Well, this was long overdue. I know, I know, it's been a while since I've updated, but give a girl some space. I have a case of writing excerpts that happens in the sequel or in the future events than the current one. (Along with other series that starts popping up in my head.) Strange, yeah, and if someone tells me I could have written it in the proper time, well let's just say I want to write my ideas down as soon they popped out in my mind so I don't forget it.

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Chapter 8: Into the Fortress

Darkness. That was all she felt and saw. Raven tried to feel her way, finding a light source when she heard a voice.

"No, please... I can't do this!"Raven turned around and saw Cedric on his knees, his arms having scars and his voice cracking. She gasped as she ran to him, only to be slammed by a glass wall in front of her. She groaned in pain, pressing her face to the glass to see her brother closer.

Cedric starts to cough, crying in pain as the sounds of whips slashing on him echoed in Raven's mind. Raven cried out for her brother, tears blurring her vision as she witnessed her redhead brother in pain. She was his sister. She was supposed to protect him and guide him, because that's what siblings do for one another.

But look at her right now; lost in a world, slowly withering into death because of a savage Witherstorm.

"Aw, look at that poor girl. Helpless, can you?"A female voice taunted, piercing Raven's quiet sobs in the air. "You'll never get home. He'll forget you anyway."

"No, he couldn't forget me."Raven held her breath tight as she closed her eyes, remembering every moment she spent with her brother will comfort her. She knew it, deep in her heart, that they'll never forget each other, settling on her like a feeling.

"Oh, really? Well, he wasn't even your brother anyway. He was just adopted... he didn't give a care whether you're sick or not."The voice chuckled, her words echoing near Raven's face.

That was the last straw for Raven. Adopted or not, Cedric is still her younger brother, and she'll do whatever it takes to find her way home and keep him safe. She knows he cares for her... and that last sentence was an insult to her face.

"Shut the heck up!"She yelled as she opened her eyes and punched the closest thing that was next to her... and hit the grassy dirt in the end.

Raven got up and witnessed just in time to see a zombie dropped rotten flesh in the dark moonlight in the woods. Just a dream. She muttered repeatedly before the prickling pain on her left arm. Oh yeah, her Wither Sickness hurts like icy hell all over. Where was she anyway? The last time she was awake, she was at the Temple... now she's in the woods... in the dark... not the best way to survive.

Speak of the devil, she turned around at the sound and saw the Witherstorm roaring in monstrosity, casting shadows in the world. Ah, damn it, damn it, damn it!

"Not again..."Raven muttered before she heard Lukas called to her.

"Raven! Thank Notch you're awake!"Lukas said before he grabbed her hand; Raven wincing slightly at this as she tries to keep with the others. "What happened back there? You just fainted in the enchanting room."

"Fatigue... I was a lot more tired than I expected it to be."Raven replied before she coughed, meeting up with the others, all of them sighing in relief at her okay condition, especially Petra and Gabriel. "You know, I'm getting sick of that Witherstorm chasing us like cat and mice."

"I can agree to that; I'm glad you're okay. Raven, wasn't it?"A woman with short brown hair wearing red, gold and brown armor remarked. Raven probably guessed it was Ellegaard; her armor's color scheme was a dead giveaway that she operates a lot of redstone work.

"How far is Soren, anyway?"She heard Axel inquired, with Gabriel replying that they can't be much farther and that they could make it. Raven sighed; oh, she missed a lot, she's just going along with the plan that she never knew because she fainted. Brilliant streak of luck for her there, right? Not really.

The group climbed into a slope of blocks that leads to the entrance, which Reuben was there, thankfully. Somehow, that pig manages to evoke the smile on Raven's face despite the circumstances. Is he that charming enough to do that? Maybe.

•••

The doors slowly opened to the group, revealing a pathway to another door, quartz blocks and maybe blue wool adorning the room.

"What was the plan?"Raven whispered to Petra and Gabriel as they walked on, hearing comments from Lukas about the place.

"We're going to find Soren. He has this Super TNT that we can make into a Formidi-Bomb. With it, it could destroy anything, possibly the Witherstorm itself."Gabriel replied.

"Thanks for the answer, I needed it a lot."Raven remarked before she coughed again, shivering slightly at the cold. The Warriors coughed too, before Raven pat them both in the shoulders, smiling sadly before she sneezed softly.

