Withered

Chapter 4

I gasp, the Nether's hot air burning in my lungs as I try to get my breath back. Adrenaline still buzzes through my system, the absolutely monstrous Wither Storm still roaring in my ears. I can't believe I just survived that, holy smokes.

"You guys..." Ellegaard takes one more deep breath, and she seems to have already mostly recovered by now! "You guys weren't kidding with that Wither Storm."

"No, no we weren't." My words crackle in the heat, and despite my body begging for more air, I force myself to breathe calmly. "Come on, we gotta head back to the temple and meet up with the others."

The minecarts burn terribly hot as get in them, and Reuben climbs into mine before we zoom off. Part of me wishes he was with Olivia, his body radiates heat as I'm desperately trying to maintain a cooler temperature. But my poor little friend is shaking within my lap, and I end up holding him closer to me.

Needlessly to say, I hated the ride back to the temple. Ghasts didn't show up this time, but bullets of sweat ran endlessly from me. The leftover adrenaline quickly wore off, leaving me with a pounding headache in this hell and my left arm throbbing again. Hurting more than the last time.

That's not even including the tense silence between us as we zoom across the tracks. Not that I even had the ability to care, the looming doom I've been feeling no longer feels every looming. It feels like it's here.

Like I'm standing powerless in front of a flood wave.

The minecarts eventually roll to a stop at the terminal. Reuben jumps out, the area he was up against breathing out in utter relief. Even the Nether's hot, still hard to breathe in, air is cool compared to that area.

No time to actually appreciate that though, as I have to haul myself out of the minecart. My body groaning at me as if I've stayed up way longer past my bedtime. When I haven't and shouldn't adrenaline and fear be giving me more energy than this?

It's still silent as we climb up the steps and to the portal, my left arm always throbbing. Never letting me forget that it's there and it hurts. I suppose it could be worse, much worse, so I shouldn't complain about it. After all, it only feels like an intense bruise for the moment.

Purposefully, I let Ellegaard and Olivia go through first. So when I get out of that terrible place of headaches and burning lungs and into the bliss of the cool pond, they have already run too far ahead to see me shove my head into the water and drink like a madman.

Unfortunately, I can't drink the amazing water forever before having to sprint to catch up with the others. The muscles groaning and throwing a huge fit at the simple and quite small burst of energy.

We climb up the vines, and even though I climbed them just fine in the morning, my left arm hissing violently at me for transferring my weight onto it. What is wrong with me? I can't be weakening like this!

Sighing when we get to the top, wishing for a break, but only jumping down and hurting my feet when they have to take the landing. The impact's pain travelling up my legs, and I simply gaze over the fortifications Lukas made with little interest, even when Ellegaard says something about it. A fog settling in my mind, distorting even pain.

The hiss of a creeper jumps me out of it, and my arm whips up to draw my sword... until about five arrows embed themselves into the pulsing mob. A sigh of relief flying out of my weary lungs.

"Who goes there?" An exhausted smile makes my on my face and I wave up at Lukas, able to see his grateful smile from here. "Jesse? Is that you?"

"Yeah! And we got Ellegaard!" I clear my throat, trying to get rid of the cracks in my voice the Nether left behind. "Mind letting us past your wall here?"