"Ivor." 

I glare at him. It's because of him me and my friends are trapped here. It's because of him I don't know if Petra's alive. It's because of him Gabriel's gone and there's a monster out there taking more and more lives. It's because of him the only home I've ever had only withers in flames.

"You ruined everything." He partly growls and partly whisper, but all I hear is nonsense. Axel crossing his arms next to me and Olivia glaring daggers at him, even Reuben snorting angrily at him. The bitter fool can't even realize his momentous mistake.

"Don't pretend you don't know, thief. You took my most valuable potion-"

"Oh yeah, maybe that wouldn't have happened if you didn't steal from us." I sneer at him, my fists curling up. "But then again, Petra would've never taken a deal with someone so insane to release and try to control a monster like that!"

Ivor snorts, digging through his robes. "Yes, the girl. Even though there's nothing left up there except that Wither Storm, she was running past me as I was heading to the portal. Such bravery." He huffs, pulling out a bottle. "Of course, there's a fine line between bravery and stupidity. And your friend has crossed it."

"Hey!" Axel storms up to Ivor, rage brewing from him. "Don't you dare talk about Petra that way-"

"Or what big guy?" Ivor rolls his eyes, walking away from us and popping off the cork to his bottle. "I would wish you good luck with the minecarts, but luck can't carry you through the Nether."

He gulps down the bottle, flinging the glass to the side. I gasp as he simply vanishes, not one trace of him. Although I can't exactly be sad about that, the urge to punch him was growing with every word that passed through his filthy old lips.

A whine pierces the air, and I look down to Rueben. When it doesn't seem to be him though, I squint through the haze of the Nether with the others, trying to find the source.

"Okay..." Lukas shuffles, stepping closer to the rest of us. "Am I the only one who heard that or..."

The soft cry whines again, and we all glance behind us. My shoulders dropping at the unmistakable white head and tentacles of a ghast. It's blood eyes opening at the sight of us.

"Okay everyone! Run!" I pivot and sprint, my heart instantly moaning at the heat it's working in. I ignore it, quickly snapping my head around to make sure everyone has gotten the message. Good, they did.

A wave of blistering heat seems to just hit me, and I stumble forward in pure confusion. I blink, gasping as oxygen suddenly seems to have left the air. The edges of my sight blurring the reds and oranges of the Nether, my head swimming in a nauseating cool liquid. How the heck did it get even hotter?

Shoot, I better not be running a fever right now. So NOT the time and literally the worst place ever to get one.

"Look!" I shake my head, staring down at the minecarts Olivia's pointing at. "Ivor mentioned minecarts, maybe they're our way out?"

The ghast cries behind us, and I push Axel down to them. "I'd say so. In! In! In!"

It screeches and shoots out a fireball, and I scramble out of the way as I try to get to the minecarts. The heat really starting to get in my head, messing me up even as we all desperately clamber inside the carts.

Reuben jumps in the first one, not quite making it and leaning out the edge. I push him in, jumping into the one behind him. Gasping at the super hot metal, and despite my urge to hang on, I'm trying not to let any skin touch any metal.

The carts zoom off, unfortunately pushing my back against the burning metal. I wince, leaning forward so I don't have to bear that. Couldn't these things be lined with something that doesn't hold heat so well?

The cave opens up and I momentarily forget my burning skin as the huge lava lakes bubble endlessly below us. Quite suddenly, I'm really glad I'm in this minecart even if it's pretty hot. Way better than being down there....

"Wow, the Nether." Guessing from Lukas's awed and kinda on edge voice, he feels the same.

"Yeah..." Olivia gulps even over the racket of the minecarts. "That is a LOT of lava. And fire. And other things that could burn you to death."

I open my mouth, to say something, when a faint moan comes out instead. The heat slamming down against me again, my vision swimming as the burning air in here refuses to give me enough oxygen.

Moaning again, I lower my head. Using my hands to massage my muscles, forcing them to relax. With the air here quite terrible, I need the muscles to recover as much as the can even in here. Especially if I have to fight through this fever, although maybe it'll get better once I'm out of the fiery dimension.

"Oh that's a drop!" My head snaps up at Lukas's cry, my somewhat hazed vision showing me the rapidly approaching drop. "That is very, very much a drop."

"What are you talking about new guy?" I grab onto the sides, only to instantly let go when my skin seethes against the metal. "Oh crap! You weren't kidding!"

Reuben squeals loudly, screams both ripped from Olivia and Lukas while Axel just shouts excitedly. My own scream rests in my mouth, but my lungs clamp down on the air I have. Not letting it go to waste for some useless scream.

