Portazo Island Entry #15

The Nether. I've heard of the place before. It was supposedly a horrifying realm filled with fire and death. This realm was fabled to be swarming with the howling dead and the screeching demons of fire. As I discussed with the testificates, they told me of the only known way into The Nether. They told me that I must construct a portal from obsidian and strike the frame with fire. They told me I must go into the earth and find obsidian. When I asked them how to find it they told me it was formed from cooled lava and was one of the hardest rocks found in the earth. In order to mine this stone I would need to have a pickaxe made from diamonds. So I returned to the mines to firstly find diamonds.



After a while I found a few.



And a few more...



After I collected these diamonds I returned to the base camp in the mines and crafted a new sword and pickaxe from these diamonds.



I then set out for obsidian and after collecting some, returned to the surface. I showed the testificates the obsidian I had collected and the helped me construct the frame. They then instructed me to strike a fire in the center of it. Before I did they ran back to safety.



After the fire was lit is stayed for a second then disappeared into the obsidian. The portal frame stood silent for a moment. I watched as parts of the obsidian began to bubble and slowly the frame filled with a strange purple glow.



The portal let out anguished howls and pained screams. The sound was terrifying. As I stood in amazement and terror I was touched by something behind me. I jumped and nearly thrust my sword through the friendly face of the testificate which had approached me. He handed me a bow and a few arrows, explaining he had made them to defend the village in my absence. He asked for me to take them. He explained that time passed faster in The Nether than it did in the current realm. He told me that while I may be lost for days in the Nether it would only seem to be minutes for them. I gratefully accepted, and turned to face the portal. Slowly I stepped inside. The purple glow became to envelop me.

I felt as if fire was tearing at my scales, but with no heat. I felt as if the arms of the dead were pulling me in every direction, but with no pain. I closed my eyes and crouched slightly, unsure of what was next to come.

After what felt like an eternity the feeling passed. The air felt hot and smelled faintly of blood and ash. I could hear tormented screams coming from somewhere. From everywhere. Yet I saw no signs of any sort of life. The land seemed barren. Slowly I stepped forward. What I saw here could not be described by the words of any man, or fish. Lava poured from the ceiling and pooled into great seas of flame. The ground seemed to made made of flesh. As I stepped the ground itself screamed in torment.



I slowly paced through this unfamiliar realm. I wandered lost and scared. Until I eventually found a bright glowing rock. This rock seemed oddly serene and out of place.



I grabbed my pick and began to gather it. It crumbled into dust which I scooped up and stuffed into my pack. I heard again a horrid scream, this time I saw where it was coming from. A ghost looked down on me, with a gloomy and ghastly expression. I continued to walk.



I remembered the testificates telling me that most creatures in this realm would not bother me if I left them be. As I walked I found more glowstone and began to to collect this as well. Then suddenly, a wretched scream, more shrill than ever before was let loose. I turned and saw a large ball of molten rock and fire headed for me. I jumped out of the way as it exploded leaving fire and bits of rock everywhere.



I ran to my portal. The ghastly creature spat another ball of molten rock at the portal. The purple glow shattered like glass and as the shards fell they turned to a black haze. Terrified I grabbed the flint from my pack. I struck it against the steel several times but in my horrified state I wasn't able to light the fire.



I turned to the flying creature and stood perfectly still. He continued to spit molten rock and howl at my presence. I remembered the bow the testificate gave me before my departure. I grasped it and nocked an arrow. I breathed in as I pulled back the bow string, and with a sharp exhale let go. The arrow flew through the air striking the creature. It let out another shrill screech and flew higher. I grabbed another arrow, and again nocked it. I again pulled the string back and let the arrow fly. As it soared through the air the ghastly creature spat molten rock at it. The rock exploded in the air as the arrow was eaten by the flame. I hid behind a bit of rock as I nocked yet one more arrow. Listening to the creatures ghastly howls, I waited. The howls got louder. I stood up and looked pulling the bowstring back as fast and far as I could. I closed my eyes and let go of the string.

As I heard the arrow fly through the air, I opened my eyes. The arrow struck the creature, which let out a load horrid sound, which sounded like some unholy mix of a scream of terror and a sigh of relief. It exploded into a white mist which showered down around the surrounding area. I grabbed my flint and steel as I ran towards the lifeless portal frame. I struck the flint several times and eventually a fire appeared, which then faded away in a similar fashion as before, and after just a moment more that familiar purple glow had reappeared. I stepped through again.

As I stood in the purple glow I was surrounding with the feelings of a sea breeze and and sand beneath my feet. As I stood there I could feel the familiarity of Portazo Island calling for me. I closed my eyes and stepped forward. I heard the crunch of sand beneath my boot. When I opened my eyes I found myself back on my familiar island. I returned to my home, giving only one last look to that terrifying portal, that lead to that horrid place.