The Friendly Creeper Part 39

I started to have doubts about what I was getting into when I was greeted in the nether with a dead body splayed out in front of me.

"Who's that?" Gillian asked. I shook my head.

"I was hoping you knew. You made Luketown..." I retorted.

"Oh... right..."

We were greeted with red stones and ground. One thing about the nether that was easily noticeable was that everything was red. Red lava cascaded off of red floating islands onto red pools of magma. Red mushrooms dotted the landscape alongside red cliff hangings. Red blood pooled in front of us as we attempted to determine the body in front of us. Two arrows were stuck in his side, and another was lodged neatly in his forehead.

"To be fair, there's a lot of newcomers since I first visited."

"Right... you didn't seem to know most of Second Regiment..."

We both stared at the body, avoiding each other's gaze. Then, suddenly, we both spoke up simultaneously.

"Why did you order the others to stay-" "I just wanna clarify, I wasn't-"

We both shut up, and then started talking again.

"But if you were, then what-" "Why are you so worried about-"

We both quieted down, and finally, I took a breath, in which she blurted out her thoughts.

"Ok, look, Max. You might be a steaming hot, sexy guy, but that doesn't mean I like you. I mean..." she began to fumble with words, "that thing after the... when we... when you..."

"When I?!?" I interrupted, pissed. "You were the one that kissed me!"

"It wasn't a kiss!" she screeched. "It was... just a peck! And it was to shut you up!"

"That was not just a peck," I clarified, "and was that really the only way you could think of stopping me from talking about it? How about saying 'Hey, Max, I don't want to talk about it!'"

"Because... it's not fair!" she pouted, and crossed her arms, facing away from me. I raised an eyebrow. What the heck...?

"What's not fair?" I asked. She turned, a frustrated expression on her face.

"You're so... charming, and witty, and... pompous! You pretend like you don't notice that people look at you, and want to be you, and want to have s-" she shut herself up.

"Wh... what?" I was now thoroughly confused.

"See! You're doing it now!" she growled. "You pretend not to notice that people like you, that people are literally falling head over heels for you."

"Um... yeah, I don't know what you're talking about..." I slowly backed away. "So you like me. So what?"

"What the nether?!?" Gillian exploded. "So what?!? I can't look at you without my heart giving out! That's what! It's not cool!"

"And this is my fault?!?" I shot back. "Look, I didn't know I was that distracting, but evidently, that's the case. Either way, I'm not into you."

"Well... then... neither am I!" She shouted defiantly. "Let's just go already!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

A firing noise pierced the air, and I barely spotted the fireball in time to dodge it. Tackling Gillian to the ground, it whizzed by, striking the red stone by us, lighting it on fire.

"Gerroff me!" she growled, after a beat, and I obliged. "Hey," I warned, "I'm not the one with the unresolved sexual tension!"

Another fireball brought both of us to attention.

"Dammit! What in the nether was that?" Gillian yelled, and I let out a sharp laugh, given the circumstances.

"Obviously something that doesn't want us alive," I yelled back, "probably a blaze!" I turned serious as another fireball struck the red stone, lighting the wall across from us.

"What's a blaze?" Gillian screamed, and I shook my head.

"I thought you commissioned the portal!"

"I didn't actually go into it though!"

"Are you saying you've never seen a blaze before?"

"It's been awhile. Obviously, I forgot they throw FIREBALLS!"

I looked around. It seemed the portal was created or placed in the valley opening up to a lower valley full of lava, which, considering the fact we were being hammered from a distance, meant whoever placed the portal was thinking strategically. In the valley, one had more cover from whatever perils than out in the open. However, it also meant we were trapped until we could find a way to return fire.

"Damnit, Max! What are you doing now?!?"

"Finding us a way out!"

"Well stop standing there and being sexy!" I face palmed.

Yet another fireball hit the ground, this time closer to the portal, and I knew the attacker was approaching. Eyeing the body in front of me, I suddenly realized he had a bow in his hands. Crawling over to him carefully, I grasped the bow, and was about to pull it in when a fireball engulfed it, singeing my hands.

"Ow!" I quickly withdrew my hand, then looked back at where the fireball had struck. The body was now charred, the arrow feather tips burning like incense, and I found myself holding onto a burnt curved stick instead of a bow.

"Well, maybe it would've been a good idea to bring Emily along, after all..." I muttered, "right, Gilly?"

The blaze turned the corner, and I could see it clearly. I had seen blazes before, but this was different. It almost seemed to have a hot blue touch to it, instead of the standard yellow flames. The rotating azure pieces floated around a seemingly feminine body, which was also strange. Taking it, or her in, I didn't notice her preparing another fireball. Gillian pushed me to the floor with a grunt, and then ducked as the fireball smashed into right where her, and my head used to be.

"Notch's holy beard!" Gillian screamed. "Stop gawking and start thinking!"

"I wouldn't move if I were you..." the blaze spoke. Fireballs rotated around her body, and it seemed she could easily burn both of us to a crisp in an instant. "Wait a minute..."

"What, boss?" Another voice rasped from behind the valley wall.

"These aren't bandits!" the blaze screeched. "Get back in position!"

"I'm sorry, ma'am," the voice responded. "Yes, ma'am."

The blaze floated her gaze back over to us. "I'm so sorry. You must be part of the Second Regiment, correct?"

"Actually," I started to reply, but Gillian cut me off. "I'm Gillian, the one who started Luketown. Who are you?"

"Oh, so it is you, Gillian!" she gave a quick giggle. "Pops talks about you all the time!"

"Wh-what?" Gillian was now confused.

"Oh!" the blaze giggled again. "I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Alexica, and you've entered the world famous nether wart cavern."

She looked me up and down, and then giggled.

"Your boyfriend is a hottie," she cooed. "And that's a big compliment in blaze terminology."

Both of us piped up at the same time. "We're not together!" We looked at each other, and shut up.

"Well, if that's the case..." Alexica purred. "He would make a fine boyfriend..."

"You can't have him!" Gillian barked quickly, contradicting herself.

"I'm not invading on your private lives, it was just a compliment..." the blaze said sweetly. "After all, I can't go around cheating on Pops like that, now can I?"

"Wait, you're Pops's girlfriend?" I asked.

"Apparently he's been busy since I was gone," Gillian groaned.

"Come with me," Alexica said, ignoring her remark, "and I'll show you where the nether warts are."

As she moved along, Gillian gave me a dirty look, as if she were to say something along the lines of "what the fuck does she think she is?"

I returned with a look that said "she seems like a nice person. Don't be jealous, Gillian."

She shifted an eyebrow up, signifying "there's something not right about her, seriously. How can you not tell?"

I rolled my eyes to say "oooook, Gillian, go be jealous somewhere else."

She pushed me, saying, "I didn't think you were sexy and stupid. I apparently thought wrong." With that, she walked on, following the blaze.

"What the nether?!?" I yelled back, scrambling to follow.