Don't own Minecraft. Notch does, along with his friends, Mojang, and affiliate companies.
Sorry, but this will just be a blip of activity in the sea of inertness you all know me for. That won't change for a rather long time, but I'll see what I can do. Anyways, I'll be writing more when possible, and updating sooner than you might think. Much sooner than the last update, if all goes well.
For now, enjoy. And always thanks to DarkDenizen100, for the character of Null and for making this story much more interesting. Hope I always do Null justice.
Steve and Elesa walked through the town center, as Elesa admired the aesthetics of the fountain prominent in the middle, with the tip of the fountain being four men holding ruby swords, the water spouting out of each of the sword tips to the rest of the liquid below.
Steve couldn't shake the feeling of something being just… off, other than the fact that the lord of the underworld had a direct tunnel to his mind, and was constantly filling it with various pictures of all sins possible. More often than not, those pictures revolved around the sins he already committed during his attempt to save his town from Herobrine's clutches, or the pictures were about Elesa and the sin of lust.
Naturally, Steve would be nervous.
He looked up from his thoughts to Elesa, and his mouth nearly hung open. She was looking at him, but that wasn't unusual or particularly worthy of shock. What was worthy was the perfection she currently seemed to represent. The fountain water behind her created a small amount of spray that lingered in the air like fog. Sunlight reflected off the water and haloed around Elesa, the fog distorting the light in a way that only seemed to enhance the fact that Elesa looked downright angelic for that moment.
Then he realized he'd been simply staring at her, while she'd been trying to get his attention. He cleared his throat and nodded. "Mind repeating that?"
"I said, I had enough of the fountain. After all, it's just water." Steve neglected to tell her of the new properties he just discovered (and enjoyed) about water, sunlight, and the female form. After all, she didn't ask.
"Alright then, now let's head to Sapphire City," Steve said.
"Personally, I think Ruby Village is just the right color, considering your situation." A voice interrupted. Steve turned and nearly drew his scythe from his back after regarding the person matching the voice.
A figure clad in black and grey robes stood in front of him, still as a statue. The mask the man wore allowed only his two piercing red eyes to show, along with a smile carved all the way into the material. Those red eyes and that voice…
They were far too similar to his dream. The voice was missing something that distinguished the demonic dream voice, but otherwise there was no difference. The eyes were exactly the same as in his dream, and Steve stood a bit closer to Elesa.
"Why would you say that?" Steve asked, his voice conveying more confidence than he felt.
"I am Null. Master Herobrine has sent me. Your path leads to the Nether, where Lord Herobrine resides. Speaking of which…" Null took out the smoky orb and it strained to connect with Steve, only prevented from doing so by Null. "Consider this a gift from him."
He allowed the orb to fly into Steve, through his earthly form into his soul. Steve staggered, before coughing and slowly standing up straight.
He felt almost normal, like the smoke had no effect. But he knew better; the smoke was in him. In him, in his very being, perhaps his very soul. He wasn't as uneasy with the impure thoughts in his head anymore, so that was not a good sign.
"So I take it you're a friend of his?" Steve asked, glowering at the darkly clad man.
"No. I am one of his followers, a coerced servant of sorts."
"Coerced? What'd he take from you?"
"Nothing, but he can give me something back that was taken."
"What?"
Null shook his head. "It doesn't concern you."
Steve's eyes narrowed. "I really doubt he'd send someone just to bring a gift I don't even want. Why have you come?"
Elesa watched the newcomer. She could sense something about him that clicked with her previous ties to the Cult of Herobrine, something deeper than just a passing job or some everyday reward.
She could sense almost pure darkness emanating from the masked figure, nearly the same darkness that she could remember had pulsed from the sacrificial altars during the blood cannon ritual.
She realized he was a demon, or as close as a human could get. Either way, he was much more powerful than an average man, and probably would give Steve a challenge, if not a run for his money.
"Steve," she whispered, "he's not normal."
Steve snorted. "Of course he isn't. Why do you think he wears the mask? Some sort of accident in the past, probably. No wonder he seems to give off a dark aura."
"No, you idiot. He's-"
"A demon? You figured it out. I've been sent here to put you," he pointed to Steve with a gloved hand, "to the test. After all, you couldn't hit Lord Herobrine, but you likely can hit me. Unfortunately, and I'm warning you now, none of your attacks will likely do much."
Steve growled. His pride as a warrior was being insulted! Steve grabbed his scythe, and pointed at Null. "So you say. But I'm warning you now, buddy. If you mess with me, you'll lose."
"Bold words. Let's… put them to the test."
Elesa retreated, ready to observe a demon's fighting style first hand, and perhaps guide Steve into a victory, or at least survival.
Steve rushed up to Null, who calmly caught the scythe blade mid-swing. Steve's eyes widened as Null threw him and his scythe, and Steve crashed into a nearby wall.
"Ow…" Steve mumbled. He'd toughened up during his journey, but that still hurt. He ran up, but jabbed at Null's head with the bottom end of the scythe, trying to daze him for an opportunity to deliver a finishing blow.
Null dodged the rapid jabs until Steve swung the bottom across his face, and Null's head snapped to the side. Null looked back at Steve, disappointment in his eyes.
