Pixel - - A Cube SMP Fanfiction

Chapter Fourteen

Hi everybody, and welcome back to Pixel!

I have a pretty action-packed chapter for you today. I hope you like it!

Before we start, however, a few updates:

- My writing handbook will most likely be updated once every weekend. Not sure yet.

- BLOOD OF OLYMPUS CAME OUT YESTERDAY!!!! I pre-ordered it and it's still not here and I'm waiting anxiously because most of my friends already have it.

- Remember that contest I had? Well, the winner and I have been messaging back and forth ever since then, and I think we're forming a pretty solid idea on what we're gonna do, so look forward to that! :D

Remember to follow @code_cherry on Twitter, and to vote and comment for more. Enjoy!

S E A N  [ G R A P E ]

The wall of various shades of swirling purple in front of me was entrancing.

Obviously, I’d seen nether portals before, but being in front of one was something else.

“It looks so cool,” gasped Straub, who was standing beside me.

“One other thing I’ll never get used to,” I agreed as the rest of our nether party approached from behind. I turned and surveyed our group.

I was leading the nether patrol, accompanied by Straub, Graser, Ash, and H. Bayani was staying behind with Dul, Rusher, Tomahawk, and TYBZI to keep the normal routine going while we were gone.

We’d taken every possible precaution: protection 3 iron armor, sharpness 2 or 3 diamond swords, power 2 / 3 bows, and Ash had provided some of her fire resistance potions for the job. I’d insisted Ash come with us, as she had experience with the nether and knew the best ways to get in and out quickly. Both Bayani and Ash had agreed.

“Be careful,” Bayani cautioned, walking up from behind H. “I want to see you all back in one piece.”

I chuckled. “Hopefully we will be.” I gave him a fistbump. “Keep an eye on base and the lake, will you? Just in case Will or any of the others try to contact us.”

“Sure thing,” Bayani confirmed. “Good luck.”

I grinned and faced the portal, stepping inside. I felt my four teammates enter beside me.

My vision became swirls of purple, and I was spinning again. The last thing I saw was Bayani waving before I blacked out.

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My feet hit solid ground, and I crouched to absorb the impact this time, opening my eyes.

A large expanse of netherrack surrounded the portal. Red was the only color for as far as I could see, and I found myself sweating from the sudden, overwhelming heat.

Small oofs and grunts echoed around me until everyone in the patrol had arrived, taking in our surroundings.

Ash pulled out some ink and scribbled the portal’s coordinates on her arm, muttering the numbers to herself. 

“Good thinking, Ash,” I praised. “Everyone write the coords down somewhere in case we somehow get separated, god forbid.” I traced the numbers in ink on my left forearm, letting them harden so the fire wouldn’t melt them away.

“Alright,” Ash asserted. “There’s a nether fortress with a blaze spawner about 350 blocks from here. Follow me.”

We crept carefully through the nether’s rigorous terrain, avoiding lava lakes (even though we had fire resist on all of us) and sticking to flat land as much as possible. Soon enough, the darkness of brick could be seen in the distance.

We maneuvered the hallways warily, with Straub and Graser placing torches and looting chests, H blocking off unexplored paths, and Ash and I in the lead, swords at the ready. Then a soft hissing reached my ears and I flung my arm out, stopping everyone.

“Around the corner,” I muttered, feeling the temperature rise. “Blazes.”

We all pulled out our weapons, tensing. 

“Ready?” Ash asked, and I nodded grimly.

At the same time, we flung ourselves around the corner, meeting the five blazes head-on. Ash plunged her sword into one blaze and I cornered another, slicing its head off and snatching the blaze rod it produced. I could hear the rest taking on one each, growling with the effort. 

“Agh!” Graser yelled, and I whirled around in time to see him drop to his knees, grabbing his arm, which had turned a nasty red. I shot the blaze down and made to run over, but Ash reached him first. 

“Graser!” She knelt down, pulling him to his feet. “Are you okay?”

He shifted his grip on the injury, and the sight of the scalded flesh nearly made me vomit. The fire resistance had worn off. I glanced down at myself and gritted my teeth when I didn’t see potion effects.

“Guys!” yelled H, and I spun again, gasping at the sight: at least ten more blazes and a few wither skeletons were coming down one of the four hallways, already shooting fireballs at us.

“Run!” I commanded, shooing H over to help Ash with Graser and using my sword to block the oncoming shots. Straub took off in the lead, sword grasped tightly in hand, and Ash and H managed to haul Graser forward and get him to run at last. I kept myself in the back, blocking fireballs and shooting arrows when I could.

We raced out of the fortress, hurriedly taking the same path back to the portal. I growled in pain when I felt a fireball graze my leg, but I kept running, continuing to block them, now from ghasts in addition to the pursuing blazes. Graser stumbled, almost falling into the lava lake far below, but I yanked on his arm at the same time as Ash, and we pulled him quickly back onto the path and shoved him forward somewhat roughly. 

“Grape!” Ash screamed, darting in front of me to block a fireball. I was about to thank her when she yelled, her left arm falling uselessly to its side as two arrows from the wither skeletons embedded themselves into it.

“Ash, come on!” I called over the noise, pushing her to the other side of me and trying not to collapse on top of my injured leg as we sprinted to catch up. Straub and H were urging Graser into the portal, and screeched at us to hurry when we came into sight. H shot arrows at the mobs following us while we stumbled chaotically towards them, reaching the portal at last. I snatched Straub and pulled him into the portal after Ash and I, spotting H stepping back into it while he continued to shoot.

The dizzying feeling returned, and I couldn’t help a sigh of relief as the vortex spun us back to safety.

That was way too close.

I've been planning this nether scene for a while, but I didn't originally plan for it to go wrong.

But it's so much more fun and character-developing when it does.

QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER:

Do you read the Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus series? If so, who's your favorite character? I've liked Nico ever since he appeared (even though he's depressing as of late) and Annabeth, because she reminds me of myself.

Vote and comment for more! Until next time!

~Cherry