PBG MineCraft Hardcore Season V

[10] Overflowing Danger

[McJones POV]

The further we went, the more cautious I became; staring at all the directions hoping to avoid all mobs that will aggro without us being aggressive. Namely blazes and wither skeletons, both have moves that sustain mass amounts of damage and I wouldn't exactly want to be on the receiving end of that.
NetherWart is the most damaging cause of inconvenience in our previous journeys thus far - killing so many that it sends a cold chill down my spine simply recalling it. Even I have fallen before to the monsters that dwell within this fortress...

Austin ran on ahead, sword in hand and ready to take on anything whilst I simply hung behind with my shield ready. I swear with his reckless/oblivious behaviour, he's going to be the first to go here.. (foreshadow?!?!?)

"McJones!" He shouted from afar, pointing at something.
"Found a cave!"

I smiled. That's my idiotic brother for you; reckless as always but very good at stumbling upon things. Literally the definition of an adventurous stereotype.
I equipped my diamond pickaxe and started working away at the netherack and netherquartz that was all over the place. Austin helped too of course, mining at useless objects that might conceal gems of the nether.

"LAVA!" He shouted loudly as magma shot out of the block he was mining.
"DON'T MOVE!"

Luckily I was far enough to avoid the stream of lava that would've otherwise instantly killed me. My heart started beating fast and sweat beaded on my forehead as I heard the sizzling of netherack burning.
Austin was fine too, standing by the lava amazed by his luck.
We both stood silent and stared at the spreading lava...
"We... should probably go look elsewhere..." I muttered after what felt like an eternity of useless pondering.

"Yeah..." Austin nodded hastily.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Ray POV]

We came across a cavern east of where we first split up, staring at it silently before deciding to head in. There wasn't anything remotely dangerous in the place, it was just... very atmospheric.
We headed in slowly with torches in one hand and shield in the other, avoiding anything that made the slightest sound. Dean rolled his eyes as he watched me and Jeff waltz in slowly with the sword and shield posture after he wandered in.
"Guys! Nothing's dangerous here!" He yelled, arms outstretched and open to attacks.

I kept on expecting a blaze to blow him up or at least a pigman sneak up behind him, but I guess not ALL dangerous caves has situational irony.
So we finally dropped our shields and began mining...

~~~~~~~~~~~
[McJones POV]

Nothing but Netherack came out way and the more I saw the more I just wanna hurl all over it. The humid heat and the dank smell of death, ashes and severely burnt flesh mixed so horribly that I feel sick.
I think Austin felt so too, as he gagged as we walked past a rather friendly pigman, who was walking into the wall continuously without end. It was funny and I wanted to laugh, but then again I don't want acid with semi-dissolved pieces of pork chops shooting out of my throat.

There was nothing much ahead, only a dead end filled to the brim with more netherack... It was so dull that I started to wish more lava would seep outta the netherack...

"HOLY BLAZES!" Austin screamed.

I jumped to my feet at once, sheiks raised and sword out and ready to fight. Indeed there were blazes, about a dozen already firing at Austin with rods that shot at breakneck speeds.

There wasn't much action for me since Austin was already on them, diamond sword plunged through the head of one and shield knocking the other onto the ground, then proceeding to brutally stomp on it. I decided that it would be better if I shot arrows from behind, following his moves, making sure I don't hit him.

He huffed, wiping the lavender coloured blood off his shining sword.
"There we go--"

He was interrupted out of nowhere when a sword took him by surprise, fatally swiping him across the back. Austin screamed in agony, reaching for his back which was already dripping red with blood.

I was speechless.

He fell to his knees in what seemed like slow motion in my eyes... the colour draining his eyes. A ash smeared skeleton with dead eyes and a rusted iron sword laced with a greenish substance slowly came out of the shadows. It casually stepped over Austin's limp body and stared at me with the dark hollows that were in place of his eyes.
It seemed to be smiling but the face never moved...
It took Austin from me...

...and now it's coming for me.
~~~~~~~~~~~

[Ray POV]

It was useless searching in such a small dark space such as this one, literally housing NOTHING but netherack and the occasional Nether Quartz. Hopefully something interesting will come out of these boring piles of rock... But it never did. We just continued mining for a solid hour or so hoping the other team will come back with an armful of netherwart.

Slowly, we dropped our guard and just carelessly mined away at the rocks. Me in particular, ate while mining and thought about our goal some more during the mine... probably not the smartest...

...I was right.

Lava shot out the crack I just made, and a split second later the thin layer holding back the pit of lava started flooding in our little cave.
Me and Jeff stumbled back just in time, but Dean...
he was on the other side of the stream of lava, which was slowly creeping up towards him.

"KEEP MINING IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!" I shouted.

"DONT LOOK BACK!" Jeff followed up.

Dean didn't say anything, all he did was look at us - glasses glinting from the illumination of the lava.
"Well... RIP me..." he chuckled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Holy Bajeebs! Two deaths one chapter?!
...or is it two deaths...? ;)

As the fans of the original series probably already know, I am kiiiiinda adding a little spice in this story.... So who's dead? Who's alive? Am I tricking you? Or am I intentionally diverting from the main storyline?
Guess! :D