A note from the author: The first chapter was a pilot for this story. It introduced you to the world and the Steves. Now brace yourselves. The real adventure starts now. Another warning: There is a large measure of fantasy violence. Although still suitable for most audiences, this story is not for small children or the easily frightened.
PART TWO: THE ENEMY
In the beginning of our story, life was good, and we thought it could only get better. We were veterans of Minecraft, able to face any challenge before us. No mine was too deep. No tower too tall. Our cities were built, and I couldn't be more proud of FireForge. We had learned to farm and craft, and even use magic to improve our tools and weapons. Always hungry for action, I and the six of my closest Steve friends would constantly search for a greater adventure. Days ago, we thought we had found just that.
I was in my forge one day, working back and forth between the anvil and enchanting table to create a powerful sword. A knock on the open door frame stilled my hammer, and a white-robed villager stepped in to deliver a summoning from the village priest to go to the church immediately. He warned me that bad news awaited.
I thanked the man, and shucked off my leather forge tunic to clean off. A few minutes later, I climbed up the ladder of the village church tower into the upper room wearing my Steve shirt and pants, my bow slung across my back. Expecting something like one of my friends losing a chest of valuables and needing help, I wasn't overly worried. Bad things happened, and they rarely got us down. But this time was different.
"Have a seat, Huntress," the priest said as I came through the trapdoor. He stood behind a rough plank table littered with papers and maps, with a chest off to the side. I sat down obediently on the bench opposite to him.
Scanning the objects on the table, I recognized several of them as the manuscripts that Dragon and Sky had found a month ago in an abandoned mineshaft. When they presented them to the rest of us, we all got excited. The pages had all sorts of recipes and instructions, including the blueprint for a...
"Recognize these?" The priest's voice snapped me out of my musing. I nodded. He continued. "These were found at the edge of Diamond City. The creation of Dragon, am I correct?" I nodded again, not liking the tone in which he said Diamond City.
"The city is now in ruins," the priest bluntly stated. My jaw dropped, and my breath caught in my chest. Shocked, I struggled with my tongue until I could choke out a single word:
"How?!" How is this possible? No horde of monsters could storm the city. It's unbreachable! I helped build it myself! So many questions burned in my mouth, unable to escape. I had lost the voice to speak. The priest shook his head, and his tone softened.
"We do not know. But the area is very dangerous. There are pitfalls everywhere, and falling debris as well. Worse, there are fires that we are unable to put out. The entire area still burns to some degree as we speak."
"And Dragon?" I asked.
"We have no way to know," the priest answered. "He may still be in the Overworld, but..." he trailed off.
"What do you mean, 'still in the Overworld'?!" I demanded. The priest looked on me with a saddened expression. He held up a diagram from the table.
"We both know what this is," he prompted. I nodded vaguely.
"A portal to the Nether dimension," I said, starting to mentally connect the pieces.
"Let me tell you all that we know," said the priest. "Dragon is missing, and his city is destroyed. We found these," he said, gesturing to the tabletop, "among his other possessions near an empty obsidian frame. We assume this is an inactive portal. Now, in the parts of the city we were able to explore, we found many different things transformed into materials not found naturally in the overworld, such as a dense brown sand that we know as 'soul sand', and an eternally-burning stone called 'netherrack'. From the evidence here, I have put together what may have happened.
"Dragon created and activated the portal, but my guess is that he never stepped through. Instead, extradimensional Nether energies and creatures were released into the Overworld. However, this catastrophe could not be instigated by Nether monsters alone. Such power could only be found in one specific individual."
The priest opened the chest and drew out a thick volume wrapped in satin ribbon with a quill stuck in it. He pulled the quill out and unclasped the ribbon, flipping back the cover and turning the pages until he found what he wanted. He presented to me a page with an illustration of what looked like a male Steve, seated on a throne with a black sword resting against one armrest. The pictured individual had sharp features, with high cheekbones and a straight nose, a full lower lip over a strong jaw, and dark hair that ended at his chin. He wore the basic Steve uniform, blue pants topped with a solid-colored shirt, in his case black. He looked like one of us.
But his eyes were totally colorless.
"This," said the priest, "is Herobrine." I studied the picture. The priest continued, "He is the most powerful being of evil in the entire universe."
"How so?" I asked, unperturbed.
"He is the younger brother of the creator Notch."
My head snapped up from the book, and I looked straight into the priest's eyes, surprised. The priest continued.
