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Chapter 4: To Warn

A/N: Updated! Sorry for not working on Hero's Bane this week, I have a huge writer's block and there's two different ways to take the next chapter and I am still deciding it. Also, my weekend has been super busy and I barely managed to get this done in time. Read and hope you enjoy.

I was stunned, no wonder I had a bad feeling as I explored the new cavern I dug into. Herobrine was going to kill me and I was too focused on getting the diamonds to even listen to my sixth sense giving me a warning of forthcoming danger, I usually retreat when I get a bad feeling about a place but this time I didn't. I almost wished he did get me, at least then I wouldn't be lying here in excruciating pain waiting for it all to end. I opened my mouth and prepared to say something but he spoke first and cut me off.

"I don't like killing. Well, not the innocent anyway." He said quietly while looking away. "I am uncertain if you are innocent or not. You deem yourself unaware of the tower and you may have just been completely oblivious to it, but you did ignore every warning I gave and I cannot allow that kind of ignorance to go without punishment. Bravery or not. Your courage however; is at least admired. You are the first to go so long and survive my tides of retribution and persist with your menial responsibilities to your village. But then again, you now know of the towers and you must die for that reason."

"Then why not kill me yourself? I don't want to suffer!"

"I am deciding it, or more against it actually."

"What do you mean?" I raised a brow and studied him carefully.

"You built an entire civilization over top of one of the tower's locations, this was your greatest mistake. It's too close, it's within reach of humanity and that cannot stand! You wonder why I constantly invaded the settlements? It was because your people had dug into the land and every block down they went to expand their homes the more it agitated me, though they were very fortunate enough not to go too deep with their constructions or otherwise I would have had to take more drastic measures which result in a very slim to non-existent population."

I wanted to say something but it was caught in my throat. I-… built an entire settlement on top of a buried tower? I was shocked. I never knew that I had done that. And to make matters worse… I, it was 'me' who helped in shaping the landscape and digging into it. It would have been my fault for a human massacre if the town didn't go against my decision to dig up an underground water reservoir for a well, they instead pumped water from a nearby river and that kept Herobrine from slaying them all.

"I was forced to get more 'active' as more humans came in. The only reason why I didn't kill you nor the people on the surface when the village was under construction was because of my observant eyes and curiosity." He started again. "I was more… I guess you could say- cold, back then. When I used to cross paths with mortals I would slay them just because I could, just because they were in my way. I did not know much about them other then that they were more intelligent than other creatures and mobs and snooped about a lot, but during that time they were more like animals to me."

I was quite disturbed from this revelation.

"It was after seeing you humans creating, surviving, coming together to create something, coexisting, and working together did I see forms that were quite like myself but more social although weaker until you worked as a unit. I saw feeble humans become full-fledged survivors, fighters; they formed friendships, bonds, …family ties. I grew more curious from the constructions and lifestyles and watched from the shadows to see the innovations you mortals made and it was interesting."

He slightly tilted his head in my direction.

"I quietly watched as you prospered on your first week here miner. That's right, a few years ago you were nothing but an inexperienced miner that struggled many nights in the dark but you lived through it all. Well-, maybe with just a little help from myself-"

That was a little unnerving, Herobrine had been watching me all this time? And he 'helped' me? "You- you helped me?" I stared in confusion.

"Yes, that I admit. You were the first human I ever observed. I found you struggling but you grew out of your strife over time. There were a few nights you would have never of made it though; if- I hadn't intervened. Such as your second day in this land; it was the time you stumbled upon a horde of the undead while trying to find your dirt hut and bed after hours of exploring and getting lost. I watched you run from the monsters that night and you even took several blunt lashes from their fetid limbs, you weaved through several oak trees to try to loose them."

"But I-"

"You thought you lost them but actually I took care of them. You were too injured to escape them all you know? Your tactic would only work for a short time, I believe you twisted your ankle in your escape and that slowed you down right?" He gave a smug smirk and faced away after hearing my silent gasp and seeing my expression that read 'How did you know?'.

"But why?"

"As I have said, I became curious in you beings after watching 'only' you trek out into this land and took the task to survive and thrive here. I was going to eliminate you when you first arrived for the sake of the tower but that was the day when I decided to see what your kind did, to see if you were better than the creatures or hostile mobs. You were the first being that I had seen grow from a low-experienced man into a real survivor, it only took a few weeks and then more of you came. You and your friends exchanged innovative ideas and constructed a well designed house, my curiosity in you beings grew from there."