"You know, you sneezed like a kitten."Petra noted.

"Ha-ha."Raven rolled her eyes as they entered the next room, uncertain if that was a good thing or a bad thing. This room has a door on the other side but has columns made from clay and gravel, which can lead into the black unknown below if one falls down. Raven is just glad she's not acrophobic.

"Yeah, and I'm really not feeling those columns."Lukas commented, but a bald man wearing an eye mask and green armor stepped into the first column. Raven thought this was the other person, Magnus. He remarked that the columns are just fine but Raven can't help but feel paranoid about them. Well, you would be a little scared of everything when you're sick and slowly about to die.

Axel excitedly jumped on the column, followed by Olivia and Lukas along with Gabriel and Petra. Raven glanced at Jesse and Reuben.

"Good luck. I'm scared."Raven sighed before she jumped at the first column, trying hard not to look down. She jumped again, but her momentum was early that she tripped and fell below the black unknown.

Let's just say when she fell down, it hurts like hell spread all over her that she yelped loudly. It's quite a miracle that she was still able to stand up. Is some unknown force helping her or what? Well, she can count on her blessings and curses later. She got up and dusted herself off in one of the columns when she saw Jesse and Reuben fall down as well.

"Raven... you fell down too?"Jesse whispered quietly as Raven carefully tiptoed to them. "We've got a little Endermen problem here."Raven looked on one side and sure enough, tall Endermen carrying blocks with purple eyes were roaming around.

"I don't think that's a little Endermen problem."Raven noted, with her voice cracking slightly before she coughed. Reuben squealed as he ran away. Raven attempts to chase him when she felt a heavy weight on her body and was slammed to the ground hard.

"AHHH!"That hurts... even worse. "I'm so sorry, Raven. Are you okay?"Raven looked up and saw Lukas in front of her, offering her a hand up. She took it as she got up, wincing subtly in pain. He must have fell on her then.

"Yeah, I guess..."Raven trailed off, tending to her aching back.

"Anyway, I heard your voices and thought I would come down to help."Lukas piped before he glanced at the Endermen. "That's a lot."

"Yeah, I didn't think they ever came in groups that big."Jesse agreed.

"Thanks for coming back for us, Lukas."Raven smiled as she turned to the blonde boy, even though it made her condition hurt even more... it was kind of him to go back for them. Lukas smiled at them in return before he scratched his neck sheepishly.

"Sorry for that thing earlier."

"That was an-"Before Raven could continue, Reuben's loud squeals echoed around the room, Jesse noting that he's getting their attention. He slowly turned around, only to meet an Enderman screeching at his face.

Raven screamed as she ran, losing sight of her friends, which is bad since she doesn't want any of them or herself to be Ender chow. She tried finding them but she was soon cornered with more Endermen. Ah, crud! Raven tried to keep herself safe when she tripped (again, why does she keeps tripping?) and fell in a stream of water.

At least it's just water; if it's another quartz platform again, her back's going to undergo major therapy when this is all over... if the Wither Sickness wouldn't fade away that easy from her.

Raven was usually fine with swimming, but with her Wither Sickness, it made her shiver as if she was frozen in ice. She looked up and saw Jesse and Lukas fall down to stream, the Endermen just screeching at them in the stream. Reuben jumped soon afterwards before all four of them fell in a waterfall that lies ahead. It didn't hurt as much as falling in land, but it still hurts a little... and sends more sneezes to her.

The group gasped for air before they swam at the nearby ground. That nearby ground has a giant replica of the amulet with the center, each side having four statues with a unique color. They heard Magnus and Ellegaard arguing about the building as they swam. When the group got up from the water, Ellegaard stormed off, finding the Super TNT by herself on one path, with Magnus likewise doing the same on the other path.

"Just a side note, but do they hate each other a lot?"Raven piped at Jesse.

"I guess so."Jesse shrugged. "They have a lot of issues to work on lately."

"It's hard to pick 'glass half-full' when they keep kicking the glass over."Olivia remarked before Raven drifted off to see Gabriel and Petra.

"Are you all holding up well?"Raven asked before she coughed.

"I think it's gonna get worse by the minute."Gabriel answered.

