#after a wither skeleton snuck up on me while I was fighting blazes

[grovyrosegirl]

Lukas/Jesse (either gender) Lukas reading Jesse his new book please?

Local legends in the neighboring towns told of a rare treasure. A small golden totem with emerald eyes that when used, could save one from the clutches of death itself. Rumors of its location were varied, some said it was buried beneath an icy lake far out in the snow biome. Others claimed that it would be hidden in the farthest reaches of the jungle. The most frequent rumor was the totem being locked away in a ruined fortress in the Nether, guarded by a fearsome foe.

The Nether is home to all sorts of monsters, from zombie pigmen to ghasts to wither skeletons. But the Order of the Stone had traversed the caverns of Netherrack many times, and were no strangers to the dangerous inferno.

Riding along the tracks built by the previous Order of the Stone, our heroes finally spotted the fortress. As expected, the broken Nether brick bridges and narrow halls were crawling with mobs. Every corner the group turned was another obstacle blocking their path. But with their weapons at hand, the six of them charged forward. Jesse and Petra taking the first strike, the two warriors stood back to back as the monsters met their end at the blades of their swords. Axel moved in next, a trio of zombie pigmen were no match for the griefer’s brute strength. Ivor and Lukas served as the team’s defensive force, the former well equipped with splash potions of all varieties, and the ladder keeping back the lucky few monsters that managed to escape the others with his bow and arrow. And for the monsters that were waiting in the shadows to sneak up and ambush the group? Well, they met their fates at the hands of Olivia’s instant arrow dispenser machine.

With the path clear, the final chamber awaited the Order of the Stone. Slowly they approached the center of the room, a treasure chest sitting on a pedestal. Of course, that would be too easy. All adventurers know that a treasure chest so easily spottable will be protected by a powerful force.

This powerful force came in the shape of a Blaze. But this one was no ordinary Blaze, not only was it larger than any one the group had seen before, but the flames on the rods circling around the monster were flaring higher and brighter. Smoke billowed off the creature and flooded the room. This would be the final foe on this…

On this…

Lukas paused in his narration, keeping the open book secured in one hand while using the other to cover his mouth as a yawn escaped. He blinked a few times, trying to get rid of the pesky heaviness on his eyelids, before glancing at Jesse, who was walking right beside him on their stroll through the forest path.

“Sorry,” He said with a grin, lowering his hand, “snuck up on me.”

“I noticed,” She chuckled, resting her arms behind her back, “Oof, I remember that fight. I think I still have the mark on my shoulder.”

“Remember what we found in the chest after?” Lukas asked, trying his best to hold back a laugh as the memory replayed.

Jesse nodded, snickering, “You mean the giant pile of lapis? I swear Petra was ready to snap that thing in half-,”

“-And Ivor just backed away from her as fast as he could,” He finished before the two finally burst into a fit of laughter.

Once he caught his breath again, Lukas took a quick look forward. Up ahead was the wooden bridge over a flowing stream, marking the end of the forested area where the stone roads would begin. Soon Beacontown would only be a few miles away. Well, it would be just enough time to finish the chapter at least. As Jesse’s last few giggles were coming to an end, Lukas skimmed down the page, finding the spot where he’d left off.

This would be the final foe on this expedition.

The Blaze wasted no time with its attack. Swiftly it darted across the chamber, fireballs spewing from every part of its body. Everyone quickly jumped from spot to spot, as any place they were once standing soon became a hole in the wall or a blast mark on the floor. Using the water bottles Ivor brough was futile, as the water evaporated in the hot air the moment the alchemist unscrewed the cork.

“Uh, Lukas?”

It appeared the Order of Stone would have to rely solely on their own strength and resources. Jesse recalled a technique she learned long ago during a battle with ghasts. She suggested using their sword to reflect-

“Lukas!”

Reality snapped back into focus. That was weird. Why did Jesse suddenly shout like that? And why was she grabbing his arm so tightly?

But the sounds of running water and a look downwards answered his questions. Just a few inches under the tip of his boot, was the stream. A jolt ran through him, immediately he took a couple steps back, the wide-eyed Jesse letting go of him as he did.

“Oh, oh wow. That was close,” Lukas breathed out, smacking a hand to his forehead.

“No kidding,” Jesse muttered after a sigh of relief. Though it quickly faded from her expression, becoming a much more concerned stare. “Are you okay, dude? You seem kind of…out of it, today.”

