Chapter Five – Truce

"Perhaps you should take Aiden?"

Steve sighed as he slipped several potions away into his inventory, realizing that he probably should have expected this. His mother was by his side as he packed, handing him small things like bread, a bucket of water, and his compass. Steve knew that many of these items would be useless where he was going– not that his mother knew that.

"No, I... I want to walk to the jungle..." Steve replied, stomach churning as he lied to his mother. Sharara glanced at him as he hastily went through his chest, slipping his bow and arrows into his inventory. "I don't want to be rushing anywhere..."

Aiden was his horse, and while he hadn't been ridden in a while, it would be a death sentence to bring him to where he was going.

"Perhaps you shouldn't leave at all," Sharara said after a moment, and Steve froze up. "If Sol's death is weighing you down this much, then maybe that's a sign that you should be at home, not racing off."

Steve's mind scrambled for an excuse. "That's why I'm heading to my jungle base– I'd like to bring Tang home. I miss having someone by my side, and even if the jungle is her home I think I'd do better off with her here..."

It was an excuse he had made up off of the top of his head, but it had the effect he wanted. Seeing the concern on his mother's face hurt, but she nodded sadly in understanding. He closed his eyes, trying to push out the guilt of him lying.

"Just be safe, okay?" She said, laying a hand on his shoulder. "I need you... to come home safely. Be careful on your way to the jungle, don't get into a fight unless it's necessary... and bring Tang back. I miss your smile, and I'd love to meet this cat you've always talked about."

Steve pulled her into a hug, glad that he didn't have to lie about this. "I love you, Mom."

"Same," She replied, pulling back. She adjusted her robes, giving Steve a wave with a blocky hand, and then she headed out of his house. Steve watched her leave, lingering near the window until she was out of sight. For a moment he felt like he was a child again, attempting to sneak out of the village with the villager boys.

As soon as Sharara had turned down the road Steve quickly headed towards the trap door in his house, slipping into his basement. Rows of chests met his gaze as he descended the ladder, and he headed towards the far one. Opening it up he pulled out several blocks of obsidian, looking over them, before slipping them away into his inventory. He then grabbed an empty bucket, alongside flint and steel, tucking them away as well.

It had been some time since Steve had gone to the Nether, but he knew that one always wanted to have supplies for another portal just in case you got separated from the one you built. Steve hoped that he wouldn't be going far from the main portal though– this was supposed to be a quick mission.

Steve was lost in his own thoughts as he gathered other supplies, organizing his inventory so his most vital supplies would be right where he could reach them. He was breathing heavily as he pulled his hands out of his inventory. The last thing he grabbed was his enchanted diamond sword, slipping it into his sheath with a nervous twitch.

He was helping an Enderman.

"Maybe it's gone..." Steve muttered hopefully as he pushed open the door to head outside. Usually his mother made it a big thing when he set out– but he had requested to have his space as he headed out towards the 'jungle'– the lie he had come up with when asking where he was heading. Since he knew that saying 'going to the Nether with an Enderman and an Ender Dragon to fight Blazes' wouldn't go over too well with his mother.

Steve remembered all too well the panic that had seized him when he had discovered the Enderman and the dragon in his house two nights ago– begging him for his help even though they were suppose to be back in the End. He had been so exhausted and startled, but he had still listened to the Enderman's story.

The End portal was broken– and unless he helped her fix it the dragon would be stuck in the Overworld– something they both didn't want.

It seemed that the End portal broke after being used, since Steve had to fix it the first time he went through to fight the demon, and now it was broken again. He wished he could have thrown several eyes of Ender at the Enderman and send it on its way– but of course he didn't have anymore from the first time he had fix the portal.

So that left him with three choices: just kill the baby dragon and call it a day, do nothing and let the demon grow up here– most likely ending up to it opening the void in this realm, or drop everything and help his enemies.

And now he was preparing to go get blaze rods to open the portal.

Steve gritted his teeth, his armor feeling heavy on him. Fighting Blazes– just what he wanted to do tonight! But hey, he was already geared up, so too late to back out now– right?

It was sunset, meaning that everyone should be inside at the moment. The villagers might be able to see him from their windows, but at least he wouldn't be swarmed with questions of where he was going. He had left a lie– um, excuse– with his mother. Hopefully he could just get this over with, and return to a quiet life.

Now to find that Enderman...

His steps echoed quietly on the path as he took the main road, heading towards the edge of the village. A part of him hoped that the Enderman hadn't stayed around, and that he could just shove this into the past. The ruined blacksmith soon came into the view– the only building that no one went into in the village– and where he told the Enderman to wait for him.