The minecarts blaze forward with a new speed, hurtling us through another tunnel. My heart jolting into a faster pace as I spot the netherack has grown above the carts.

"Duck everybody!" I quickly heed my own advice, wincing at how dry and crackling my voice is. Peeking my head back at everyone, thankfully no one got hit-

"Watch it!"

I snap my head back down, giving a silent thank you to Olivia. Although I can't help but notice her voice didn't seem so dried up as mine. Maybe I'm fretting over nothing, but there's this creeping feeling of impending doom looming over me. Like I don't have doom already. 

Gulping, my mouth so dry that it actually kinda stings, I furiously curse inside my head. There's a lava waterfall, a lavafall, directly ahead us. Didn't the Order design this? Why does it have to be so terrifying?

"Okay, so I'm not the only one seeing we're running out of track, right?"

"Jesse, that switch!" I strain my eyeballs at Olivia's panicked shout, and somehow spot the gray thing amidst all the oranges. "Hit it! Now!"

"Oh man..." I mutter as I lean over the edge, the burning metal digging in relentlessly as I hold my arm out. "Arm please don't fail me now."

It didn't hurt terribly bad, the immediate throb from my forearm tells me that I will have a bruise there. But I'll take that over any day than flying straight into lava, mission accomplished.

"Oh wow." I breathe out a sigh of relief, getting away from that burning metal. "Thought something bad was going to happen, but I guess everything went-"

The carts roll forward again, lurching me to the side. I cry out and snap my head over to the others. All of them getting pushed this way and that too, and I regretfully have to hang onto the minecart sides. The burns better than the jerks my head's taking.

In only a few seconds, I roll forward normally. I blink rapidly, groaning as my head doesn't really want to deal with the Nether and its heat anymore.

"Guys?"

No response.

Pushing down the headache, I lift my head. A frustrated cry bursting from my lips as I'm completely alone on these tracks. My lungs force me to cough after that, the bitter heat so strong that it stings in my throat. Forcing me to cough as if I'm choking.

That terrible dreadful feeling creeps back, and I can't help but wonder. Why am I the only one who seems to be adjusting so poorly to the Nether? The others have never stepped foot in here either, maybe I'm the only one being weak about it.

A terrified squeal snatches my attention, my eyes narrowing as I spot a skeleton try to shoot at my pig. Whether I'm adjusted or not, sick or not, if a Wither Storm thing can't have my friends, then a skeleton can't have Reuben.

Our minecarts come together, and without so much as thinking, my arm whips out my sword. "Hey bonehead!"

The skeleton rises his head as I swipe down on it. The undead heap of bones staggers down before lifting its bow at me, arrow nocked and all. My arm lunges forward, a relieved smile on my face as it falls into the lava below.

"Reuben!" He oinks excitedly at me, jumping over into my spare minecart. I chuckle, a dry raspy thing, rubbing his head with my left hand. My smile dropping a tad bit when a ping of pain immediately comes from that arm.

Exactly where I felt the beam's cold energy attack.

My smile completely falls, and I try to take a deep breath in this terrible air. "Okay Reuben, need your opinion here. Should I deny that there's something wrong with me or just go look and see if-"

A ghast cries above me, a cry of my own bursting out. I stare towards it in horror, especially when two of its buddies show up. I'm so not ready mentally and physically to handle this. I mean, c'mon, can't I get a break here?

It opens its deadly red eyes, shooting a fireball at us. Something else I really did not need.

"Duck Reuben!"

My arm shields my head as I brace for a blow... that only pushes against my arm slightly? I glance up, just in time to see its very own fireball blow up in the ghast's face. My sword must've sent it back somehow.

With a deep breath, still impossible in the Nether, I stand up. Facing down the three ghasts with only a sword and my muscles that can't get enough oxygen from this burning environment. Things I never thought I'd be doing this morning....

A fireball launches at me, and I gulp as I just have to wait for it to get closer. At the last moment I swing, lady luck gracing me and sending the fireball hurtling back from whence it came. The middle one crying out before it dissolves into smoke.

Two fireballs, coming less than a second apart fly towards me. My heart staggers for that one moment where I just have to wait for them to come to me. Before I scream out, my voice crackling painfully in my throat, side swinging and managing to somehow hit both of them.

A raspy chuckle escapes me when the two others die instantly. I just killed three ghasts even though I feel terrible. I put away my sword, still grinning as I sit back down. The buries and muscles in my arm throb at the simple exertion, but it's fine. I'm sure it's just all this heat anyway.

