PBG MineCraft Hardcore Season V

[11] Pigmen Siege

[McJones POV]

My legs were not as strong as my brother's.... starting to give away as I sprinted for my life across the narrow netherbrick hallways. I could hear the distant clanks of the bundle of ashen laid bones stumbling along trying to catch up. It was only a matter of time before...

There! In the clearing was a square tower like structure that had four linear passages that looked like it could be blocked quite easily. Mustering up the last of my strength I dashed madly into the place, turned around in an instant and started piling all the blocks I had lying around in my inventory.
I made it just in time...

Finally, my legs gave away and I fell backwards against the wall...
I wanted to cry, but it will do nothing but give my location away to wandering ghasts. I need to get out of here and find the others...

After I fed myself a steak and sat for awhile to catch my breath, I stood back up with my shield raised and my sword poised for attack. Slowly I creeped up to the blocks and--
The sword swung right through the dirt and clanged against my shield, deflecting me backwards. It caught me off guard, but I still somehow regained the upper hand. Plunging my iron sword right between the eyes of the skeleton, who fell down as a pile of old blackened bones.

Now that the threats gone I'm left with a choice only I could make; head back to the others or retrieve Austin's gear? The thought of seeing him again in his silent, colourless form scared me... So I headed towards the location where we departed from.

I'm sorry Austin...

~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Jeff POV]

As the lava started to fill the room he was in, the view was finally obscured and we couldn't see him anymore. We're not even sure if he made it or not, but we had to go on the basis that he didn't. If he was dead... honestly it'll be better than wandering this devilish place alone. Something in me wished he would just pop up behind me and laugh at his devious joke, but he's not going to... either way he's dead.

Ray was taking Dean's sudden demise very badly...

He immediately knelt down beside me, eyes sullen from what he'd just seen and tears dripping down his cheek.
"It-It-It's all my fault..." he stammered. "I... I... Lava... digging..."

He paused and stared at his hands, which was filled with netherack crumbles. Then proceeded to sob extensively into them...

I pat him on the back, wanting to cry myself.

After we rested and recovered from the shock we decided to go back to the blaze spawner, where Austin and McJones are and probably confused where we are.
How are we going to break these horrific news to them...?I dread doing so....

Surely enough McJonss hung by the entrance, looking down and leaning against the wall. The spawner was broken...
"H-h-hey..." Ray stuttered.

McJones finally looked up, and he looked no better than us. Several cuts under his eyes and cheeks are still bleeding, his eyes also null of colour and emotion.
Ray was taken aback.

"What happened?!" I shouted, running over.

Before I ever reached him he put a hand up and stopped me. He didn't say anything, all he did was just stare into my eyes with a look I never saw him with.... Dread... Fear... all bundled in one.

"What's wrong?" I asked, trying to put my hand on his shoulder.

Then I realized something was wrong with this whole ordeal.
Austin wasn't here...

"No..." Ray muttered. "NO!"

McJones looked away.

"HOW COULD THIS-- AUSTIN AND DEAN--" Ray slammed his fist into the wall, creating a ring of dust.

McJones looked back up,
"Dean...?"

His eyes if all possible grew even more darker and tired... this had happened before and none of them ended well. Heck, once before it was only me and McJones left in this cruel world, trying to cover some obscure task - long story short we didn't make it... the odds aren't exactly in our favour this time around either.

McJones finally snapped, picking up his iron sword and hurling it over the edge of the fencing. We watched as it twirled downwards... presumably lost forever--
It hit a pigmen...

IT HIT A PIGMEN...

IT HIT A PIGMEEEEN!!!

"QUICK! RUN!" I screamed, startling Ray who was leaning against the wall at the time.

McJones recovered to his old self again almost upon hearing these news. He equipped his diamond pick hoping it'll do something against them and we ran off, with the sounds of pigmen behind us squealing for execution.

It was hopeless, there was way too many travelling way too fast. Our legs were giving away and they weren't showing signs of stopping, constantly chasing us.
Without a second thought I leaped off the base and onto the netherack ground below, a full ten block high jump. It hurt immensely but Id rather have it hurt than die. I turned to see them doing the same, following me and grimacing from the pain.

"No time to waste! Let's go!" I yelled.

The pigmen were quick to follow, already a few behind us and a couple new ones joining into the rampage. Our feet hurt from the fall and we began stumbling...
There in the distance!

A... house...?

Whatever! No time to waste!
I signalled them towards me to the little shack made from netherack and soil, rather cramped in size.
I hurriedly broke in with my iron pick and shoved them inside, immediately following them and shutting off the entrance with more blocks.

"Let's... never mourn... for more... than sixty seconds.. again!" I gasped for air.

McJones grimly chuckled between breaths.

Ray was silent.

"What dude?... still scared...?" I asked Ray, who began gaping at something.

Oh no...

There was someone... no... something living here.

Wrapped in cloth around the waist and cloth also concealing his neck. He was unidentifiable and looked like a savage... but on his back there slung a diamond coated sword with several burn marks across the vertical edge.

McJones smiled.
"You bastard."