"Hello...?" Steve called out quietly as he approached the building. He had been in here a few times on a dare when he was younger– but other than that he avoided it out of respect for his mother's late husband as he had gotten older.

Lying to his mother... working with monsters and demons... telling them to go into what was basically Shawn's grave– what had gotten into him?

But Steve knew that he couldn't just back out of this when he heard something shifting in the blacksmith. Sighing, he pulled a torch out of his inventory, lighting it as he held it in front of him. He ducked to avoid the sagging ceiling as he entered the blacksmith, shuddering as he saw two black shapes waiting inside.

"Waa?"

Shivers ran down his back at the sound of Enderman warbles. His hand drifted towards his sword as he watched the towering black figure rise, the Ender Dragon clutched in one arm, the other raised to block out the light from his torch. Two pairs of glowing purple eyes stared down at him, and Steve averted his eyes as he noticed the Enderman tensing as he made eye contact. The Ender Dragon– 'Umbra', as she called it– squirmed, as if trying to break free.

"Can you talk like the villagers, please?" Steve muttered, it was a bit easier to handle when she spoke normally.

"...I am not use to speaking in Peaceful," She said after a moment, voice cracking slightly.

"Huh," Steve grunted, staring at the ground. He was use to looking at people when they talked, but it was quite clear the Enderman wasn't fond of that. "So all of those noises you make... mean something?"

"H-hostile is a much more complex language," The Enderman replied. "Many dia... dia... dialects. It is not a matter of understanding the sounds, rather being able to comprehend the energy that comes from the sounds and interpreting them–" She shook her head. "Why I am bothering to explain?"

Steve shrugged off what she said– for some reason the idea that monsters could communicate left him unsettled. "So... you wanted my help fixing the portal," He looked up at her for a moment, noticing how much she was struggling keeping Umbra in her arms. The dragon twisted in her grasp, eyes locked straight on Steve. "You said you had something in return– let's see if it's worthwhile."

The Enderman sighed, but opened her arms. The Ender Dragon at last leapt out of her arms, claws scraping against the ground as she bolted towards Steve. He tensed as the dragon rushed at him, prancing around his legs with excitement. He held out a leg, pressing it against the dragon so she couldn't come closer to him.

"I have two things," The Enderman said, holding out her arms. Steve blinked as he watched her arms slip from out of sight into an unseen dimension– Enderman had inventories?! "I think you'd... favor both," She glanced at him. "Is that the right word?"

He shrugged. "I think 'like' would be more appropriate."

She pulled her hands out of her inventory, holding a strange block that Steve had never seen before. It was a dull purple, grooves running along side it. She set it on the ground of the blacksmith, dusting it off, and Steve frowned at it.

"This is a... a..." She paused, then let out a screech-like sound. "–Box."

"A what-box?" Steve asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know what the mob is called in Peaceful. Basically this... box, is made from their shells though. This is a lot like a chest you have in your home– it stores items like an inventory. We use them often in the End, I have several in my inventory."

Steve cross his arms. "Like you said, I already have chests. Why would I need this... box thing?"

The Enderman smiled. "Because it can do something chests can not."

She opened the box– Steve jumping back as it twisted open. This unfortunately caused him to no longer being able to keep Umbra at bay, and the dragon wrapped her front legs around his. Steve shivered at the contact, the dragon's scales warm, and forced his attention to remain on the Enderman as she pulled out an armful of several strange fruits. They were purple in color, and she spread them across the ground.

Umbra's head turned, sniffing them with interest.

"These were in here," The Enderman said proudly.

"...So?" Steve asked, watching as she picked up the fruit once more, slipping them back into the box. She held onto one though, biting into the foreign food. A sweet smell filled the blacksmith, and the dragon bolted away from Steve and towards the Enderman. The dragon looked up at her, whining, and without even a blink she offered the rest of the fruit to the dragon, who swallowed it whole.

"It was holding items while in my inventory," The Enderman explained, watching at him with a level look. Their eyes only met for a second, before the Enderman pulled her gaze away.

Steve frowned, and he watched as she picked the box back up, slipping it into her inventory with a soft sigh. It just held items, like any other chest, what did she think was so special–

The realization hit him at once. "The items don't drop."

The Enderman smiled, and Umbra raced back towards Steve. "That is correct, Player."