"Herobrine, in fact, was not always evil. He aided Notch in the creation of the overworld and other dimensions. To put it this way, Notch made the land and seas, but Herobrine created the things living on it, including us. The legends say that Herobrine eventually betrayed Notch, but for what reasons, we do not know. It is debated that he disapproved of Notch's gift of free will, which would cause imperfections among his creation. In the end, Herobrine fought his brother violently, and when he lost, was banished to another dimension.
"And that dimension is the Nether?" I asked. The priest nodded.
"But how do we know he's actually here?" My voice went up in pitch. I was suddenly afraid.
"This."
The priest handed me a page with a single line of writing.
Beware, people of Notch. The overworld is mine.
"This was found," said the priest, "on a signpost in the middle of the road when I was taking a party to Diamond City's village for trade. After this disaster, it can only mean one thing." The page fell from my hand and fluttered to the ground as my head sank into my hands.
"Herobrine is back," I said, defeated.
After a long pause, I said in a voice barely audible,
"What have we done?"
Weeks passed. After the destruction of Diamond City, a haze seemed to cloud over my mind. Fearful that our homes and lives could be next, my friends and I met one last time to say farewell. Then, one by one, I lost contact with them as they each went to their own hidden bases and bunkers. They intended to wait out whatever threat came.
Hiding, to me, didn't seem to be an option. I was an adventurer, and the second most senior Steve of the Overworld, next to Dragon. But I didn't know what to do. I would put up a few defenses, only to shake my head and take them down again. I would plan a journey to one place or another, but the plans would be trashed long before they came to fruition. Then one day, a sign appeared in each of the villages enclosed in the Steve cities.
Surrender or perish.
The FireForge village librarian found the sign first, and immediately reported it to me. I then knew what I needed to do. That afternoon, I went to the village priest for advice.
The priest was on the roof of the church tower when I found him, pacing back and forth and scanning the horizon. When I came up onto the roof to met him, he immediately embraced me.
"Thank goodness you're safe!" the priest exclaimed, hands shaking with relief. "We thought you had been taken lile Dragon." I gently freed myself from his arms and clasped his shoulder. Taking a deep breath, I revealed to him what I intended to do.
"I need your help," I began. The priest lifted his green-eyed gaze to defeat mine. I swallowed. He had been badly shaken by the appearance of Herobrine, so I needed to word this carefully.
"I need information," I tried again, "on Herobrine. I need to know his ways and his history. There are things only a man of the clergy can tell me, and I need to know them to fix this... problem." The priest nodded slowly, the dark gleam of despair fading from his eyes, replaced by a look of purpose.
"What do you need to know?" He asked in his strong baritone.
"Anything you can tell me," I answered. The priest nodded again, then looked off at the horizon.
"Meet me in the library."
That evening, after heading home and packing, I rode back into the village on Stardust, my white horse, with a pack donkey in tow on a lead. I was in full gear, and I had in my packs all the things I would need for a long trip. I wasn't planning on staying in FireForge.
The other villagers cleared the way as I cantered in. They knew I meant business, and respected my passage. Putting Stardust and the pack animal in the stable I'd built for the village, I walked into the library.
My jingling chain mail shirt alerted the priest of my arrival. He looked up, took one look at my chain shirt, travel cloak, gauntlets, and iron leg armor, and asked,
"Leaving so soon?"
"When I have what I need," I answered, "yes." His expression softened from his usual stern countenance, melting into a sad smile.
"Tell me you won't go hunting him," he said. I shook my head. He seemed slightly relieved by this.
"Now," he continued, "Down to business."
I sat down at the small table in the corner whole the priest thumped down a heavy stack of books in front of me. He pulled the top volume off the stack and started flipping pages until he presented to , e the desired page. Our conversation began.
Rain slapped my face and chest and wind buffeted by cloak as I rode hard for Ember. It was late at night, soon after my meeting with the priest, and I had to reach my destination quickly. In one hand, my bow rested nocked with an arrow and ready. In my left I grasped the saddle horn, where the reigns were loosely tied. I guided Stardust with my legs.
Stardust whinnied nervously at me, a shudder running through his white flanks. I reigned him into a trot warily, and scanned the darkness.
There. Four pairs of glowing red eyes stared back at me from the blackness. I stood up in my stirrups, drawing back the bowstring and firing off a shot, and was rewarded by a screech of pain. Sinking back into the saddle, I kicked Stardust into a gallop once more.
The priest's last instructions echoed in my mind as I guided Stardust along the narrow path.
