The Burning ~ Dreamnotfound + Skephalo

Chapter 11: A Terrible Fortress

A/N: Hey there! I've heavily edited a part that occurs later in this chapter which is why you are seeing this as a new chapter again. I really hope you guys don't mind and that you enjoy the new version of Techno's scene with the pillagers!

          Bad pulls Lily into the wooden shack that was still standing from the last time he had been there. The whole thing was gutted, but the shelter itself was still strong and sturdy. He opens up his backpack and puts up the furnace and the crafting table he was carrying with him. Bad then has Lily help him set up some beds but frowns when he realizes that he is one bed short. When they come back, A6D won't have his own bed to stay in.
          "Want to go sheer some sheep?" Bad asks Lily.
          "No," Lily responds. "I want to go help find George."
          Bad sighs. "I do too, kiddo. But it's too dangerous for you there." Bad opens the door and motions for Lily to walk out. She frowns and grabs Dream's mask, sliding it over her face. "So, how does your neck feel?" Bad asks.
"It still hurts, but not bad," Lily responds. "My hand hurts more."
          "Really?" Darryl asks.
           Lily nods and shows Bad her palm. "Every time I use the bow, it hurts."
          "Well, maybe you should stop using the bow?" Darryl suggests.
          Lily smirks. "Never!"
          The two laugh together, but Bad goes quiet when he hears wheels turning somewhere around him. He grabs Lily and pulls her against one of the buildings, covering her mouth tightly with his hand. They both watch as a group of pillagers passes by, dragging some sort of cart behind them. In the cart was a young man, possibly 16, who was frozen with fear. His big blue eyes were puffy and red from crying. Had it not been for the pillagers around him, Bad would've tried to save him. But Bad knew that there was no helping him. Those pillagers were just too intimidating.
          The pillager in the front looked intimidating enough to ward off any attackers on her own. She carried a crossbow in her right hand and an iron sword in her left. She even had an iron ax hanging from her belt. Her faded lavender hair fell down her black shirt and her expression on her face was cold and hard. What made Bad the most afraid of her was how she wasn't wearing any armor. It was as if she was daring people to fight her. She barked orders at the others, demanding that they lower the teenager into the hole to the portal room. Once the cage and the pillagers were out of sight, Bad pulled Lily behind him towards the forest, ready to build a new shack away from the danger.

