Hero's Bane
Chapter 5: Don't Play His Game
Edited 4/5/2022
The one-eyed Endermen continued to smack Steve violently into the wall, applying even more pressure with each hit. It continued to ignore the shouts of the young woman, pure rage filled it's unblinking eye.
Steve gasped for breath with each wallop, this monster was very strong perhaps more stronger than any other Endermen he's ever been up against. He could feel a warm liquid trail down the side of his face through each pummel, the Endermen was literally bashing his skull open and with one hand at that. Warren wasn't kidding about the 'more' powerful mobs. They were definitely a force to be reckoned with, and if they're this strong then what be of Herobrine's power? He didn't even want to think on it, especially with a mind splitting headache forming and his vision doubling.
"Stealth, stop it now!" Luna finally ran over and grabbed it's wrist, she then pulled it away with all of her strength. Luckily, her pull was enough to allow Steve to breathe but also enough to catch the attention of the black mob.
"Please, Stealth! He's not an enemy, he's a friend! He's here to help me, even if I don't really need it. So please let him up. It's not Herobrine." Her voice was calm but rigid as she stared into the Endermen's eye. "Please." She repeatedly plead.
The Endermen's gaze softened as it stared back into her blue orbs. It looked back down at the struggling man and decided to let him go, it carelessly dropped the miner to the ground and it flashed away and reappeared behind Luna as she reached down to pull Steve up.
"I'm sorry, you'll have to excuse him. He's very protective of me, especially against Herobrine and I suppose his 'look-alikes'."
Steve pushed himself off of his knees and he staggered around as he tried to regain balance, his head spun from the trashing. He almost stumbled off of the edge until a long black arm reached over and grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and tugged him closer to the wall. Once more his eyes landed on the black figure, Steve was in disbelief that the same vicious Endermen that just tired to kill him had saved him. "How did you- That thing- How? Why?" He clutched his aching forehead and then wiped away the blood.
"He's not a thing!" Luna shouted as she placed her hands on her hips, quickly changing her tone from concern to defensive. "His name is Stealth and he is my friend!"
"An Endermen?" Steve tried to avoid looking into the creature's eye but even when he did the monster didn't budge from it's spot, it only growled lowly instead.
"Yes. Unlike all of the other beasts around here- Stealth is different. He cares about me and he's the whole reason why I can come down here and train. He's always watching my back and getting me to safety when things get out of hand. I know he's a monster but not the kind you think he is."
The miner grabbed the edge of the wall and leaned against it to keep himself from falling. "How can anybody do that? Befriend a mob? I mean they're always trying to kill people and yeah, kill."
The young woman's posture relaxed some and she briefly glanced away. "We weren't always friends, actually he was my rival for a few good years of my life but it's different now."
"Rival?"
She looked back at Steve and smirked. "Yeah. Three years ago I came to this ravine to try and sharpen my archery skill, considering that all of these enemies were stronger and they'd last longer and take several more hits then the usual. It was a perfect plan since I needed more targets and could still practice safely when firing from the top of the ravine. However, one late evening I've had enough practice and was going to quit and head home before Warren would return from his late shift. This is so I wouldn't get into trouble or be suspected of training again, but on that same trip to the ravine is when I saw an Endermen."
"That would be Stealth?" He asks as he gestured the tall mob.
"Yep. I almost never see Endermen with Warren around and surprisingly, there isn't many who hang around this gorge but he did. I had never killed one or been given the opportunity to and like I said; I don't see many so I wasn't aware of their little ability to instantly warp and reappear behind their attackers. I loaded an arrow into his back and he quickly came up on me on the surface in plain daylight and tried to beat me to death. I ran as fast as I could to escape his blows and he sure did a number of scars, I didn't have any sword for close combat so I had no choice but to run. I just happened to run into the forging station where many handmade tools are left around to help craft weapons and a small bucket of water was just lying beside the crafting table. Thank Notch that I at least knew their weakness, Warren told me how much Endermen 'loved' the rain."
"That burn mark makes since now." Steve muttered to himself.
"I grabbed the bucket and splashed the side of his face with the water and his skin burned, sizzled and pealed away, leaving a patch of cinder gray. He hissed and fled after that. I returned home before night settled in and I saw that same Endermen outside my window, looking right up at me. He followed me home, never had a mob do that before."
