Acrylic Waves (Bk 1)

VIII. Crazy

I fly across the nether roof in the direction of the shopping district. Upon reaching it, there is no nether portal. Instead, there is a sign: Nether Portal moved downstairs! There is a hole in the bedrock a few blocks over. Scorch marks are all around the hole with rough edges, a sign of T.N.T. usage. After getting over my initial surprise that bedrock had been broken, I climbed down the ladder and landed on the small shelf above a massive lava lake. Grian was probably the culprit, although I'm not sure why he needed the T.N.T.

The orange glow of the lava lights up the enormous cavern, illuminating the lump of blocks that the portal is unceremoniously plopped on top of. The red fog plays some weird tricks with the light, scattering it in different directions. The whole thing gives the Nether its special glow. I spread my elytra, gliding down to the portal and standing inside of it. The purple swirls whisk me away to the shopping district.

As I step through the portal, nausea left from the portal travel gets to my vision, leaving me sightless for several seconds. After it loads, I walk to the crossroads right in front of the town hall. The portal is right between two arching staircases. They make it possible to climb up to the town hall and diamond throne. I walk up the stairs and sit where they join together, right over the nether portal.

Pulling out my communicator, I ask Impulse, Zedaph, and Tango where they are. My message is replied to by a loud crash in the bushes to my right. I spin around abruptly, noticing Zedaph climbing out of them. He has sticks and leaves in his blond hair, as well as in his white wings. Mine and his are opposites. A small part of me wishes I show the hermits, but I should remain hidden. I walk over to him, offering my hand. Zed grabs it after a moment of hesitation, and I pull him out of the mess.

Light footsteps behind me suggest that Impulse has landed as well. I face the two of them, noticing how on edge they are. Suddenly, a wave of panic comes over me. What am I doing with these two hermits? The last time I saw them, both wanted to kill me. I back up, feeling the wall press up against the back of my legs. I feel myself hyperventilating as my heart races. I can't get enough air. I collapse to one knee, fingers on my temples, desperately trying to drown out the panic.

My vision narrows to a single spot right in front of me. I crouch further, trying to escape the rising panic. I feel a hand on my back and tense up. The hand grabs my shoulder, guiding me to a seated position. Blurilly, I see the outline of Impulse's face. He seems to be speaking as he places one of my hands on his chest, allowing me to feel the rhythm of his breaths. He breathes deeply, encouraging me to do the same. I struggle to return to a regular breathing pattern, but Impulse is patient. Everything is white around the two of us.

Eventually, my vision returned to normal. I release the tension in my hands, and Impulse lets my hand drop from his chest. We are in a white tent with feathery walls. Looking behind me, I notice Zedaph has enveloped us in his wings, reducing the amount of stimulus. I stand as Zedaph retracts his wings. Parts of the world swim as I regain my balance.

"Thank you Impulse," I say. Zedaph moves to stand next to the redstoner. I extend my hand to the two of them. "I know your names, but let me introduce myself in a friendlier light. My name is Xenelis, and I'm Xisuma's twin sister. You can call me Xen if you like."

"Impulse, and it's a pleasure to meet you," Impulse replies.

"The name's Zedaph," Zedaph adds. "Call me Zed."

They both shake my hand. I glance around. "Wasn't Tango going to meet with us as well?" I ask.

"Yes, he is," Impulse answers. "He just has to wrangle a few mobs first."

TangoTek tried to swim in lava to escape Lava Kraken

<Xisuma> Tango, I thought I told you to leave
the krakens alone!