I open my mouth, wanting to say something to Reuben, when my lungs heave desperately for oxygen again. I sigh, turning in the seat and completely ignoring the burning metal, to pet Reuben. My little friend snorting softly as I scratch the top of his head.

We make a sharp turn, jerking me back forward. Just in time to duck at the fireball hurtling at us, exploding right behind me. Reuben squealing as he jumps into my lap, my arms automatically wrapping around him.

Our cart makes another sharp turn, going up and yet not losing any speed. I stare at the top, clutching Reuben harder as not only is there a ghast, but at this speed we're going to fly off the top.

"This is bad." My heart pounds rapidly in the heat, my jaw quivering as we speed to the top. "This is bad. This is bad. This is bad. This is-"

We launch off, my eyes popping out into the dry air as I see no tracks beneath us at all. My body lifting up from the minecart as we plummet back down. Reuben squealing as I try to keep my grip on him, only my legs in the cart as finally see the tracks rapidly approaching below us.

We slam down onto them and jerk into the others' minecarts. My head swimming at the sudden forces jerking into it, my eyes swimming in darkness before they desperately try to adjust back to normal.

"Is... uh, is everyone okay?" I squint, and I think everyone's here. But with my sight all whacky still, I would much rather here their voices. My ears haven't failed me yet.

"I mean, I'm not dead. I guess that's pretty good." Check on Axel.

"Ditto, ditto with the not dead." Check on Olivia.

"I just can't believe Petra comes down here all the time. This place is awful." Check on, and agreement with, Lukas.

Lukas takes a deep breath, something I haven't been able to do here. "Your throat's going to be sore later Axel."

"Uh, why?"

"I mean, wasn't that you doing all that screaming before?" I huff, rolling my eyes. Certainly wasn't me with my desert throat. Any words I've formed have all come out wispy and weak. "Sounded like you were really shredding your larynx."

"Oh yeah, I heard that too." Olivia turns around, smiling at Lukas. "Really high pitched right? Kinda like a squeaky piston?"

"What? No, shut up."

"Never mind, must've been something else." Lukas is clearly smiling, and I'm just amazed they're comfortable to joke like this. I feel awful still. I just can't get used to this heat for the life of me, and while I'm glad I have Reuben, his body is really hot in my arms.

"Mortified silence Jesse?" I perk my head up at my name, not really wanting to say the real reason. "Yeah, you and me both pal."

I roll my eyes at that one, he seems to be doing fine talking. Sure, he might not be totally comfortable with it, but at least it doesn't hurt him. But any moisture in my mouth has long since abandoned it to go to drench my skin in sweat.

To my great relief though, there doesn't seem to be any more problems with the minecarts or tracks as we speed through. Eventually arriving at some sort of terminal. Which is about dang time, I cannot wait to breathe proper air again. I really need it.

Reuben jumps out of my arms when we roll to a stop, the others getting out just fine as I hoist myself out. It's not the worst, dragging my body to the stairs. But all the adrenaline in my system has long since faded. I've been up for so long, done so much, suffered in this heat, I am just so tired at this point.

It's silent as we climb up, except for Reuben's soft little snorts as he jumps up the stairs. Even my lungs, working so tirelessly for air, can't help to heave a sigh of relief when I spot the Nether portal out of here. I never want to step foot in this place ever again.

Olivia coughs, scratching her neck. "So all of these tracks converge at this one point. You could probably get anywhere in the world from here."

"Oh no 'Liv..." My voice strains and crackles, and I cough lightly to try to get some life it in. "We're going through that portal, I'm not staying in here long enough to go anywhere else."

Axel heads for it first, and I ignore the concern look I get from Olivia. "So this must led back to the surface.

"The surface is also where that creature is." Lukas's words stop Axel dead in his tracks. My shoulders droop, realizing that while Axel simply just looks nervous, I know that he's really scared. Perks with living with some for years I guess.

Without saying a word, I think I've done enough damage to my respiratory system for one day, I pat Axel on the back. My dry lips cracking apart as I shoot him a smile.

"Jesse-" I raise an eyebrow at him, still reluctant to say anything unless he outright refuses for me to go first. "I- thanks buddy."

"Be, be careful."

I nod at Olivia, taking a step forward. I hesitate, just for a moment, before I close my eyes and walk through. The foreign feeling of walking through water that's not wet, my senses warped and flipped around as a whole new set of stimuli floods them.

My eyes flutter open as I take a few steps down, into water? I smile, glad the others aren't here, and walk in deeper before plunging my head in. Taking in desperate gulps, the water reviving my mouth. The cool liquid flooding my body that's just been in an oven for way too long.