"The entire time?" I muttered to myself.

"However, as time progressed and as the population flourished, you mortals kept building, creating, …digging. The village grew and so did the risk of the tower being found, that was when I chose to do something about it. I wanted to kill them, but I guess …. after watching the humans over time …" Herobrine raised a hand and scratched the back of his head with a low sigh. "I had found it harder to destroy them I suppose? I spent some time watching them develop so to just remove them seemed too hard for me to do. That is why I would beat you to near death but allow you to live; you were the first to gain my attention to your kind. That is why it is hard for me to kill you specifically, but if I must I will. The idea of taking the villagers lives is now becoming easier, they are becoming reckless and arrogant and are harder to convince. There is now many that haven't lived there in the first days of the towns development and so I do not care for them as some others." Herobrine deeply sighed. And rubbed his temples. "I've grown too soft, I haven't been maintaining my duty and I have allowed this civilization to expand and raise the risks. That is the primary reason for my appearances, for the destructions, for my warnings. Those who ignore my warnings must pay dearly. The towers must stay hidden!"

Well, at least Herobrine had a conscious… somewhat. But still, he was right about one thing.

"You started the creation of the settlement though, so their faults mostly fall on you. This reason alone should be enough for me to kill you but as I've said-, you weren't aware so you are innocent. I have been debating on your fate for quite some time now, weather I should kill you or not for turning a forbidden land into a playground for humans to build upon."

"But what about some of the people? You killed them and they didn't deserve it!"

He whipped his head around quickly with a small glare. "Humph, you don't know what goes down in every household, you don't constantly follow and keep an eye on your own people. If you thought you were the only miner in town then you are greatly mistaken." He tilted his head back and snarled. "A small band of men had a dig site in a house basement in that village and they mined every single night under the community. I had watched them create the village in it's early days. I haunted them and left them signs as well to frighten them off but they continued to mine just- like- you-; despite fear." He pointed, his scowl then softened. "However; they were driven by greed and dug deeper and a lot faster then you would ever dreamed of. Then they got too close, they actually reached the tower's top and I had to take their lives before they could find the portal and expose-."

Herobrine paused and sighed with a deep frown, seeming upset for letting something slip. It was something about a portal and as interested as I was; I remained quiet to try and keep him in an okay mood so that I could possibly get more answers. At least I knew what he was guarding now.

"I've said too much already." He swayed his head back and forth in frustration. "Anyway, I moved their corpses to the surface and burned down that house as a warning sign so that no more humans would move in and to hopefully drive some out, I made sure to leave my calling card too. There aren't anymore miners in the settlement but I still keep that fear in the remaining civilians, so that they would pay heed and fear the very sight of me and leave should they pursue in expanding the town. I will stop at nothing to guard-"

"The portal?" I mentally slapped myself for blurting that out because the being gave me a nasty look

"You don't need to know anything about them!" He snapped with a dark tone.

"Why are you doing all of this then? I may not know anything about these… portals… but I would at least like a reason? Please?" I said in a begging manner.

Herobrine's scowl softened to a small frown and his narrow eyes lightened. He raised a hand up and within seconds; a torch formed within his palm and the tip glowed brightly with a deep red color, he stepped back over in my direction and placed the new torch next to my head. I could feel a lot of warmth radiating from the glowing fireless stick and despite having a dim glow it was light that I was instantly grateful for.

"I do all of this- the killings, the signs, the warnings… to protect this world Steve." He glanced back at me as he moved down the tunnel before turning away. "To protect… humans." He finished blankly before walking down into the cavern.

I turned my head and watched him leave. "To protect us?" I asked in confusion. What could those towers possibly have that this powerful man would have to use deadly force just to send out a message of fear? Do the portals really threaten our very world? He left me in confusion again before disappearing in the white fog that had mysteriously returned. I only had to hope that I would see him again and get more answers before I die. I just had to know and for that reason alone I was going to hang on as long as I could.

A/N: Sorry if this seems rushed, and for any mistakes. I had writer's block attack me again this week and my weekend has been absolutely busy and I barely finished this in time before my bedtime, so please forgive this short chapter and hope you at least enjoyed. Please review! :D