"We don't have much information here," the priest had said after flipping back the cover of another book and sliding out a folded page from a pocket, handing it to me.
"What's this?" I had asked.
"This," he said, "is a map showing the road to a very ancient site. You are aware that the modern Temple of Notch was built on the ruins of the ancient complex?" I nodded, eyes on the unfolded map in my hand.
"Well," the priest continued, "in that complex, if you can find it, is the lost library of Minecraft. It contains records going back before the Overworld's very creation. If there is any information regarding Herobrine left, it is there."
A hiss from behind snapped me back to reality. On instinct, I twisted around and fired at the plant-like Creeper, not daring to slow down. Looking up at the sky, I watched as lightning split the darkness for a brief moment. Cursing the weather, I put my head down and rode on through the night.
I swayed wearily on the saddle as Stardust walked doggedly towards the gates. We faced a high wall of stone bricks with a gate of solid iron. Ember.
Carefully, I drew an arrow from my quiver and nocked it on the bowstring, drawing back and taking aim at a small wooden button high above the gates. Then I fired, and to my relief, it flew true, activating the gate mechanism. The gates hummed to life, sinking inwards and parting to the sides. I nudged Stardust and we rode inside.
The small castle I had named 'Ember' was my favorite retreat home, and whenever I needed to do research, it was done here. For now, this would be my base, for according to the Priest's map, the entrance to the ancient temple complex was very close. The modern Temple was also a short ride away, or a morning-long hike if on foot. But the village by the temple did sell refreshments, and that made the trip worthwhile.
I spent the rest of the day in an exhausted daze, taking the horse to the stable and the donkey out to pasture, removing their tack and saddlebags. Putting my supplies away in the storage room, I climbed the stairs leading up the tower room, only bothering to shrug off my armor and sopping boots and cloak before collapsing into bed while the sun was still high.
I stood up from the table in the village library, map rolled up and stuck in my belt, and my mind buzzing with more questions than answers. I gazed out the window for a moment, and pretending for just that moment that none of this had happened. The village life still went on as normal, with all its comings and goings. It was easy to pretend that Herobrine's release had never happened in this peaceful place.
Herobrine would not bespoil that peace, and I would see to that. I caught the priest's green eyes in my determined blue gaze.
"He will come here," I said. "I already know that in my heart." The priest shifted uncomfortably.
"What are you saying?" he asked, clasping his hands under the wide sleeves of his light purple robe.
"I mean that Herobrine will hunt the Steves," I answered. "If what you say is true, then he will track down and destroy each one of us, and destroy everything we have built. And he will destroy those that side with us. So, there is something I need you to promise me." The priest's face tightened.
"Huntress, don't-" he began, but I cut him off.
"Anything can happen," I said. "Anything at all. Herobrine will come here. Do not protect me if he does, and do not protect the things I've built. Do what he asks, even if you must tell him where I've gone and what you've told me." The priest paled.
"But he could kill you!" he exclaimed, "And trap you in a place where there is no return! I-" Again, I didn't let him finish.
"Do it!" I demanded, then said in a gentler tone, "You saw the signpost. He'll kill you if you don't. Who knows- Notch may return and take care of all this himself. Trust me." I squeezed his shoulder, offering a half-hearted smile. Then I turned to leave.
"Huntress," the priest called, and I turned back to him.
"Good luck. You may need it." I nodded my farewell.
"You too."
I awoke to the eastern morning sun glaring in my eyes. Groaning, I rolled upright in bed, rubbing my eyes and stretching my arms and shoulders. Slowly, I stood up, convincing my sorry, saddle-sore bum that it was time to work again. I tried to limber up, working my stiff limbs back and forth, and then bending down to touch my toes. It would be a long day.
My gear was still on the floor where I'd left it. I picked it up, shaking out the chain shirt and putting it on, and strapping on over it my sword and sword belt. My leg armor was dry enough to don as well, as were my gauntlets. My cloak and boots stayed on the floor, where I looked at them with distaste. I would wear something else today.
Barefoot, I made my way down the stairs and into the main room, where I picked up the spare boots and cloak. My belly noisily reminded me that I hadn't eaten since early yesterday morning, so I snagged some apples as well. Then I took up my walking stick and went out of the main building. First things first, I needed a few better weapons. I crossed the grounds to the Vault.
'The Vault' was the name of an underground, solid obsidian structure with a very complex locking system. I put in a numerical code on a set of nine buttons, activating a piston that pulled out to reveal a switch. Flipping the switch, a section of the vault shell slid aside, allowing me entry. I made my way in.