A zombie groans, and I groan too as I pull out my sword. I really wanted to keep drinking. But when I take a really nice deep breath in as I face it, it just feels good. My lungs practically sighing in relief, my muscles free from heat and oxygen restrictions cut down the zombie as if it were nothing.

Putting the sword away as I bend back down, eager to take in more gulps of water. I know I probably drink so much in one sitting, but I just sweated gallons out. I rather be grumpy with water slouching in my stomach rather than just dull from water loss.

"Dude?"

I lift my head at Axel, gulping one last time and swallowing. "Man Axel, I could not tell you how thirsty I was after being in there."

He smiles at me as we trudge out of there, although standing in the water has really helped me cool down. "Trust on this one, you already look ten times better."

"I guess me and the Nether don't really get along."

I'm climbing up the stairs when I hear the portal waver as the others must be coming out. I force myself to strain my eyes again tonight, trying to find some trace of a temple, but only seeing a dark shapes and hearing the monsters crawling around them.

"Where are we?"

I sigh, relaxing my eyes and turning to Olivia. "In the dark with no sign of the temple."

"Maybe we should bed down for the night." Lukas scratches his head as he comes up the steps, Reuben shaking off water next to him. "It's dangerous to be out when it's this dark."

Both Axel and Olivia open their mouths, but I'm too tired for it. "Agreed. We can look for the temple in the morning, for now we need shelter."

"Yeah, okay." Lukas looks around, and I try not to pay attention Axel's glare on him. "We should probably make a-"

"I think a dirt hut would be best." Axel shrugs, ignoring the glare Lukas shoots him. "It'd be quick and simple, perfect solution."

Olivia rolls her eyes, and I sigh with that glorious fresh air, another argument. "In a hut, we won't know what's coming until it's knocking on our door. But in a tree house-"

"Okay guys, let's make hut."

"It's not-"

"That's it Olivia, Jesse made the call." Axel smirks, and I just roll my eyes. The thought of resting becoming a really appealing one really quickly. A hut just sounds plain easier than a tree house.

I sigh, still loving this air, and gesture for them to get going. Moving over to a random hill and digging it up, nodding to myself when I hear the others dig up dirt as well. Although as much as I hate to admit it, I can hear them digging it up faster than me. Which I'll blame on the fact they weren't a dehydrated mess during that whole Nether thing.

Yawning once I think I have enough dirt, I grab another long drink from the pond and stumble back to the clearing thing. We all build it fairly quickly, another yawn pried out of me before we finish.

"All that work, and we're still eye level with monsters that are going to try and kill us."

"Olivia." I glance her, silencing her moaning. "Don't tell me you had the energy to chop down trees and then build a treehouse after what we just went through."

"We could have maybe done a multi-level thing..." We make our away inside, and I give half an ear to Lukas. "But it's too late now. I mean, it's... it's cool."

We get inside, and Olivia digs up a block in the middle. Raising an eyebrow and smirking at me when she places a log, clearly showing she did in fact have the energy. Playfully, I exaggerate an eye roll at her and smile back as I pull out the flint and steel.

A fire blazes to life after I strike it, although I scoot away from the flames. Sure, most of my clothes are still wet. Yet that still feels pretty good too. So Reuben can be nestled next to the fire himself, I have no desire for heat again quite yet.

I sit down, a huge yawn breaking from me again while my eyelids droop. We have shelter and we aren't in immediate danger, I can rest. I haven't slept for a long time now, maybe almost an entire day. Yeah, I can just lay down and-

"Oh man!" My shoulders droop, and with worried eyes I turn to Axel. "I'm going to tell you something, you have to promise not to freak out."

I brace myself. "What is it?"

He turns around with a full blown grin on his face. "I have cookies."

My stomach makes this weird gurgling noise, thankfully quiet enough not to be heard. But as Axel passes a cookie to Olivia, I feel any appetite I had wash away. And when Axel actually hands me a cookie my stomach clenches, as if daring me to see what happens if I put that thing inside it.

"Thanks Axel." He nods as he tosses one down for Reuben, and even he nibs and gobbles it up quite quickly. While I just stare at the thing as if I'm contemplating whether or not it's poisoned.

"Sorry Lukas, I only had four."

I raise my head at Lukas, watching him shift uncomfortably. "Oh no, it's fine. It's alright. I- I'm not that hungry anyway. I'll just..."

He trails off as I get up, his eyes widening as I walk to him. If my stomach says it doesn't need food, then I'll give to someone who does. Perhaps I can just pick an apple later and my stomach will allow it to be eaten.

