MCSM: Shattered Souls [COMPLETED]

10- In Which I Almost Burn to Death

I landed on steadily on both feet, swaying only the slightest bit from the portal. The other four were already there, waiting for me.

"There you are." Justin said, as though they'd been waiting awhile. "Check it out."

I lifted my head, examining our new surroundings. The view nearly took my breath away, giving me a dizzy sense of vertigo.

We were up on a spire of rock thrust so high into the sky, I swear if I lifted my hand, I'd be able to touch the clouds. A vast canyon spread out not far below us, formed all of coloured clay blocks. A gust of wind swept around us, tossing my curly black hair up around my face.

"We're in the land of giants." Jenni breathed. Jaq snorted incredulously, but to my surprise, didn't argue. It did feel an awful lot like we'd been shrunk down, or tossed into a landscape far too large for us.

"So what are we supposed to do? Is something going to happen?" I asked.

"I dunno. I don't want to just wait here, in case something comes out and attacks us." Jenni said nervously. "I mean, it's not impossible, right?"

"Definitely not." Justin said with a slight shiver despite the warm air.

I glanced around us again, and finally noticed a scrappy rope bridge leading off the edge, connecting our spire and another one luckily not too far away. It was hardly a bridge at all, just wooden planks spaced too far apart and held together by less-than-sturdy rope.

"Oh, Notch no. Please tell me that's not the only way off this thing." I said, gesturing to the flimsy-looking bridge.

"Looks like it." Jenni replied distractedly. She was crouching near the edge of the spire, peering down into the canyon below.

Jandro took a step onto the bridge, experimentally bouncing it back and forth and making the ropes shake. "Okay, here's my guess. Only one of us can go on this at a time, otherwise I know it'll collapse. While that one is getting to safety, I'm guessing something else is gonna happen to the others left behind, so you'll need to be prepared."

"Great. Very encouraging." I snapped. I lifted my hand to shield my eyes, trying to see onto the other spire that the bridge connected to. "I think I see another portal over there, though, so at least we're doing that right."

"Okay. Let's see how this goes." Jandro decided, taking a few steps farther onto the bridge. I lifted my head and scanned the skies, expecting something to come swooping down. But nothing happened.

I looked back at the dark-skinned boy, who was taking careful, cautious steps along the bridge. Nothing seemed to be happening, which made me very nervous.

"Um...guys?" Jenni squeaked. She was still bent by the ledge, the wind lifting her long hair up and teasing it into knots. I stepped closer to the edge, an overwhelming sense of vertigo hitting me full-on.

Something appeared to be trickling into the canyon, something slow and red and bubbling. It took a few seconds for my confused brain to figure out what it was, because it made so little sense.

Lava. Thick, deadly, lava creeping into the canyon like a plague. The canyon was filling rapidly with the stuff, melting the clay like wax.

My head snapped up to glance at Jandro again, who was almost-almost-onto the other spire. My eyes darted between him and the rising magma below, making the connection instantly.

Every step he took, more lava flowed into the canyon. Already the edges were almost overflowing, unable to hold in the scorching river.

I made a quick estimation- when he reached the other spire, the lava would be about 1/4 the way up this spire, since the other one was quite a bit taller. By the time three more people went across the bridge, the lava would be nearly covering this spire, and the last person across would probably have to sprint for their life.