It was like an inventory within an inventory... a box that could hold items within an inventory– he had never heard of such a thing! It was something he had thought was impossible! His lack of interest surged into greed– realizing just how valuable this item was she was showing him. A chest that could be carried around, that would provide so many opportunities, he could carry so many more supplies–

"You said you had two things to offer me," Steve said, trying to keep his eagerness at bay. He didn't want her to realize just how much he wanted her whatever-box. He tried to think of what kind of creature would have shells like that, but the screeching noise she had made meant nothing to him. Perhaps the creature screeched? A screecher...? No, that was a horrible name for a mob. It had shells, so perhaps it was just something that skulked in the shadows of the End...? He had idea of what to picture.

The Enderman paused. "It is something you left in the End," She said. "I thought perhaps you'd like it back."

And with that she pulled out a small orange band, one that Steve recognized right off– Sol's collar.

"Where did you get that!?" Steve snarled, causing the Enderman to stiffen up.

"You left it in the End, and I picked it up," She said, tilting her head. Steve jumped forward, nearly tripping over Umbra. The dragon swiftly retreated, and Steve snatched the collar out of the Enderman's hand. At the time he thought that leaving it in the End would be fitting, but now that he was seeing the collar of his beloved friend he couldn't believe he had ever let it out of his grasp.

"Don't touch it!" Steve snarled, holding the collar close to his chest.

"You're the one that left it in my realm," The Enderman said.

Steve closed his eyes. "...Fine, Enderman– thank you for bringing it back. But don't touch it again and– get this thing off of me!"

Umbra had leapt up, claws digging into Steve's arms as she tried to climb up onto his shoulder. Steve raised his hand, and the Enderman swiftly teleported forward, seizing the baby dragon, before teleporting back with it.

"She's not a thing," The Enderman hissed. "Her name is Umbra!"

"I don't care what it's called– I just want it away from me," Steve pointed at the dragon in frustration. He gritted his teeth. "Now, I have decided to accept your terms. You give me that box and help me in whatever way necessary to get supplies we'll need– and I'll help you fix the End portal."

"...Very well. I will hold you to your bargain." The Enderman closed her eyes. "If we are going to be working together we should address us by our names, not our species. My name... best translated into your language would be 'the first dark'."

Steve hesitated– names? Villagers had names, and he had always given animal mobs names... He supposed he could call hostile mobs names as well then.

"...Fine," Steve said, and he pointed at the two creatures of the End. "You're 'The First Dark', and that thing- er- dragon, is Umbra then– that means shadow or something, right?"

"...I do not know. That was how it translated in my mind– my knowledge on Peaceful is limited," The Enderman replied.

Steve frowned. "...Alright then, you say your name is 'The First Dark'? That really isn't a name, so... um..." He paused, trying to think of something else. "Perhaps 'dusk' or 'twilight' would be a better translation, and those would work better as a name."

"What is this 'dusk' and 'twilight', exactly?" The Enderman asked hesitantly.

Steve glanced outside the old forge, the sun long gone. "Well, this time of night, I suppose. The very beginning of the night is called dusk."

The Enderman slowly nodded. "That will do– you may call me Dusk. Now, Player, tell me your name."

"Steve," Steve said after a moment of slight hesitation. "Just Steve."

"Stee-eve," Dusk said experimentally, the 'ee' sound in his name coming out more as an Enderman warble. "Strange name, Player, but I shall call you as such."

"Um... why do you keep calling me that?" Steve asked. "What is a 'player'?"

The Enderman regarded him, Dusk's vivid purple eyes meeting his for only a moment. "That is your species, did you not know that? You are a player."

Steve felt his throat tighten– what he was? This Enderman knew what he was? His mind was racing, considering the possibility of a hostile mob knowing what he was, even when his mother didn't. Was Dusk lying? Or perhaps it was just what she called villagers, and thought he was one.

"Um–" Steve began, but could find no words.

"Well Steve," Dusk asked, teleporting a few blocks closer. "Are we going to the Nether, or not?"

Steve shook his head free of his thoughts– he had other things to focus on. "Yes, we shall, but I'm going to need you to teleport us to the portal," He went to the window of the forge. "Now, it is hard to see in the dark, but–"

"My eyes see through darkness. Just describe where I am to teleport us," Dusk interrupted.

"Alright, um– there's a huge cobblestone building to the south of us," Steve said. "That's the chapel, it's the largest building in the village. Now, I need you to teleport us to the basement, there's an unactivated portal down there. You teleport us into the basement, and I'll light it, and then we're on our way to the Nether."

Dusk closed her eyes, as if focusing on something. She held Umbra close to her chest, then nodded. "Alright, ready. Grab hold of my arm, it is easier to teleport beings when in direct contact with me."

Steve hesitated, but reached to touch Dusk's arm. He was surprised at the feel of the Enderman, her skin as soft as his or a villager's. However, Steve had been expecting her skin to be cold as the End realm had been– but it wasn't.