"Maybe we should tell Jesse about this."Petra suggested. "I trust him."

"Are you sure?"Gabriel asked. "What if it might cause panic?"

"I trust him too, Gabriel."Raven agreed. "He's worth it." She glanced at Jesse, about to take Ellegaard's path.

"Let's do it."Petra then patted Jesse on the shoulder, causing him to turn around and look at them.

"Are you guys, okay?"Jesse asked softly.

"I'm sorry. We... we don't want to worry you or something like that..."Raven began softly, seeing everyone approaching them. She can trust him.

"There's just something we need to talk about, Jesse."Gabriel continued.

"In private."Petra finished, glancing at Raven and Gabriel. Jesse looked around before he sighed.

"Uh, let's split up, guys."No one said anything, but Raven, Jesse, Reuben, Gabriel and Petra went on Ellegaard's path while the rest followed Magnus' path.

•••

Reuben oinked loudly behind them, causing Raven to sigh as the group walked in silence. Who should be the first to elaborate this? She glanced at the Warriors and Gabriel nodded, offering to be the first to tell the story.

"As much as we're aware that letting them head off alone was risky, we have to talk to you about a private matter we're dealing with."Gabriel began.

"It's... not so easy telling you this."Petra added.

"Hey, whatever it is... I trust you all. You can tell me."Jesse replied softly.

"T-Thanks a l-lot, J-Jesse."Raven stuttered before she coughed the loudest cough she had. Oh, geez, it just had to go worse on here!

"Raven, do you have a bad cough?"Jesse asked in concern as the group stopped walking, with Petra and Gabriel glancing at the remaining pair.

"You and Raven got us out of the Witherstorm... but we're worried we didn't get away quick enough..."Petra began.

"And, I was grabbed by a tentacle twice and... I've got sucked into a tractor beam once."Raven explained. Jesse asked what before the trio showed their infected arms, Reuben squealing at the sight. No turning back right now, he would know.

"We discovered it not long after the rescue."Gabriel continued, before Raven coughed loudly again, the sound echoing around the pathway.

"You're not... sick, aren't you?"Jesse asked nervously.

"I wish."Raven laughed dryly. Oh, how she wished it didn't end up like this, but no. It had to end up like this because luck hates her so much.

"You're seriously not counting your blessings, aren't you?"Oh and speak of the devil, it's that same voice that nagged her about Lukas' feelings. She's seriously calling that voice Nags from now on.

"What do you want?"She hissed in her mind, knowing well that nagger would hear her thoughts.

"Well, I'm not talking about my concerns. I'm talking about your concerns."Nags replied.

"What? It's not like you care."Raven snorted.

"Things change, Ravy Davy."Nags said the last part in a baby tone, and let's just say Raven was irritated as if Nags was a fly on her nose.

"Creeper!"Before she could come back with an insult, Petra's yelp snapped her thoughts about Nags. The Creeper exploded, and Raven fell from the impact of the explosion along with Jesse. Ah, damn that occasional stupid voice in her head.

Raven gripped Jesse's foot with her unaffected arm, hoping Gabriel and Petra's combined grip on them is strong enough to lift them up. Unfortunately, it didn't and Jesse and Raven met the hard impact of the ground, the amulet rolling out of his pocket and around a hole in the basement, a navy blue glow casting as a light source for the pair.

Raven's back hurts more than ever. Stupid Nags. If he wasn't bugging her, she would have avoided the explosion and therefore, she wouldn't fell down.

"My strength is compromised. I couldn't maintain my grip. I'm so sorry."She heard Gabriel apologized, the one responsible for the slip up fall as he, Reuben and Petra glanced at them worriedly while Raven got up from the fall.

"Don't worry. We're good."Jesse replied as Raven tended to her back. Raven looked up and saw Petra stand, Reuben at her side.

"Stay safe down there. We'll find a way down to you."Petra promised before the Warriors and Reuben left, the pig taking one worried look at them before he went to the Warriors.

"So, it's just you and me now?"Raven asked as she glanced at Jesse, who just picked up the amulet with his hand.

"Yeah."Jesse nodded before the pair saw a dark pathway with random holes everywhere, the amulet's blue glow shedding light on the area. "Let's go. I think that might lead us to Soren."