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that writing had become a large part of Lukas’ life, and for good reason. The ability to bring their adventures to life with a quill in hand and words on a page was a fulfilling one. The success of his first actual published book was overwhelming, and it felt…what was a good word for it? Important. To say the least. Of course, with anything good, there came downsides. Even Lukas had to admit that he’d been getting distracted more often. He couldn’t help it much, once the quill was moving or his voice narrating, the world around him seemed to disappear. It wasn’t doing any favors for the growing cobwebs in his house. But hey, a small price to pay for a new passion, right?

Unfortunately, today seemed to have taken this bad habit and cranked it up to the highest level. That embarrassment just a second ago wasn’t the first time Jesse needed to bring him back to the real world before he hurt himself on their walk. Already, Lukas walked face first into a tree branch sticking out, tripped over a log, and nearly gotten his foot stuck in a crack on the path. Twice.

“I’m alright,” He attempted to assure her, “just a little tired, that’s all.”

Although this didn’t appear to ease Jesse’s worry in the slightest, folding her arms as she said, “Exhausted seems like a better word. How much sleep did you get last night?”

“A couple hours,” Lukas answered. Technically it wasn’t a lie. He must’ve gotten at least two hours in, seeing how it was dark when he fell asleep and sunrise when he woke up.

…And sure, he woke up still at his desk, but that’s better than no sleep at all.

Jesse raised an eyebrow, the new sternness in her look causing Lukas to add in, “Okay, maybe I was up a little later than normal. I was finishing up the chapter and I guess I lost track of time.”

“Does this happen a lot?” Jesse asked warily.

“Not every night,” Lukas shook his head. Things went quiet for a moment, and he broke the silence with, “I’m fine, Jesse, really.”

“You say that but,” Lowering her shoulders, Jesse began fiddling her fingers, “I dunno, maybe you could give yourself a certain time where you stop for the day? Or take a day off in between? Or maybe-,”

Lukas quickly cut her off, “It doesn’t work like that, Jesse. I need to get this done, and that means I need to write whenever I get the chance.”

“I get that, but you need to rest too,” Jesse argued, “overworking yourself like this isn’t healthy. Dangerous, even. Next time it might not be a stream, it could be a creeper or a cliff, and I’m not always going to be around to warn you.”

“Jesse, I can handle myself,” He said, closing his book and tucking it under his arm, “You’ve already got enough on your plate, there’s no need to worry about something small like this.”

At this statement, Jesse’s eyes went wide, almost appearing to be stunned. Before Lukas could figure out a better way to say his point, she already walked over and firmly placed her hand on his shoulder.

“Lukas,” Jesse began, “no matter how busy I get, I’m always going to worry about you. You’re my friend. If it involves you, then it’ll never be ‘something small.’”

She released his shoulder, but kept her eyes locked on him, continuing in a much softer tone, “I know your writing is important to you, and I’m proud that you’ve made it this far. You’re an amazing author. But please, don’t forget to take care of yourself. Get some rest, at least.”

Now it was Lukas’ turn to go quiet. Normally this conversation would go on for way longer. And knowing both of them with their stubbornness, it could’ve spiraled into an argument. But today, either from just how tired he was or that look in Jesse’s eyes, he decided to lower the shields.

“Alright, you win,” Lukas sighed before meet her eyes again with a small smile, “I guess I can try and get to sleep earlier.”

The grin returned to Jesse’s expression as well, “Thanks.”

The two returned to their walk, heading over the wooden bridge. The number of trees began to lessen, letting the walls and colorful builds of Beacontown appear in the distance.

A smirk grew on Lukas’ face as a new memory resurfaced, glancing back at Jesse, he said, “Hey, I feel like we’ve had this conversation before. Except I was saying what you said and you were the one crashing into everything.”

Jesse chuckled, resting her arms behind her head, “Duh, where do you think I got my lecturing skills from?”

With another batch of the laughter, the duo kept moving forward. Maybe their lives nowadays weren’t as exciting or dangerous as the stories in Lukas’ books. But like those stories, they were real, and no matter what, they were in this together.

That was fine with him.

#mcsm #mcsm spoilers #lukesse #jesskas #my fanfics #this is so late I'm so sorry #There was a lot of stuff going on and gaaaaah #I hope it's alright!