"No wonder you couldn't touch Lord Herobrine. You can hardly harm me."
Steve snarled and quickly sliced at him with the blade. The blade cut into the uppermost layer of cloth, but Steve met iron-like resistance.
"What the…?"
Null shook his head. "Haven't even read up on demons, have you? The hot environment usually toughens our skin, sometimes to the point of being impenetrable."
Steve jumped back, scythe ready to take any counterattack. Null took out the two palette knives, and rushed forward to bring them down hard on his scythe, just to show the massive imbalance of power.
Steve struggled to keep the scythe up, while Null hadn't even broken a sweat under the mask. Null sliced forward, cutting into Steve's chest like paper. Steve shoved Null back, and switched out his scythe for the sword.
Null dodged a stab, then ducked underneath and stowed away his knives. He had strict orders to not kill the reaper, after all. The knives could come in later, when he had time to play with his prey. Right now, Steve was a bit too feisty.
Steve smashed the pommel into Null's back, pushing him down. Null swept Steve's feet from under him, and the reaper lay flat on the ground.
Elesa smacked herself for not having thought to read up on demons as well as dimensions and planes. After all, what did she expect to fight in what amounts to other worlds? Flowers?
She realized that, if physical attacks couldn't hurt demons much, then perhaps metaphysical ones like magic or attacks in other planes might. It was the only chance they had, and if Steve survived she'd advise him to figure out a way to other planes so he could actually hurt Null.
Steve parried a stomp to the face, struggling to keep the flat of his blade up as the demon pushed his foot down harder. Steve rolled from the powerful kick and swapped his weapons for a flint and steel. He lit the demon on fire, before the fire flickered out, being unable to ignite such already charred fabric.
The flames had a secondary effect on Null; he went ballistic. "Damn fire!"
He took out the dual blades and rushed forward once more, trying to actively harm or kill the reaper for daring to use such a weapon.
Steve dodged frantically, quickly wearing out and taking out his scythe again to spin it, throwing Null off his balance with a well-timed sweep. Nonetheless, Steve had taken a few injuries from the demon's flurry.
Null's mask now changed from a regular smile to a wicked grin with pointed teeth, and his eyes seemed to both penetrate into Steve's soul and take up more space on his face.
"Your blood splatters will make beautiful art!" Null said in a new voice, layered with the darkness found in a demon. Steve froze in shock; that was exactly the voice in his dreams.
Null sliced forward, and Steve narrowly dodged. The fountain's pure stone was sliced into, leaking water onto the town-square-turned-battlefield.
Steve realized people were still around, and actually were watching the fight for his life like some sick sort of spectator sport.
"Said no death… never said no blood!" Null yelled as he stabbed his knife into Steve's stunned figure, right in his stomach. Steve screamed, before stumbling down to the ground in agony.
Null realized how close the reaper was to death, and his mask reverted to the normal smile and smaller, pseudo-human eyes.
"Now, now, Steve. You can't die quite yet; the Nether still has plans for you that require you to live." He opened a portal to the Nether, to the crowd's amazement. Steve watched with hatred as the victor returned to the Nether.
Elesa ran over to Steve, worry clear in her features. "Steve! Stay with me! Focus!"
Steve's vision started to blur, and Elesa's mildly distorted face was what he saw before entering the oblivion of his mind, his body forcing him to rest on the spot to conserve energy. He'd need to stay alive until a doctor could help him.
Elesa yelled, "Don't just stand there, get a medic!" The crowd scattered, some doing just that while others went about their day as usual, either not caring about the injured man or thinking it was a particularly good play acted out on the street.
Elesa held Steve's head in her lap, her reaper's blood mixing with the fountain water.
"Well done, Null. Well done. I wasn't too content about the near death, but I understand it wasn't really your fault. However, just know this. If the reaper dies, so does Mary," Herobrine warned.
"No! We had a deal!" Null yelled.
"As long as the reaper doesn't die, and by the looks of the wound it seems he shouldn't, your wife will be restored. Otherwise, ever disobey an order again, willingly or not, I will end her. Every scrap of her soul, destroyed in an instant. Do you understand?"
Null's fists shook with rage, but he fought to keep a detached tone. "I understand."
"Good. Also, it appears my preparations should be able to continue by itself. You have another mission, now. Make sure nothing happens to him on his journeys. However, if you can, do not reveal yourself and don't make it easy for him, whatever he tries. Let the boy challenge himself… only if it seems to prove too much should you aid him."
"Yes sir."
"Excellent. You are dismissed until I summon you to begin this mission. Until then, do as you will."
"Yes sir."
"And Null… do remember, it's all for her."
"… I'll never forget, sir." Null's emotions finally got the better of him, and he spat out the title at the end. This didn't escape Herobrine's notice, but he only watched Null react to his own slip-up.
"Sir, I'm sorry! I-"
"Do not fail your mission, and I will overlook it this once. Otherwise, she'll know the meaning of suffering before she meets oblivion. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes sir."
"Good. Now leave."
Null left the throne room, and only she was in his thoughts. Herobrine smiled; humans, even former ones, were far too easy to manipulate.
Until next time... whenever that is. Sorry.