•••

As the pair walked in the tunnel, Raven glanced at Jesse, tucking a fringe of her hair into her right diamond clip. They soon came to a room that has a large door. Stepping past it, they were greeted with the sight of tall towers and hundreds of bookshelves in a large room. Lampposts that were made out of fences and glowstone adorned the area, even having some glowstone near the bookshelves, basking the room in a faint golden light.

On the top of the room was a chandelier made out of glowstone, and on the ground, a somewhat similar replica of the Amulet was etched on it.

"Wonders..."Raven trailed off in the silence, with Jesse nodding in agreement.

"You can say that again."He agreed as they walked further.

When Raven soon saw a silluhuote of a man, her left arms starts stinging badly and her vision was getting blurry. She couldn't hear Jesse's voice clearly, but she was able to muster up the voice to say she's okay.

If the definition of okay, is a painful stinging on the left arm, unclear voices and blurred vision, then yeah. But it's not okay.

Is it really that bad? Is she really withering away into death?

Raven collapsed, her breath taking a quick hitch and her heart beating faster than she expected. This shouldn't be happening. She can't- no, scratch that; she mustn't die. She may be repeating these words in her head quite frequently that you think it would be a habit, but she has to. She must survive.

She heard yelling and a soft call of concern as she clutched her head with both of her palms, her vision shifting from black to her blurry surroundings.

"-you go, Ivor."

"Let him share his side..."Her voice tried to act clear; voicing her concern for the man who saved her from not withering away but in reality, it appeared to be slurred speech.

So she can't talk properly now? Damn, is the Wither effects the same as getting drunk? Not that she drank any alcohol prior to this.

"You need help, don't you?"A voice whispered that sounds like- No! She doesn't need Nags in her head right now!

"Get the Nether out of here; I don't freaking need you."Raven muttered.

"Yes, you do. You're walking in a thin tightrope of life and death."

"I'm not."

"If you don't fight back and accept my offer, I'll let you wither yourself."Nags said nonchalantly. As if he was more of a sarcastic creeper enough...

"What's your offer?"Raven quietly grunted.

"I'll be your backbone support. I won't be able to heal you completely, but I'll reduce the amount of pain to the extent of an impaled iron sword. In short, you won't wither that fast but you'll still wither."

"That is still not helpful."

"Well, excuse me, Princess!"

"Shut up."Raven gritted her teeth. "What's the catch?"

"In return, I'll live in your mind until this blows over. So, deal?"A small, silver triangle appeared in the immense blackness of Raven's consciousness. "Just grab the chip, Rae-rae."

That annoying nickname aside; Raven rubbed her head before she sighed. She doesn't have that much of a choice, did she?i

"Fine. Deal."She relucantly agreed as she grabbed the chip. A wave of fresh air surged within her, ebbing most of the pain away and clearing the blurriness.

Keyword: most. Some portions are still blurry to her and the pain is still there, but as long as Raven can stand up properly, it'll be okay.

"Oh, and there are some other last things-"As Nags rambled on, Raven spotted a splash potion of harming heading straight to Petra.

So she and Gabriel along with Reuben got here already? Wait... she looked further and her body lurches forward without thinking it throughly, rushing to take a hit of a splash potion from Petra.

"Don't do anything..." Raven jumped as the potion hit her chest, knocking her off to the stone floor.

"Stupid."Nags sighed. "Are you really that stupid?"

Raven breathed, the ceiling slowly fading into black in her eyes. The voices around her unclearly cry before she heard the clashing of metal ringing in her ears.

"Depends; but I trust you would keep the deal..."She mustered to think as she tries to find the perfect name for him. Nags wasn't his real name after all.

"Coddi."She finished: the name satisfying her before her mind drifted into oblivion.

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Merry Christmas 2016! You may be asking, she fainted again; why? Well, Raven's Wither Sickness is more intense than Petra's or Gabriel's so she agreed to a deal where the rate of her Sickness would slow down to our Warriors' rate. So, this is kind of my present for not updating for so long. To those who looks forward to an update, here you go.

But about Nags or Coddi, as Raven would now call him (not saying it's his real name though), he would be an interesting character in the next chapters as he resides on Raven's head and make snarky comments until the Witherstorm is stopped for good.

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