Warnings: Like one slightly bad word in the very first sentence cuz it just fits really well (I usually don't even put omg in my stories and my friends read this and tried to convince me it wasn't a bad word bUT I'M RESPONSIBLE OKAY?)

~Vikk's P.O.V.~

"This... is going to be one hell of a climb" Lachlan sighs, combing his fingers through his hair.

The moment the three of us stepped foot out of that spruce forest, and laid our eyes upon the monstrosity of mountains in front of us, I instantly wanted to turn and nope outta there. For you see, when Lachlan said extreme hills biome, I thought he meant extreme hills biome... As I'm sure did Jerome and Lachlan himself. But this. This is more than just an 'extreme hills biome.' And definitely not an extreme hills biome+. Not even extreme hills biome++. This right here is some amplified crap. The towering cliffs reach miles into the sky, breaking past the cloud barrier at its highest points. Waterfalls gracefully flow down the sides here and there, and holes and cafes are visible littered across its stony surface. Around 2/3 of the way up, a decent bit under the cloud level, is a large plateau of ground stretching across a majority of the immediate area. Small little brown and grey specs that must resemble houses only look as big as a silverfish in the entirety of the main end island.

     "Mate, there is no way we're getting up there without passing out from exhaustion first." I state unenthusiastically.
     "We'll have to find some other way up. Maybe we can use our powers somehow..." Jerome tries, scratching his chin in thought. "Any ideas?"
"It'll take a lot of my energy, but... I might be able to summon a spike large enough to get us to the top. Or at least a few really big ones." I guess, not entirely sure I'd be able to do it but suggesting it anyway.
"You sure you'll be okay?" Lachlan questions warily.
"No problemo." I grin, cracking my knuckles as we begin to approach the base of the cliff.
"I'm not sure I believe you." Lachlan mumbles, the three of us coming to a stop.
"Just shut up and get ready." I command him, and indirectly Jerome too, mentally preparing myself. "On three."

"One." Jerome begins.
"Two..."
"Three!" I exclaim, pumping a fist into the air.

The ground underneath the three of us instantly shatters, a giant pillar or earth jutting out at a breakneck speed. Any scream the three of us were going to vocalize is instantly whisked away by the wind. I grip onto the jagged rock for dear life as I shoot through the air at an alarming speed. Although I can't really tell, I think I'm gripping the stone so hard it's cutting into my hand. My ears pop painfully as the altitude rapidly increases, and through my watery eyes I can just see Lachlan and Jerome practically hugging the stone, their eyes shut tight. Before I even know what's happening the spike is stopping almost instantly, nearly sending the three of us flying off and down hundreds of blocks below to our death.

The three of us don't hesitate to drag ourselves off the spike and onto the plateau. I collapse from pure exhaustion, clutching my slashed hand and panting heavily. Lachlan's hair is pretty much flattened and his eyes are wide, pupils tiny. If I weren't about to pass out from the amount of energy that took, I would have laughed at his expression. Jerome... I think he just crawled away and is hurling in a bush.

"We are not doing that again." Jerome groans after almost a minute of being hunched over with his face in the bush.
"Agreed." Lachlan and I say in unison, Lachlan having just fixed his hair and calmed down, and myself actually finding enough strength to sit up.

Lachlan offers me a hand to stand up, and I accept it as Jerome wanders back over.

"Let's get our cloaks on before someone notices us." Lachlan recommends, the wispy piece of fabric appearing over his body.

Jerome and I equip ours, the three of us tossing up our hoods before casually strolling into the village. Which, is apparently also infested with Endermen.

The town of Hillford is just as miserable as Waryville, the people here even seem more tired. A lot of them have pickaxes swung across their backs, ranging anywhere from stone to diamond, and dust covered faces. The building here are a bit more advanced, but the most noticeable thing is the plentiful amount of mine entrances, all with tracks leading both in and out. As we pass by, I watch out of the corner of my eye as a figure within the cave dumps and armload of valuables into a chest on a minecart. The cart then rolls up out of the mine, on squeaky old tracks, and rolls along and around a corner up ahead. A few seconds later, a second one follows. And then the minecarts spur back a minute later, rolling back down into the mine.

"Lachlan, turn invisible and follow one of those carts." I whisper to him, fearful someone might overhear us.

Lachlan nods and without question vanishes. Jerome and I continue to wander aimlessly around, trying our best not to act suspicious and avoiding contact with anyone but ourselves. We double back a couple times to try and peek at where the loaded minecarts are going, but we end up walking away every time. After all, in any location where the carts seemed to go, Endermen guarded them closely. Guess we'll just have to wait for Lachlan. Suddenly the air near us distorts, and Lachlan is beckoning us into an alley way. Speak of the devil.

"What did you find out?" Jerome inquires once we've ducked out of the sight of any Endermen or people.
"Well... if I'm not wrong I'm pretty sure Herobrine is forcing these people to mine for him."
"Why so?" I question.
"Well that's my friends is where luck comes in. Those minecarts... They're coming in and out of a huge nether portal! And if they're going to Herobrine... They're going to the nether fortress. And that's where we're heading." Lachlan finishes, beaming.
"That's great! Now we just need to sneak into one of those and ride it out till we reach the fortress." Jerome plans.
"Sounds good. Let's go see if we can catch ourselves some minecarts." HA my mine by Vikk just came on.

~~~

"That guys just about to send off three minecarts... Let's see if we can stop them a bit further up." Jerome relays, peeking over the large rock in front of him.

The three of us, staying low to the ground and in the shadows, sneak along like ninjas a bit further up the track. We wait patiently and a few minutes later the three carts are chugging up towards us. Jerome blocks the cart from continuing forward, and Lachlan steps behind them to make sure they don't roll back down.

"Alright guys, climb in, I'll push us off." Lachlan whispers.

Jerome and I nod, slipping into a cart each, filled with the brim to ores of all kinds.

I slip a few of the ores into my inventory to make space for myself, and then I scrape the remaining ores over me like a blanket, huddled into the cramped dark cart. Good thing none of us has claustrophobia. I note, the chain of minecarts lurching forward and the ores in the cart behind me shifting, signifying Lachlan's entrance. And away we go...

To the Nether.

~~~

Question of the chapter:

Anyone ever been to Minecon/Pax?

My answer: I rlly wanna but it's always somewhere really far away like Florida. 😥