and betray me whilst I'm brain damaged to sneak around and sleep with your apprentice who you've barely known compared to me, and then you ask him to marry you? And where am I in all this? I'm your best friend, and I could deal with the fact that you don't love me like that. Like I want you to love me. But the fact is you rejected me. So here you are now and here you will stay until you realize it's me you love!"

He storms out, leaving me shocked at his speech. He loved me? But he was my best friend! I didn't want him like that...

Shutting my eyes in frustration that there was nothing I could do, my head dips forward and a tear drips onto my jeans.

 Liam's POV

It had been two days since Mitch had gone missing. All I can remember is screaming after I read the note and running around in circles in the forest until Sky found me. I then passed out and woke up sobbing. "It's OK" he hushed me as I cried. I should be up and about, running around trying to find him. But everyone in Team Crafted was searching for them. 

"What is he going to do to him, Sky?" I whisper after hours of crying. Sky opens his mouth to reply but shuts it, looking increasingly disturbed. "It will all be ok. You know he won't hurt him, at least" he says finally, and I nod doubtfully. "But still..." I whisper, shuddering at the thought of Jerome pawing at him. "We're going to get married soon" I whisper, shutting my eyes. A small smile appears on my face as I think of him waiting at the front as I walk down the aisle. My smile turns into a sad frown as I remember that Jerome has put a stop to my happiness.

Getting up suddenly, I sprint down the stairs, grabbing my sword and run out of the door. I couldn't let him take my Mitch away from me. Not now, not ever. 

Bumping into Husky, I manage to catch my balance. "No sign" he grunts, continuing to search. I nod, sprinting into the horizon. Leaping up onto a hill, I call out Deamon's name, hope blooming in my heart. 

There's no answer.

I scream his name as loud as I can, "DEAAAAMOOOOON!" until my throat goes sore, and I collapse into painful silence, rubbing my throat hard. Where the hell was he? Maybe he was with Tia...quickly turning, I hurtle down the hill, past the shocked Sky, through the still green trees, through the towering long grass blades of the flower field and past the boundary line, all the way to the mansion on the hill. 

"Tia!" I gasp out, panting for breath as I climb the hill. The familiar fluttering of material sounds out of the window and exhaustion causes me to fall backwards off the hill. My arms go numb and I can't move as I hit rocks and bumps. Two arms go around me, stopping my fall and I let Tia carry me up into the house. 

"Get Deamon! Where is he?" I pant as soon as I find solid ground. Ridgedog hovers in, looking troubled and confused. "Why? What's going on?" Tia frowns. "Mitch got kidnapped by Jerome and I can't find Deamon anywhere to help me. Do you know where he is?" I manage to gasp out. "He went into the nether with Robin an hour ago. They should be back by now..." Worry etches onto Tia's face as she glances at Ridge. His face is as cold as stone as he soars over to the nether portal and dives in. 

Quickly, Tia follows him and Ryan, who was Tia's son and Mitch's apprentice, jumps in beside me, and I throw myself into the portal. Everything goes weirdly distorted and purple and I instantly recoil but I stay in the portal as everything goes black...

Tia's POV

Fluttering worriedly, I cast an eye around the lava covered land. The crackling of fire distracts me, and the bubbling of the large pools of lava is distant. The red brick of the nether castle comes into view. Ridgedog was already flying through, and I hear the portal ripple behind me as Liam and Ryan joins us. "Ryan! Go back through the portal, it's not safe here!" I sigh, trying to push him back in. He shakes his head determinedly. "Something might of happened to Robin" he says boldly, trying not to let the worry in his eyes. 

Grumbling under my breath, I quickly scoop Liam up and take off after Ridge, waiting for Ryan to join me. He's a bit wobbly at first, as he was still getting used to flying, and the pure heat and steam off all of the fire was making it hard to concentrate. But he finally takes off into the air and we follow Ridge as we fly after him.

Anything could of happened to Robin. What if Mexxy had teleported to Deamon and taken Robin? What if Deamon had done something to her? As I near the castle, a horrible sight meets my eyes. 5 wither bosses are hovering around, firing at the now panicking Ridgedog. My face pales and I flinch backwards. I knew wither bosses could actually kill me. Swallowing a little, I back up to Ryan. "Stay alert and away from the wither bosses. They can kill us" I warn and he nods, a little afraid. 

