Brotherhood.
Not a complex word, or at least to Steve it wasn't. To most, it was the good willed relationship between siblings. To Steve, it was his village, or his family, as he preferred it to be. To the young villager, brotherhood was the feeling of a close bond with the people he talked to each day. It was the feeling of love and happiness that spread throughout him whenever he was interacting with the people he cared for.
Steve never had siblings of his own, but he was sure that if he did, they would have been closer than the best of friends. Brothers and sisters he saw in the village always seemed so close and stuck out for each other all the time. Sure, they fought from time to time, but were always back together before night fell. Steve knew he didn't need a sibling, for he already held the bond that came with it. Villagers found him to be trustworthy and kind, like everyone else he's ever known. In fact, he's never known otherwise. The evil he knows only existed inside the monsters that creep at night and in story books he obtained from the village librarian. The creatures that lurked in the dark always puzzled him, forcing him to spend each night wondering what would force these beings to attack humans and not each other.
Despite the monsters at night, Steve's life couldn't be better. Everyday he would help tend to the crops and livestock and sell what he gathered for emeralds, which he would use to buy whatever he needed. Then he would return home to care for his cat, Stripes, and his dog, Ace, before night fell. Life was a peaceful routine that Steve never tired of. He wouldn't have his life any other way, and hoped it would never change. He wouldn't be able to take the excitement of adventure and extreme situations.
Unfortunately for him, fate was not on his side.
A few months after Steve turned twenty-four, horrible news was brought to the village. Steve had woken up like usual and got dressed in his usual turquoise blue shirt and blue pants, which were different compared to the various robed the villagers wore. He then ate watermelon for breakfast and fed his pets. Ace was unusually distant that day, which confused Steve greatly. But he brushed it off as only odd behavior. Stripes acted like herself, though, meowing for her morning fish and purring when he ran a hand through her striped orange fur. As he exited his home, he noticed that most of his fellow villagers kept inside. The few that were outside weeped deeply, bringing worry to the once cheerful farmer. He kept a steady pace towards to one of the sobbing villagers, trying his best not to dash to her and possibly give her a heart attack.
Bessie, a fairly elderly woman that would teach the children of the small village, was the one Steve approached. Her long graying blonde hair and white robes only seemed to contribute to the sad scene of a crying old woman. When hearing him approach, she lifted her head to look up at him.
"Bessie," Steve whispered, "what happened? Why are you crying?"
Bessie could only stand from where she was and wrap her arms around her taller companion and cry in to his chest.
"Ph- Phillip," she choked out in sobs, "He was overtaken by zombies during the night. A- a dog found his body this morning." Her voice quivered as her tears soaked through Steve's shirt. He didn't mind, though. He was too overcome with sadness and grief. Phillip was a courier, and a close friend to Steve. He would transport goods, documents, and letters from our small village to the town up north. He was nomadic, and always carried a portable bed along with him, but Steve would allow him to sleep in his bed whenever he stopped by and it was nearing night. Phillip job was dangerous, and everyone told him this, especially his mother, Bessie. Monsters, bandits, and wolves were always things to be wary of, which was why being a courier was given high pay for each delivery. With all the emeralds he had gotten over the years, he was able to buy himself leather armor and a diamond sword, but it wasn't enough. He was killed in the end, and someone would have to take his place, just like he did with the old courier.
Steve put his arms around the petite old woman and comforted her. The next few days were filled with sorrow and grieving. A funeral was held two days after, and lasted hours. Almost everyone had something kind to say about Phillip, and it brung tears to Steve's eyes.
Then finally, the inevitable day came. The village needed more coal to cook our food and make glass, but they weren't making charcoal fast enough. The coal mine was near the town, and they needed to take a letter to Notch, a man who controlled most of the governable world, requesting for more coal. When no one would step up to the plate, Steve decided to be the one to take the letter. Although he was begged not to go, he put on the leather armor and stone sword given to him by the blacksmith and mounted the horse. Ezekiel, the town's only horse, was fairly old and had a few scars from encounters with whatever lurks at night, but he still held strong and still had a few more journeys left in him. After getting familiar with the steed, and being assured that Stripes and Ace would be taken care of, he took the letter and rode off toward town.
Fortunately for him, the ride was a short eleven mile ride and very uneventful. The only dangerous thing that they encountered was a wolf, which only gave them a lazy glance as they passed. As he approached the town, he was met by iron double doors built into a smooth stone wall that surrounded the town. A guard standing tall in full iron armor in front of the doors requested that Steve dismount his horse. He gladly complied and allowed the guard to search him. Seeing he only had a stone sword, he let the courier into the town.