"Here Lukas, take it." I hold it out to him, but he just shakes his heading and waves it away a bit.

"Oh no, no I can't- I can't do that."

I roll my eyes, smiling lightly and pushing the cookie into his hand. "I insist."

For a moment, he doesn't react, just staring at it. Until a weary smile breaks free, and he grins at me. "Thanks... thank you Jesse."

I smile at him as he begins to eat it, and satisfied that his body won't be rejecting it, I turn to go sit next to Reuben. Maybe now I can just fall asleep-

Axel huffs, lips raised in distaste. "That was for you Jesse, not him."

Giving him that look to drop it, I sit down. Yawning almost immediately, totally and completely ready to fall asleep and just not have to deal with any craziness until the morning. That's it, all craziness is officially set on pause until the sun comes up.

"If you had to, which would you rather fight?" I glance up Olivia before laying down with a relieved sigh. "A hundred chicken sized zombies or ten zombie sized chickens?"

I huff as I wiggle on the grass. "Choose wisely."

Lukas chuckles, and I let my eyes drift close. "That's a good one, let me think..."

"How can you guys joke at a time like this?" Axel growls, and my eyes bolt right back open. "Petra is still out there, all by herself. There's nothing funny about that."

I blink, a depression settling over me at his words. Like the totally great friend I am, I completely forgot. So concerned with myself and how terrible the Nether is, I haven't put any thought about how Petra might be doing right now.

"Petra..." I gulp, sitting upright and glancing at Axel before settling my gaze to the ground. "Petra wouldn't mind at all. She'd want us to keep our spirits up."  

"Well if I was her, I'd-" Axel huffs, turning away from the fire. "I dunno, it just feels wrong."

"Fine then, we should get some rest." I sigh at Lukas's words, that's kinda what I was trying to do. "We gotta start looking for this temple as early as we can. Now my guess is that if we start at the portal and split up-"

"Whoa, what are you doing?" Bitterness, lots and lots of bitterness, drips from Axel as he glares at Lukas. Oh no....

"Did I do something to you?" Lukas plants his hands on his hips, not backing down from Axel. Oh no, oh no. "I'd really like to know. Since you keep getting on my case for what seems like no reason."

"Axel, buddy, please, let's just try and get some rest. We really do have a long day ahead of us."

Axel snorts, and I wonder what energy he's working on to not show one bit of exhaustion. "I'm sorry Jesse, but I'm not gonna sit here and listen to this guy telling us what's what. Not when we've had to put up with that arrogance for years now."

"Whoa! Wait just a moment-"

"Or what?" Axel scowls, crossing his arms at Lukas. "You are wearing that stupid jacket, you keep trying to boss us around as if you're so high and mighty, and you are the reason Petra may be dead."

I stagger up to my tired feet, tension spiking dramatically. "Axel-"

"Take. That. Back!" Venom leaks from Lukas's glare on Axel, shoulders set in a tight rage. Oh no, oh no oh no oh no. I just wanted to rest and not anything else to happen.

Axel sneers, "Can't. Wouldn't."

Olivia jumps to her feet, placing herself in front of him. "Axel, calm down. You're going way too far."

Lukas lets out frustrated grunt, shaking his head and heading towards the door. "I don't have to take this, I'm not taking this. I'll just leave and let you guys hash this out."

"Good." Axel huffs at him, rolling his eyes. "Bye-bye."

"Nope." I grab his arm, finally deciding to step in. "You are not going to leave."

Axel groans. "Jesse-"

"No!" The sudden snap flies from my lips, but I'm beyond tired to care. "Axel, drop this. Now. Lukas, I'm not letting you get yourself killed."

"I can take care of myself y'know." Lukas grumbles, and while his will to leave seems to have left, I narrow my eyes at him.

"Maybe for tonight, maybe even tomorrow night too. But I'm talking in three days from now when we're most likely doing something dangerous and you're too sleep deprived to take care of yourself."

I release him, and it's like the last shard of my energy has wilted. I collapse down, not bothering with saying anything else and laying down. Finally releasing tight muscles with a sigh, finally let my eyes seal shut after such a long day.

Even only after a few moments I can feel reality slip away. My friends' voices muffled and distant in my hears, and only barely do I feel Reuben lay down next to me. So quickly I fall into the oblivion of sleep.

Although as the last slips of consciousness melt away I can't help but feel an ache I didn't really notice before, buried beneath all the stress of being awake.

A slight ping of pain emitting constantly from my left arm.