Liam jumps out of my arms suddenly, landing neatly on the nether brick and running towards the wither bosses, drawing his sword and finishing off the ones Ridge missed. Ridge floats back to me, covering me with his body. "You and Ryan need to go back. It's not safe here." he urges, floating me backwards. "Ridge, it's fine, we can handle it" I assure him, but one look at the demigod and I know this isn't up for discussion. 

"We will be ten minutes. I'm sure Robin is somewhere, probably looking for magma cream with Deamon that's all" he smiles but there's doubt in his eyes. I was beginning to question Deamon's loyalty to us. "OK" I agree, scowling. He kisses me quickly, his hand gently caressing my stomach which was beginning to bump up just the smallest bit. I smile, taking his hand and squeezing it, before gesturing to Liam. "I'll take Liam back to the house and we'll wait there, OK? Stay safe. And if anything bad happens, come straight back to me, OK? I love you" I add, kissing him lightly on the cheek. He smiles and nuzzles me on my neck. "I love you too. Now go!" he urges, pushing me backwards. Ryan flies forward to lift Liam into the air, before we soar back and through the nether portal, me throwing one last glance to the lonely demigod in the air before everything becomes purple. 

"Tia, what's going on?" Liam asks me as soon as we fly back through the portal. Throwing a glance at Ryan, he scowls at me. "I'm staying and hearing this." he insists. I sigh. "Robin may have gone missing. Or she's just with Deamon somewhere. I don't know. But something is happening in the nether that's causing more wither bosses to show up than normal. I think the two events are linked somehow. Not sure though" I admit, biting my lip. 

"Robin's missing? And Deamon? And Mitch?" Ryan confirms, his mouth quivering a little. "I'm not su-" "Mum, I'm back. Sorry for taking so long" a voice interrupts. My head snaps towards the door, and I fly towards it quickly. "ROBIN WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!" I yell, pulling her into my arms and breathing quickly, shaking. "M-mum I was in the nether, that's all. And then I went for a walk with Deamon. Why?" she asks, clearly confused by the way she is tilting her red hair. "Do you have ANY IDEA how worried we've been? Mitch has just been kidnapped, and then you disappear...we've been searching for you all over the nether!" I sigh, turning away and trying to contain my shakes of relief. "I thought you'd gone" Ryan whispers, looking equally relieved that his sister was home safe.

"I-I'm sorry. Deamon went on a walk with me and told me all of you and dad's history about how he used to beat you and-" My head snaps up angrily, "-then he kissed me" she finishes. "HE DID WH-WHERE THE HELL IS HE?" I roar angrily, making everyone jump. "He flew off. I don't know, back to Voxeltopia I guess. Why did you never tell me Dad beat you, Mum?" she asks, her eyes saddened. I shoot a glance back to Ryan who looks troubled now, eyeing me uneasily. "It was when he was insane, OK? We're fine now" I snap, ending the conversation. 

"I need to go and find your dad, tell him you're ok. Then I'm going to go have a chat with Deamon" I spit as I say his name, launching myself angrily through the nether portal. I call out Ridgedog's name as soon as I materialize through the portal. No answer. I fly to the nether castle, shouting out his name. That's when I spot the cape on the red nether brick floor and I fly over to it cautiously. It was Ridgedog's cape, of course, I would spot that midnight black and golden edged piece of clothing anywhere. There was a note on it. Trembling, I picked it up.

To Tia,

Ridgedog is gone. I'm sure you are wondering where. Well, I cannot tell you where. But there are a series of puzzles which will lead you to his location. Contained within this piece of paper is one clue which will lead you to the location of the next. As for why I have taken him, I simple cannot say. Deamon himself had warned your daughter personally that yes, I have been considering war with the mortals. And you and your despicable family. On your journey, you may discover more about who Ridgedog is, who I am and more importantly, who you are. The Canadian is also at the end of the path, as he is a vital piece in my puzzle, along with Jerome, who agreed to help me carry this out. The clock is ticking. 

Mexxy