Several suits of armor and racks of weaponry hung inside. Chests of raw materials lined the base of the walls, and a shelf of enchanted books dominated the rear. This was my single largest mass concentration of valuables and vital supplies. I would probably need them soon.
For now, though, all I needed was a better sword. I selected a heavily enchanted diamond blade named Firefall, and put my usual sword in its place. On a whim, I also put away my bow and quiver, replacing them with Skyfall and a quiver of arrows that never ran out. Then I was on my way, headed out of the vault and re-locking it behind me.
Stardust was still in the stables- I gave him an apple and led him out to pasture. I would be doing my traveling on foot, and I felt that I owed the horse the time to romp and play after all the work he had been doing. Taking a bite out of another apple for myself, I set off down the trail to the nearby village, where my quest would begin.
With a torch in one hand and a strip of beef wrapped in bread in the other, I meandered through the tunnels that ran below the Temple of Notch. I had already found several rooms of books and other storerooms, and several bedchambers, but I still hadn't found what I was seeking.
I had paused at every bookshelf and stack and chest I found to glean it of anything useful, and was rewarded by a handful of old manuscripts and documents that had a few tidbits. One in particular was a fragment of a book called Chronicle I. Unfortunately, it was only half the cover and the first chapter and a half, but it had a much more detailed account of the first stages of Creation than I had ever seen. Now I kept my eyes peeled for another fragment of the Chronicle. Or for any sign that I had found the library. Or even the ancient temples themselves.
I was munching on the last bite of my sandwich when I heard a sound that made me freeze. An otherworldly voice was speaking in a chuckling, somewhat melodic language completely foreign to the Overworld. Endermen.
I dropped my torch in a rusted wall bracket and crept towards the source of the sound. Sure enough, just a few corners away, there was a room dominated by a trio of tall, darkly mottle-skinned figures with bright violet eyes. Behind them was a bright light source resting at the base of a staircase… My eyes wandered downwards into the luminescent, star-filled portal to the End. I realized that I had just stumbled upon a Stronghold, an ancient creation of Herobrine.
I also realized that the Endermen had just fallen silent and were staring at me.
The Chronicle had suggested that the Endermen were in fact a peaceful race, at least at the dawn of time, however… It was taboo to look an Enderman in the eye. Any who did so died horribly. Gaze locked on my toes, I backed away and removed myself from the Stronghold entry, retrieving my torch and shying away.
A few paces down another corridor and it hit me. Strongholds were of Herobrine- Wouldn't it make sense that one would be near Herobrine's old temple? Checking the map just to make sure, I made out the markings for the Stronghold, and sure enough, there was a marking for a large, open chamber, although the label was worn off. I set off for it.
Only minutes later, I stepped into a place where my footsteps echoed to suggest a large room. A row of redstone lamps extended off into the darkness. Shrugging, I flipped the switch, and then nearly fell backwards from what I saw.
The lamps flickered on to reveal a room much larger than I had anticipated. The floor was made up of checks of black obsidian and a white stone I recognized as quartz, which the Temple Priests told me was only found in the Nether. The walls were solid white iron blocks, and they were notched with niches and alcoves here and there, in between tall pillars of solid gold. Within the alcoves, old relics and ancient tomes rested on displays. In the center of the room, a golden shrine rested atop a raised dais of blue lapis stone. The ancient Temple of Herobrine.
I cautiously approached the shrine, ascending the dais but not entering. It was very simple, with only a small depiction of Herobrine in the back above an empty trough with a blackened bottom- probably where an eternal flame once burned.
I came down the steps of the dais carefully and breathlessly, unconsciously trying not to make a sound. I had the strange sensation of being watched, and I trusted that my instincts were right. But driven by the need for information and my ever-present curiosity, I did not abandon the temple just yet. Instead, I took a look at the books around the room.
To my amazement and utter delight, there, in the center alcove on the left-hand wall, were three thick volumes with their titles clearly etched on their leather covers in gold: Chronicle I, Chronicle II, and Chronicle III. Eyes wide and hands quivering with excitement, I carefully slid a finger under the cover of Chronicle I and bent it back. The cover and end pages turned smoothly, as if brand new. Then I realized something: Even though the temple showed clear signs of abandonment, it by no means showed any sign of the passage of time. To come to think of it, there wasn't even a spec of dust on any surface at all.
