Crow (NoochZahHutt)

Part Twenty-Two

 Crossroads was unexpectedly hot.

At this point, I was numb to the shock value of "magic" powers, anti-government organizations, and, in this case, portals to other dimensions. So finding out that Vaq's transportation project literally went through HELL wasn't as shocking as you'd think. Needless to say, I was sweating buckets.

He didn't actually call it "Hell" when he explained it to me, but based on my surroundings I could have guessed as much. He'd followed me through the portal to explain Crossroads. The dimension was formally called the "Nether". Apparently, traveling a distance in the Nether with the intent of traveling a distance in the Overworld (the normal world where people lived), was faster than simply traveling through the Overworld. My travel time to Genesis would be cut by a lot (I wasn't sure of the exact number - Vaq gave me an equation but I forgot it almost instantly after he explained the variables).

So now I was speeding through Hell, squeezed into a tiny metal cart.

However, despite the fact that at points I was on precarious bridges over oceans of fucking magma, there was a bad feeling creeping its way into the back of my mind. But this feeling was there for other reasons. Something was wrong. Something was wrong in Genesis, regarding Choco. But I wasn't sure how I knew. I just did.

The fever...Crow...did the government capture them?

That didn't explain the feeling I had. The...the sense that something was wrong.

The sense.

The sixth sense.

Shit.

Upon coming to this realization, I stopped slouching over and clapped my hands to my face. "What the HELL!" I exclaimed. Some kind of creature native to the Nether growled in response. "Sorry."

How could I have the sixth sense...the "birdy" sense as Vaq called it. My soul wasn't bound to that necklace, it was bound to the redstone one. Choco...

...fuck I didn't know.

It felt like hours before the minecart pulled into the makeshift station. In front of me was another portal, exactly the same size and shape as the one in Vaq's basement, making equally sinister noises. I stepped out of the minecart and into the portal. My vision was filled with psychedelic purple swirls as I was teleported back to the Overworld.

I was in a room similar to the one at Vaq's place, small, with a large dark staircase. With nowhere else to go, I bounded up the staircase, skipping two steps at a time, before I reached a trap door. I pushed it open - some dirt fell on my head, and when I poked my head out, I was in the stable. In one of the horses' stalls.

"Eww," I mumbled, standing up. Well, I needed a horse anyway. All of my instincts were screaming at me to go to the PvP arena.

I mounted the horse, bareback, and rode it out of the stable somewhat heroically.

"HEY! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!" Someone shouted at me as I rode through the streets. "WHAT THE HELL," another person yelled. The wind blew in my face and I struggled to keep my eyes open, but I did anyway.

The horse jumped over a few benches and even a car as we made our way to the arena. The familiar architectural wonder came larger into view, pillars, designs, and all. I could hear muffled announcements coming from inside, but I couldn't make out what the announcer was saying.

I ignored the guards and ran through the gate with the horse, and then lept off its back. Horses can't easily get up stairs and they just plain cannot get down them. I ran up the stairs, breathing hard and heart pounding in my ears. A wave of cheers went through the arena.