Warnings: None

     ~Mitch's P.O.V.~

     "Maybe this isn't such a great idea..." I mumble under my breath, staring nervously at the nether fortress ahead.

     The fortress is only about four hundred meters away now and I'm starting to second guess myself. Are we really about to sail into a nether fortress filled with blazes, magma cubes, pigmen, and most importantly wither skeletons? Really the only reason we're going is because it's probably cooler inside... But even so it looks like it's mostly over lava... I ponder, my thoughts swirling at everything that could go wrong... And for what?

     Before I know it the ghast I'm currently riding on is mewling and Jerome is calling out to me.

     "Heads up Mitch, we're almost there."

      With paying attention to my thoughts I failed to notice our fast approach to the structure. I pull back on the lead to start slowing down our ghast before we reach its towering platforms.

     "You doing okay down there Jerome?" I call, peeking over the edge to see Jerome comfortable nestled in the ghasts long arms.

     He flashes a thumbs up and I float to a stop right above a pathway hoisted up and away from the bubbling lava below due to huge sturdy pillars. I pat the ghast gently on the head and it carefully lowers Jerome to the ground. I then pull away and start to turn the ghast around so I can hop off.

     "Uhm... Mitch...?"
     "Not right now Jerome, I need to get down without falling into the lava."
     "No, Mitch... This is kinda important."

     I roll my eyes, starting to slide off the ghasts head using the lead to support myself.

     "What is it Jero- oh."

     I don't have time to react before the creature in front of us shoots three fast fireballs directly at me. I manage to swing myself over the first one, and onto the ground, the second one misses completely, but the third one hits me square in the chest and I go sailing back. I skid to a halt only meters away from where the pathway breaks off into the lava below. I gasp for breath, the wind completely gone from my lungs. I curl up on the ground, clutching at my chest. If it wasn't for the armour I might have been dead by now.

     "MITCH!"

     A hear a noise like dense metal being bashed on and pry open an eye to see Jerome hacking at the blaze with his axe. Its blaze rods float around it, and the smoke surrounding its form starts to alright with fire. But Jerome delivers one last blow to its yellow and brown head, and it makes a noise like a shutting down machine, everything falling apart. The head rolls to the ride limply, the smoke floats away, and the blaze rods which once spun in the air now tumble to the ground. Jerome quickly scoops up a blaze rod before rushing to my side in a heavy limp and sitting me upright.

     "Are you okay Mitch?" He questions, gripping onto my shoulders.

     I turn my head and cough harshly a few times, my chest still fairly clenched up, but then I turn back to him and nod. But I jump up when I see the figures of two more blazes starting to wander our way. Jerome whips around and holds his axe in front of him, and our ghast shrieks.

     "No! Go get help! Go find the portal and get help! Your fireballs won't have any effect on the blazes and you won't be able to fit through the halls when the open pathways close off!" I command the ghast.

     It gurgles in protest as Jerome pulls himself to his feet. I pull out my sword, swinging it in a wide arc at the ghast as the blazes float nearer.

     "GO!" I scream, the ghast crying out before rushing away.
     "Mitch look out!" Jerome blurts, pulling me to the side just as three fireballs rush past where I was standing.

     The second blaze flares up and launches another three fireballs our way. One sails over our heads, I duck under the second one, and Jerome bashes his axe into the third one, literally splitting it in two. Then with all my might I hurl my sword towards the blaze that's about to fire and it plunges directly between its eyes. The blaze and its parts tumble limply to the ground and the other blaze screeches in anger, charging at us.

     Within the next five seconds Jerome has pushed me past the blaze and out of its range, spun around, and hacked into the back of its head. The ghast whirs in pain and rumbles off the edge, and audible splash of lava sounding a couple seconds later. Jerome stands there like a boss, axe in his hand and glancing over the edge to where the blaze got scorched. That is until he falls to one knee, dropping his axe and clutching his hand.

     "Are you okay Jerome?" I ask, jogging to his side.

     He glances up at me, tears threatening to spill. He holds out his hand and my eyes land on a patch of what once used to me health fur. The fur is now burnt to a crisp, ashes still visible in the thick hair. Some of the fur has even burnt down to the skin, and overall the area covers the entire back of his hand.

     "When I went at its head some of the fire smoke passed over my hand..." He explains, drawing his hand to his chest.
     I nod sadly, gripping his forearm and pulling him to his feet. "Let's go inside... There will be wither skeletons so we'll have to be careful but at least it's gonna be cooler in there and we can take a look at your hand."

     Jerome nods, slinging his arm over my shoulders. And as we continue on he chuckles sadly.

     "And the worst part about this is that was my good hand... So I'm basically useless now since I can't really move on my own and I can't battle either."
     "That's not true... You still have that bottle of water right?"
     "Yeah..."
     "See? That's useful."
     "I guess that's true."

     I smile and help him along the path, our destination in sight. Soon enough the path way behind to drill into the side of a netherrack cliff and a roof and walls begin to shelter its halls. As soon as we enter the inside section of the fortress I hear the rattle of bones behind us and waste no time in pulling Jerome around the first corner. I have a pretty good idea of what's behind us and I don't feel like meeting it.

~~~