          The whole way to the fortress that A6D was leading them to, Dream noticed that Skeppy was sweating. And he was sure it wasn't from the heat. Skeppy was clutching his trident for dear life, pointing it at every little thing that made him jump. Dream was struggling to comprehend how scared Skeppy was. He was the one that had no fears. He was the risky one that would act now and think later. But he was so scared at this moment that he couldn't even pretend to be ok.
          "I don't think I can do this," Skeppy says quietly, almost like he was talking to himself.
          Dream stops walking. "Why not?"
          "What if I see the pillagers again?" Skeppy asks. "I'll just shut down. I'll be more of a burden than anything."
          "If you shut down, we will help you," Sapnap reassures him. "I'll carry your ass out of here myself if I have to."
          Dream laughs, but Skeppy's scared expression doesn't budge. "I'm serious, guys! I can't face them or their leader. Not again."
          "Their leader?" Dream asks.
          Skeppy nods. "The closer we get, the more I start to remember. And I remember this man with pink hair being the scariest person I'd ever seen. And he had someone else with him, but I don't remember them as well."
          A6D cringes. "That would be me. I was that friend."
          Skeppy glares at him. "You know, I have a feeling we are walking into a trap."
          "Skeppy, everything will be ok," Dream says. "He's not going to betray us. Why else would he risk his own safety to find us?"
          Skeppy takes a breath. "You're right. I'm sorry. I'm just paranoid." He kicks a small red rock and watches as it falls off of the path and into the lava below.
          A6D reaches into his bag and hands everyone a potion of fire resistance. "I know it's not much, but I hope it at least makes you feel better knowing that we don't have to worry about fire." He winks at Skeppy.
          Skeppy whispers, "Thanks." He sighs. "I wish Darryl was here. He always knew what to say."
          "You'll see him soon," Dream says. "Now let's keep moving, ok?" Skeppy nods and continues to follow them down the path.
          As they get close enough to see the fortress, Dream begins to feel excitement bubble up in him. He was finally going to see George again. There was so much he wanted to tell him that he had spent the last few nights only thinking about how he would formulate his sentences. He wanted to tell George how special he was and how important he was to him. He couldn't wait to hold George in his arms again and to hear his laugh and to see his smile. That same smile that he had fallen in love with three years ago.
          "Ok, here's my idea," A6D starts. "We can't get in through the front door for obvious reasons. I say we build a bridge across from the side that George's cell is closest to. That way, we can sneak in, break him out, then leave!"
          "I think that's our best option," Sapnap says. "It'll help us avoid all of the pigs."
          A6D nods and motions for everyone to follow him. He leads them away from the path and pulls a large stack of netherrack out of his backpack. He tosses half of it to Dream as they build a crude bridge across the lava pool to the fortress. Dream did his best not to look down. Not only did he have a problem with heights but, if he fell, he'd burn to death if he couldn't break the potion in time. Instead of focusing on death, he kept himself thinking about George and how he had to get to him as fast as possible. As they built across, Sapnap and Skeppy both kept watch, making sure nothing was going to attack them. They didn't realize before coming into the nether that no one had a ranged weapon. Skeppy could throw his trident, but depending on where he threw it, he may never get it back again. Thankfully, besides the stray magma cube, they didn't have to worry about any monsters coming to get them. After some time, the bridge was finally done. Sapnap and Skeppy meet Dream and A6D on the other side and they all walk into the fortress.
          "George's cell is just down here! If we are quick, we can all escape without being spotted!" A6D practically runs down the corridor, taking a right. They carefully squeeze past a blaze, deciding that fighting it would only draw attention to them. "His cell is right-" A6D stops before he can finish his sentence. The cell that George was in was empty and had a huge hole in the corner of it. There was a substantial amount of blood on the chains as well as around the ground. A6D shakes his head. "He was here! I swear he was here!" Before anyone had the chance to say anything, they heard Techno's voice from down the hall. Skeppy tenses up. Sapnap notices this and wraps an arm around him as they sneak their way over to where they heard his voice from. A6D points to a ladder and motions for them to go up. One by one, they go up, staying as silent as possible. From the top, they had a view of Techno's throne room. In the throne room, a pillager woman with lavender hair was pouring brown sand onto the ground while chatting with Techno.
          "Technoblade, we've found a replacement for your missing prisoner!" The pillager with lavender hair cheers. "We found him alone in the woods. With his soul, we will be one step closer to creating an even stronger Wither!"
          Techno grins and nods. "Thank you, Sam. Bring him in here and prepare the sand to absorb his soul."
          Sam nods her head at the other pillagers who enter the room with the large cage that held the teenager. He curled her legs up against his chest and buried his face into his knees. "My lord, may I present to you, your latest soul!"
          Techno walks towards the cage and laughs. "Don't be shy, kid. What's your name?" The teenager looks up and they both stare at each other for a long moment. "Tommy?"
          "Dave," Tommy whispers. "You're alive."
          Techno lets out a light chuckle. "And so are you! I-I thought you were dead!" He reached his hands between the bars and ruffled Tommy's hair. "You're going to be ok. Let's get you out of here." He looks at Sam. "Open the cage and let him go."
          "No," Sam states coldly.
          "I said, open the cage and let him go!" Techno shouts.
          "Dream and his friends are already on their way! Do you know how hard it is to find people and bring them back here?!" Sam slams her fist against the cage. "You lost your first soul by leaving a fucking bed in the cell! Who does that?!"
          "That means he could still be alive!" Sapnap whispers. "He escaped!"
          Dream shushed Sapnap, but he too felt excited. It was the glimmer of hope they were waiting for.
          Sam takes a deep breath. "We don't have time to lose another soul. We are doing this, with or without your blessing." She looks at her men. "If he tries to stop me, hold him back." The men nod and all take positions near Techno, just in case he tried anything.