The Burning ~ Dreamnotfound + Skephalo

Chapter 12: Return to Sender

Dream swims to the surface of the lava, gasping for air as he looks for Sapnap. Just out of arm's reach, Sapnap surfaces, looking pissed. "WHAT THE FUCK, DREAM?!" He screams. "WE COULD'VE DIED!"

"But we didn't!" Dream points out. Swimming in the lava was a weird sensation that he had long forgotten. It felt like swimming through warm water, except much thicker. It took more out of him to keep his head above the lava's surface. Above him, he could see the piglins gathered around the edge of the fortress that Dream had thrown himself and Sapnap from. None of them looked like they were going to go for a swim with them. Among the pigs, Dream also saw Technoblade. The lava reflected light off of the jewels in his crown, making it shine with small blue and green rays.

"How long does the potion last for?" Sapnap asks, stealing Dream's attention away from Techno.

"I have no idea," Dream admits.

Sapnap looks around, hoping that there was somewhere that they could pull themselves out of the lava from. The closest ledge he could find was at the base of a large blue forest. "If we swim over there fast enough, we may be able to make it."

Dream follows Sapnap's gaze and sees the forest. It was still a good way away from where they were, but if they were fast, they may be able to make it. Dream nods at Sapnap and they both begin swimming through the lava to their salvation.

Dream didn't think to account for the thickness of the lava when he began swimming. He kept at Sapnap's pace but quickly began to tire out. Sapnap was always a stronger swimmer than he was, so he was disappointed with himself for thinking it'd be a good idea to push himself so much. He let himself fall back slightly as he caught his breath, then continued swimming after Sapnap. Dream could feel his arms begin to ache, but he couldn't let himself think about it. Swim now, ache later.

In front of him, Sapnap begins to slow down so that he could ask, "Do you feel that?"

"Feel what?" Dream stops for a second. At first, all he could feel were his arms in pain. But then he started to feel something else. A burning sensation. It tickled more than it hurt, but they both felt it.

Sapnap was the first to realize what the odd sensation was. His eyes drifted to Dream while he did his best to stay calm. "Dream, the potion. It's wearing off."

"We need to GO!" Dream yells. He dives into the lava and swims forward as fast as he could. As every second passed, he felt his body getting hotter. He could feel everything being to burn, which made him panic more. He pops his head above the lava to take a breath, spotting Sapnap not too far ahead of him crawling out of the lava and onto some sort of blue fungi growing out of the ground. Dream ducks back under the lava and continues swimming, pulling himself out of the lava just as the potion wore off.

He lays on the ground, gasping for air, as Sapnap scoffs, "If I didn't need you right now, I'd kill you." He surveys the area, noticing the crowds of endermen lurking around the blue trees. "We need to keep moving."

"I just need a minute.....or five," Dream murmurs, taking a quick glance up at the endermen. "Everything hurts."

Sapnap pulls Dream up to his feet. "Get over it, princess. We need to find a way back to the portal." He looked out across the lava pool that they swam in and noticed that there was no easy way to go back the way they came. The portal was tucked away on a ledge somewhere. The fastest way to get there would be to climb up the side of the fortress and make their way back to the spot that the bridge was built. But they only had one lava resistance potion and their swords. There was no way they'd be able to climb up the side of the fortress without being killed.