A low, melodic chuckling drew my focus off the books. I realized then and there that I had been followed, and there was most likely a trio of Endermen standing right behind me. Knowing I would have to escape now, I stashed the Chronicles away in my inventory and rested a hand on the hilt of Firefall, mentally preparing to run for it.
Genuine laughter echoed from behind the Endermen, shooting needles across my nerves. I sucked in my breath and loosened my sword from its sheath. My heart pounded and my mind raced. No, he couldn't have found me, not now, not so soon…
"What delightful irony," said a strong tenor voice from somewhere back in the room, "For me to have found a Notch-loyal Steve lurking in a church devoted to me."
I gripped the hilt of Firefall and wrestled with my adrenaline-shocked voice until I could speak with dignity.
"What of it?" I said tightly to a pillar, not daring to turn around because of the Endermen. "All the lost lore of Herobrine is gathered here. Perhaps I simply wanted to brush up on my ancient history." I could have sworn that I could hear Herobrine smirking at me.
"Indeed," he replied. "But all for naught, I'm afraid. You have the books you so desire, but will you live long enough to read them?" I scowled at the pillar. Think, I ordered myself. You've been trapped before. What are your options? Well, let's see… Table in front of me, pillar next to me, hanging lamp above…
"And," Herobrine added, "Will you be able to use your knowledge to save your friend? I believe his name is...what was it?...Dragon. We've become very well acquainted- in the Nether, of course." I choked on my own breath. Cursing Herobrine to the depths of the Void, I clenched my teeth to bite back an angry retort. Finally, I could speak calmly again.
"Is this," I said coldly, "What you would call a friendly first encounter?" Herobrine did not answer. Instead, he addressed the Endermen.
"Old friends, I would like this wretch to witness the destruction of her most beloved home. Kill her, and let her respawn in the midst of a burning castle." Herobrine's voice was deadly calm and cold as he said this- A shiver ran down my spine.
"Castles can be rebuilt!" I snapped, holding up a pail of water as a clear message to the Endermen, I won't hurt you if you don't hurt me. My response gave Herobrine pause.
"That is true," he resigned, "But although you can respawn however many times you like, the lives of your villager friends are not so easily replaced." The pail was instantly replaced with Firefall in my hand.
"NO!" I cried, leaping up onto the tabletop and swinging by the hanging lamp over the heads of the Endermen to fly at Herobrine, Firefall held two-handed and coming down with the full force of my body. Herobrine smirked…
...And vanished just before my sword struck. Instead, I crashed to the ground, the diamond edge of my blade skipping across the tile, sending chips and sparks flying. All that remained of Herobrine was a vague echo of his patronizing laughter.
The Endermen reacted as soon as I regained my feet. They circled around me, and one tried to hit me from behind. He never made it- the pommel of my sword swung around and up to hit it hard in the face.
I threw down the water I held earlier to ward off any other lightning attacks. The Endermen shied away from the spreading pool, and the one I struck was unlucky enough to touch it. With a grating scream, he vanished in a swirl of purple sparks. I knew he wouldn't come back, for fear of another water-burn.
The remaining two eyed me warily. I looked back and forth between them, anticipating another attack once the water drained away, and it was doing so quickly. I needed to act first.
My boots splashed hard as I made a running leap at one of the Endermen. As predicted, he teleported away. I pulled my feint as I landed to keep my balance. Also as predicted, he teleported back and tried to hit me from behind. As his mottled black-and-dark-grey arms closed around me, I stabbed viciously backwards. His scream rattled my ears.
Enderman still stuck to my by my blade, I rammed backwards, overbalancing us both and splashing down into the water. This one vanished as well to join his comrade, leaving me on the ground with only my sword and the water all drained away. I got to my feet, preparing to dispatch the last Enderman, but I wasn't fast enough. A pair of glowering violet eyes filled my field of view, and everything fell to blackness, fizzing with purple sparks.
I felt several blows to my body, cushioned by my cloak and armor, but I didn't open my eyes until the cold surface of a lake slapped me hard and swallowed me. Shocked back to consciousness, I jerked wildly, trying to orient myself, and accidentally sucked in lakewater. I flew to the surface, coughing and sputtering, then dragged myself to the shore, badly hampered by a wet cloak.
It wasn't until I had expelled all the water from my lungs that I realized I still had Firefall in my grasp. Shocked, I got to my feet and sheathed the sword. So I hadn't been killed after all. Relief flooded my senses. But that was quickly replaced by a sense of urgency. The village!
