In a flash, Tango snatched Cub's pickaxe out of his hands and swung it at the fireball. The impact jolted his shoulder and broke the pick, the head flying into the lava with a quiet hiss. Zed unleashed a high-pitched scream and ran back to the island at full speed. Tango followed suit, making sure neither of them fell into the lava.
"I thought you built up an immunity to fire! Can't you swim in the lava?" Zed yelled over his shoulder.
"Does it looks like I want my clothes to be burnt up!?"
"Never mind!"
Zed reached the island and doubled over, gasping for air. Tango nearly tripped over him in his haste. Cub arrived shortly after, barely dodging a second fireball.
The scientist drew his sword and batted a final fireball away, which hit the Ghast dead on and killed it. A single tear dropped into the lava below and let out a sizzling sound as it burnt up.
The stick of the newly-made pick smoldered in Tango's hand. He handed it to Cub sheepishly. "Sorry about that."
"No, it's okay." Cub took the stick. "You kind of made up for it by saving our lives."
Zed was visibly shaken, but he tried to laugh it off. "Well, that was a fun near-death experience!"
"Are you sure you don't want to come back later?" Tango asked both of them. He didn't even want to be back in the Nether, and he certainly didn't want to be responsible for these two's demise.
"I mean, I can always grab the Nether wart later. I might stay here and mine some quartz instead," Cub said, brandishing a spare iron pick.
Tango looked at the half-finished bridge. "Well, now that I think about it...it would be nice to see what's inside that fortress. Y'know, for the loot and stuff I might go." He turned to his other comrade. "Zed? How about you?"
Zed looked at the Nether portal longingly, probably thinking about what it might be like back in the Overworld, then shook his head. "No, I'm coming with you."
Tango blinked in surprise. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
He didn't look sure, but Tango didn't say anything.
Cub hacked away some of the Nether floor and handed the blocks to Tango. He gave him one final look.
"Be careful out there."
»»————- ★ ————-««
Even though the Ghast had been slain, Zed wasn't any braver than he was a few minutes ago.
He inched along as Tango did the grunt work and bridged out. It was hard to drown out the voice inside him screaming AAAAAAAAAAH! YOU'RE GOING TO DIE, YOU DIMWIT!! GET BACK TO THE OVERWORLD WHERE YOU CAN SPLASH TANGY AND NOT WORRY ABOUT THIS!
But he wanted to show that he was over that fear. He thought he had been over it. He could laugh at his death. But when they were actually bridging over a lava lake without any safety nets, the fear came back full force.
He heard some sort of metallic clang as they got closer to the fortress and jumped.
"What was that?" His voice quavered slightly.
"Probably a Blaze," Tango responded, not looking up.
"Do they spit fireballs at you?"
"Yeah, faster than the Ghast. We're not in range, though."
That didn't help Zed at all.
Tango looked up. "You sure you don't wanna bail?"
YES, the voice in Zed's mind screamed.
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Hermitcraft: Origins
Fanfiction"Each world has its own story. Even if you tried to get a story from me, I wouldn't be able to tell you half of it. There is so much life in each build and block, and each event has told their own tale. But it has to start somewhere." Fate has the o...