Dusk's skin was warm, just like a villager's. Steve frowned, wrapping a blocky hand around her slender arm. She felt so villager-like... she spoke like them... She had a name, a gender– she cared for the dragon and treated like a child.

For a being Steve called a monster, it was frightening to realize that she was anything but monstrous.

It had taken Dusk a moment to locate just where in the basement of the chapel Steve wanted her to take them– since the chapel had a vast system of tunnels under it. Dusk was impressed with the complex place, since Steve's house had simply had a single room for his basement, while the chapel many chambers below it.

But she assumed that Steve wanted the room right below the surface, and so that's where she teleported them with a single blink.

It seemed that she was right, since Steve swiftly let go of her arm, glancing around the cobblestone basement without complaint. Fortunately Steve didn't seem keen at looking at her eyes as he had been when they had first started talking– it took everything she had to prevent herself from lashing out as she saw a player staring at her most vulnerable point, and the place where her power was stored.

"Okay," Steve said, looking at the blocks of obsidian in front of them. If this was the portal to the Nether then it was different than the End one– which had rested on the ground. This stood proudly in the center of the room. The obsidian was quite pretty, it was a limited block in the End, reserved for the queen's island and for the rarest of chests.

She heard Steve rummaging around his inventory, and she resisted the urge to ask him if it was true that Players had an endless one. Dusk knew that inventories were a gift from the void, extending their reach beyond their world and into its own realm, but she didn't know why it'd favor a monstrous creature such as the player. Perhaps the void mistook players for the Notch?

Dusk let out a low hiss as Steve relit his torch– which had died down when she had teleported. He swung the burning light around, studying the basement with pressed lips. Dusk turned her gaze away from the harsh light– it felt even brighter than in the ruined forge. Umbra, however, looked at the light with a curious whimper, twisting once more in Dusk's arms.

"Get use to it," Steve said, noticing her discomfort. "I can't see without it, and the Nether is no dark place."

Umbra tensed up slightly. "I... I thought the Nether was another realm like the End– with no sun."

Steve grinned weakly, his armor gleaming in the torchlight, and he approach the unlit portal. "No, there's no sun– but there's plenty of lava– and therefore plenty of heat and light. Don't go teleporting willy-nilly, or else you just might find yourself cooking."

Dusk's skin paled to a dark gray. "Do we need to go to the Nether? C-can't we just find what we need here?"

Steve turned back towards the obsidian portal. "We need eyes of Eyes of Ender if we're going to fix the portal– and I have a feeling you're not about to gorge out your eyes," She shivered, instinctively getting ready to teleport at the mention of her eyes. "We're going to have to make our own, and for that we'll need Blaze rods."

And then with that he held the torch to the portal, letting the flames lick the obsidian. Dusk watched in a fascination– and suddenly a huge burst filled the room. She teleported back a few blocks at the flash, while Steve stepped back to look at his handy work. A purple light filled the spaces between the portal– much different from the starry void of the End portal. But the slight was beautiful, just like looking into Umbra's eyes.

Steve hung his torch on the wall, pulling out his sword. "Ready to go to the Nether, Enderma– Dusk?"

Dusk stared at the swirling portal, holding Umbra close to her chest. She opened her mouth, but found no words in her mouth– nether Peaceful or Hostile. So she closed her mouth, and gave a simple nod, teleporting to Steve's side. He flinched slightly at the noise, but didn't glance at her.

Umbra let out a happy call– trying to slip out of Dusk's arms and get to Steve.

Steve stepped forward, jumping into the portal without hesitation. The light flared even brighter, twisting as it warped Steve away to the realm beyond. Dusk only hesitated for a moment, but knew that getting Umbra home was far more important than her fear. Making sure that her young queen was held safely against her chest the Enderman walked towards the portal. She had to duck to fit through the portal, but soon a tingling ran through her as she was whisked away.

In this story, the reason why Enderman don't like people looking into their eyes is because that is the source of their power. Their force behind teleporting, the energy they have, it is all stored in their glowing eyes. Enderman naturally have the urge to fight when making eye contact with something other than another Enderman or Ender Dragon to protect their power. The eyes of an Enderman, or Eyes of Ender, are very powerful and can power many things: like the End portal or Ender chests.

Eyes of Ender that are crafted are not real Enderman eyes, but something with the same power. By combining Ender Pearls (an orb that Enderman can form with their powers, and sometimes they form after the death of an Enderman) and Blaze powder these crafted Eyes of Ender can do everything real Enderman eyes can do. Since Dusk can form Ender Pearls at will, all she and Steve need is Blaze powder to make Eyes of Ender without harming any Enderman.