The town was huge, most houses being made of smooth stone and building out of iron. This contrasted greatly to the village's simple wooden homes and shops. Steve asked a young woman where to find Notch. She said nothing, only pointing to a three story cobble stone house that stood out like a beacon in the middle of the town, complete with a giant "N" in front of the building in pure gold, and a literal beacon beaming a bright blue light ray straight into the sky. Embarrassed for not noticing it, the young man thanked her and began his walk towards the building.
As he neared his destination, he noticed the increase in guards. Once or twice one of the armored men stopped him to ask him where he was going, only to let him through. Upon arriving at the mansion-like building, he was let in and led into where Notch currently was: his room. Along the way, he questioned the woman leading him why there was so much protection needed.
"No one's really sure," she muttered to him as they climbed the stairs. "Some think he's just paranoid, since we haven't had an attack on this town in almost decades. And he can take on bandits and monsters easily, so it makes me think there might be something bigger he's protecting the town from." As she finished her sentence, she stopped in front of a single wooden door and knocked. As they waited for an answer, Steve began to notice the design of the door. It seemed to be made of jungle wood, and carved into the door's surface was a sword crossed over an arrow to form an X. It was clear to Steve that Notch was a warrior.
"Come in!" a voice rang out from behind the door. It sounded cheerful but aged, making him guess Notch was in his mid thirties. The woman opened the door and explained that the courier had arrived, and then walked off without saying a word. Steve entered, and with one glance around the room, his jaw hit the floor.
The room's walls were made of oak wood planks, while the floors resembled a chess board, made up of squares of what must've been spruce and and birch wood. Two redstone lamps hung from opposite sides of the ceiling, being the only light source in the room. An elegant red sheet bed pushed into the corner beside an oak night stand. A large arch with two iron doors were opened up, leading out to a wide balcony that had a view of the north side of town. The man standing on the edge of the balcony, leaning onto the iron railing and looking out at the town, was who Steve assumed to be Notch. Notch wore gray pants, brown shoes, and a brown shirt that seemed to have torn short sleeves. He was tall, a fairly good build, and had no hair with the exception of a thick black beard.
"Yes?" Notch asked, not turning to face him. Steve gulped and was eventually able to find his voice and speak his mind. "Uh, Notch, sir... I have a letter from the village to the south. The one that had that pig infestation a few years ago?"
Notch merely nodded, staring dreamily out at the near setting sun. "And what's in the letter?"
Steve searched his bag of food and water until he found the slightly crumpled letter. He opened up the envelope and read the contents out loud.
"From the village of the southern green valleys:
If we could please beg for a favor: we have run out of coal from the supply you've given us, and the charcoal we've made is burning too fast due to our increase in population and our attempt to make some is not working fast enough. We need the coal to warm us on cold nights and to cook most of our food. We hope it won't be a burden.
Sincerely,
Eliot Blackhand."
A chuckle came from Notch as he finally began to turn around to face me. "Heh, that village, eh? Of course I'll give them the coal they need. Just go down to the mines beside the town and talk to-"
He stopped suddenly. It sounded as if his breath had caught in throat. Steve watched Notch's now revealed black pupils constrict and his body stumble back slightly. The courier tilted his head, puzzled by the older man's sudden shock and apparent horror. Notch let out a shuddering breath and Steve could hear him say under his breath, just barely audible: "Brother."
This made Steve even more puzzled, especially when Notch's expression turned into one of pure anger. He began to speak again, this time much more audible and forceful, striking fear into Steve's spine. "You think you can trick me with this disguise, brother? What are you doing here?"
"I-I, uh, what?" the young man sputtered out, flustered. "I, uh, have no idea what you're talking about, Mr. Notch s-"
He couldn't even finish his sentence. Notch had slammed him against the wall with what felt like super-human strength, pinning him up against the wall with one hand around his neck, greatly constricting his air flow. Steve gasped for air and tried to claw at his arm to get him to let go, but the man's grip was stronger than iron.
"You should have stayed in the Nether," Notch growled threateningly, "Now I get to send you down to where you really belong." He tightened his grip, and Steve's vision began to fade in and out. The brown haired male wheezed and gasped for air, but lost the battle and everything began to go black. But just before he was enveloped in darkness, he heard Notch whisper one one last phrase.
"I'm sorry I have to do this, Herobrine."
