The village bustled with the same amount of excitement today as it did with every day that came. Which is very little excitement at all. The tavern was nearly full, as usual, and the blacksmith across the road was quieter than creepers that haunted the forest surrounding the little town. The library was still gathering cobwebs and the market vendors were growing tired with the dying sun. I effortlessly pushed the mine cart through the main street, which had a long straight railway leading from the main station to the castle entrance.

My pet dogs howled behind me as the moon began to rise. Both of them, Lapis and Emerald had been with me since I found them three months ago. It was hard trying to take care of the pups but they were finally growing up and began to care for themselves. The mine cart stopped at the end of the line with a loud 'thunk' and I looked up at the stone brick stairs leading into the castle. Once a week I was to bring my most valuable ores to the castle gate and leave them there for the old King to take, sometimes I would wait for him to come down and thank me for my efforts. Seeing I was the only miner in all of Liberty Gallows. But he never showed. So I would go home and as usual, the mine cart and the goods inside were gone the next morning. For some time I used to think that the King had a servant bring them inside with the other valuables that the town left him. Such as wheat, pumpkin, pork and steak. But even after staying up late at night, into the early hours of the morning, I found out there was no such person. Then again, I would always doze off before sunrise and wake up to find the goods and treasures gone.

The moon glistened off the white tinted windows of the upper castle floors and as I glanced up at the beauty of it all, I saw movement. A curtain being drawn on the uppermost floor. My breath quickened for a moment before I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Steve? Are you feeling well?"

I turned to find the head nun staring at me with concern. I nodded in reply and swallowed before answering.

"Yes… Yes I'm fine. Just a busy day that's all."

"Something is bothering you… What did you see?" she asked with a sense of wisdom. I swear that nothing could get past Mother Delia.

"I saw- I saw… the curtain it moved." I replied, pointing at the top window quickly. She looked at me with a puzzled look and chuckled lightly under her breath.

"Oh Steve. I told you, the old King is dead. He has been for many years. No one lives in that old pile of bricks." She turned around and headed to the church nearby, shaking her head to herself as the dawdled along and muttering, "Silly boy."

I rubbed my eyes and sighed, the dogs lying obediently on the tracks and resting against each other.

"C'mon. Let's go." I waved in the direction of the house and they immediately got up and left. I followed after them, only after taking one last look at the grand building.

After some minutes' walk, I saw the dogs clawing at the front of my door. With the moon now up and the sun gone, it had begun to get cold. So I hurried over and unlocked the door. The two raced inside and fought over the water in the cauldron. I put my inventory bag down on the couch and noticed a distinct warmth filling the air inside my house. Which is very strange considering I don't have a fire place and my house is made mostly out of cobble. Confused I walked over to the other two rooms, which were freezing so much, the windows had started to frost. At this time, one thought occurred to me. Not again…

Back in the main area, where it was definitely warmer I noticed a tiny piece of paper on the top of my furnace. I picked it up and unfolded it, almost predicting who it was from. It read:

Let's play a game…

"No." I answered bluntly out loud. The glow stone chandelier swung lightly and a thud sounded from underneath. In less than a few seconds my un-related identical twin appeared before me, and he was frowning.

"Why not?"

Herobrine. The being of myth who had been chasing me for some years now. In our conflict we've gone from cat and mouse to deadly pranks and finally, dangerous but entertaining games. When I first encountered him I barely got out alive and told the first person I saw. Of course they laughed and told me I was crazy. But I continued to run into him at the most inconvenient of times. Back in the present, Lapis and Emerald were running laps around him and he smiled down at them, whispering a small "Hello".

I cleared my throat and he looked back up at me with his hands in his pockets waiting for the answer.

"Because I've had a shit day and your shenanigans are just going to tire me out even more." That was it though, to put it kindly. His white eyes brightened for a moment before dimming again.

"That's it? Because you've had a shit day?"

I nodded with undying enthusiasm, staying by my claim.

"And you wonder why I hate you. You never have any fun." He was quiet for a moment as he looked around the room. "Any diamonds?" he asked curiously with his eyes on my inventory bag.

"No. I gave them up to the 'empty haunted castle'." I said with a chuckle and reached for the glass of water I left out this morning. He frowned again, but with more sarcasm and plodded over to the window. Even though there was light outside, most of the castle was shrouded in darkness which meant he could see the building clear as day.

"The cart's gone." He said bluntly, while warming his hands with his magic fire. That was when I realized that the temperature in the room had gone down considerably. But I waved it off as his anticipation for excitement dimming.

"What? Already?" I walked over and peeked out the window with him. Sure enough, the cart and everything inside had disappeared. "How in Notch's name…?" I hadn't been home for five minutes and the cart was already gone.

"Must have been desperate." He muttered. "Normally they're out till sunrise, or just before anyway."

"You've seen him take them in the castle? Is the king actually alive?" I begged for answers by tugging on the side of his t-shirt.

"Ow! Careful. I had a rather rough battle with a knight earlier, I'm still healing." He grabbed my hand threw it back at me. "No I haven't seen him take the goods inside. I hang around the forest but my eyes are off the carts most of the time. I just know that when I check, they're there but they are always gone just before sunrise."

"What about the King? You have seen him? Right? I mean, for someone immortal like you surely you have seen him once."

He was silent and watched the zombies waddle around outside. After a few minutes he still hadn't answered and I had to nudge him a little bit.

"Herobrine?" I said, pushing his shoulder lightly. Fortunately, he blinked and came back into reality.

"Hmmm?" he groaned with raised eyebrows.

"I said you have seen the King. Right?"

"Oh! Uh…" he was slow to answer again, which is very unlike him. But he did answer this time. "Yes. When he was crowned. But that was years ago. Fifty or so. You hadn't been born yet." He said with a proud and cheeky grin. He seemed to enjoy bragging about the times before I was 'born'.

I shivered and turned around to go and light the furnace. Before I was so rudely stopped.

"Wait! I have an idea." He spun me around to face him and I tensed up. Last time he did that I got a punch in the eye and fell unconscious. I still had a bruise from that. It was only last week after all "Let's go inside the castle!"

This is an idea I had while building Liberty Gallows. Originally it was just a castle but I thought I could try and build a village.

Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed it and I will try to update regularly. Don't forget to review or send in ideas. Who knows? They may make it into the story.