I didn't know where Herobrine would actually strike, but I had a horrible feeling. I took off in the general direction of the Temple of Notch, making for the village at the foot of the mountain. There was a red glare on the horizon- one that I recognized from the day Diamond City had burned. Knowing that lives were at stake, I ran all the harder, praying I wouldn't be too late.
Chest heaving and legs burning, I broke through the trees and ran up a small rise- to a view of perfect horror. There, on the other side of the valley, was the village. Burning. The walls around the village were rubble. Every wooden structure was aflame, and there were flows of lava filling the streets. Thunder rolled, and I watched as a fork of lightning struck the church tower, exploding the entire structure and sending debris flying. There was a long distance between me and the village, but I could hear the screams of the people inside clearly. Tears welled up in my eyes, and a scream of desperation tore free of my already rough voice. I began to move towards the village, hoping beyond hope that I could save someone. Anyone.
I was barely even able to stand when I reached the edges of the destruction. My legs barely responded after the mad race through the forest. By the time I arrived, the screams of terror had long since ceased, and a steady rain had begun to fall, stilling the lava flows to stone and subduing the fires. I was far, far, far too late. Herobrine had turned the village to ash, and massacred everyone inside. My legs gave out. I fell to my knees and slammed my fists into the ground, weeping bitterly.
I felt before I heard Herobrine approaching. My breathing had steadied, but my eyes were still bleary with tears. Knowing I was ill fit to fight in this state, I took a potion from my inventory, cradling it carefully in one hand, since potions were hard to come by. I regained my feet and struggled into a standing position, turning to face the wicked being.
Herobrine watched me weakly stand to face him and laughed at me.
"Such passion you had in my temple," He said mockingly. "Where has it all gone now? Was it drowned in your utter insignificance?" I only half-heard him, instead finding my focus gravitated towards the naked sword he held. The blade was larger and longer than the usual sword, and solid black. From what I'd heard, that sword had the capability to shear in two all but the strongest materials. Unconsciously, I reached for another item in my inventory- an object that would change the rules of respawn, allowing me to keep my items on my death and resetting my spawn point to a safer location. I used these only in emergencies, but I felt that this was a good time.
"Are there any last words you would like to make known?" Herobrine said. I looked at him quizzically. He elaborated. "I will not let you respawn safe and sound at FireForge, and Ember no longer exists. You will go where I want you to, which includes the Nether." I narrowed my eyes at him. Then I grinned mischievously.
"Not quite," I said. I threw down the potion- a splash potion- and set the command block specially prepared and pre-set for this time. Herobrine scowled. I grinned back, feeling my strength returning as the full virtue of the potion of regeneration set in. "Recognize this?" I asked, pointing at the command block. Herobrine's scowl darkened.
A bolt of lightning forked down and struck the block, but when my vision cleared, the block was still intact. Herobrine sighed.
"A temporary reprise, and nothing more," he said, raising his sword. I gripped Firefall, bracing myself.
"I cannot imprison you," Herobrine said in a warning tone, "But I can still make you SUFFER!" He lunged at me with blinding speed.
I barely got my sword up in time to block, but it made for little difference, for the strength of the blow sent me flying off my feet and into the burned-out shell that was probably once a library. Debris rained down on me as I clawed my way back up, only to be caught by the front of my chain shirt and hurled into the remains of the church tower. I slammed hard into the still-intact cobblestone wall, rebounding off and falling to hands and knees, coughing and wheezing.
A fireball hissed at me. Acting with speed I didn't know I had, I threw myself to the side and rolled away. The church tower, or what remained, was demolished.
Herobrine came on hard again, this time from above. I blocked his attack on Firefall again, but the impact sent a shock through my body and a starburst across my vision. Twisting his hips, Herobrine hooked a foot under my body and flipped me into the air, hitting me again in midair with a perfect roundhouse kick that sent me flying clear to the other side of the village.
If I had ever once thought I could fight Herobrine, I knew better now. I was beaten, thrown, cast high, and slammed down. At last, I took one hit too many. I tried to struggle to my feet once more, and immediately abandoned the notion when my entire body screamed its agonized protest.
"Your confidence seems to have waned dramatically," Herobrine said as he sauntered towards me, his black-bladed sword resting on one shoulder. I tried to glare at him, but I'm pretty sure I only looked pathetic. "Perhaps," Herobrine continued, "It's because you have discovered that all your noble dreams are useless. You are weak. All of you are weak, and none of you can defy me. Not Dragon, and not you."
I slid my eyes shut as his glittering black sword came down.