Steve's eyes widened at the disconcerting thought. "I have to say that that is one disturbing notion. Let's hope that the rest of the mobs from this point out don't decide to do the same with me."
"Don't worry, they probably won't. I have killed many mobs or tried to and none of the others ever did, only Stealth. I stayed home the day after and when the sun set he was there outside my window again, just waiting for me to step out of the comforts of the house to get revenge. I didn't know that Endermen were like humans, I thought they were all dark brainless creatures of Herobrine but apparently not. It seems as though they can hold grudges like humans too. Almost every night he came back, sometimes he would scratch up the doors or remove a block of the house, and he's even smashed a few windows in. I finally got tired of him harassing me so I took one of Warren's old swords and bravely went out to try and kill it.
He was powerful and I can't tell you how many times that he almost killed me or how lucky I got escaping him every time. Our battles became almost daily though, well not when it rained anyways. I spent less time at the ravine with Stealth around. Actually I gave him that name since he always seems to seek up on me, and let's not forget how much you like to stalk me?" She gave a snide smile to Stealth and he tilted his head and made a small burble.
"Then how did you befriend it?" STeve asked with a raised brow and an expression of bewilderment.
"Well, one evening in our- I guess you can say practice? We were really trying to kill each other and I of course was getting a beat down, but that changed when it began to rain. It was literally pouring in seconds and I can say I was drenched real quickly, Stealth however couldn't stand it and he burned with each drop. He tried to teleport away to escape the downpour and no matter where he teleported to he was still getting wet." Lunaris's shoulders sag and she rolled her head to the side. "I don't know why I did it." She shrugged. "Maybe it was sympathy or the fact that I would loose a good source of training. Perhaps both, but I decided to catch up to him and grab his arm. He growled viciously and tried to smack me off when I did but I ignored it and held tight. I pulled him to my house and forced him through the door, it wasn't easy."
"You saved him?" The miner gaped.
"That's right! No matter how much he growled and hissed and tried to swat at me- I pulled him into that doorway and tried my best to dry him off. It took a couple of minutes of scuffling around with towels but he finally realized that I was helping him, saving him, and he changed so quickly. Stealth stopped trying to maul me and calmed. Things had been different ever since."
"Maybe he feels indebted to you. Amazing."
"Maybe he did, at one point. But it's been so long that we've been together, and he doesn't hold no grudge anymore. I feel that this bond we share is more then a debt needing to be repaid cause if it was then he would of fully paid it off by now. Like all of the times he saved me from mobs and even Herobrine. I must also mention that he shows some affection, hard to believe I know, but he has this tender personality when he's around me. I can't say the same for when he's close to other humans. I mean, he nearly killed you a minute ago."
Steve rubbed his sore neck, tensing a bit from the forming bruises. "Yeah, since you could stop him- a powerful Endermen- then I guess there has to be some kind of friendship or fondness. I would be dead otherwise."
"Heh. I can't tell you how hard it has been to keep Stealth secret from Warren or the village. Stealth came close to exposure so many times. Too many for the old man. That is why I come here as often as I can, Stealth and Warren are safer apart from each other."
"Warren?! I forgot, I have to-"
"Please keep him secret!" Lunaris quickly folded her hands together and moved closer to Steve's, she plead with an upset expression. "Please, please! He means everything to me and if Warren does find out then he'll either kill or get killed. Warren lost the love of his life to one of these creatures and I know that he'll kill any of them if he gets the chance but Stealth isn't like the others. Please Steve?" She asked with pleading eyes.
A tear formed at the corner of her eye and Steve felt the guilt coming. He heavily sighed, not sure if he was making the right decision.
"Okay, I will keep your secret. Stealth nearly killed me but he also saved me from falling into the chasm, and man he is strong. But if I do then you have to go to the forging station like right now. I told the old man that I'd get you up there safely and I plan to do just that."
"Thank you!" She jumped at the miner and wrapped her arms around his pained neck, squeezing tightly with joy. "Thank you so very much! Stealth won't let you down!"
"I'll keep- it- but you're- choking me." He tensed through the painful chokehold. "My neck. Can't breathe."
"Oh, sorry." She loosened her grip then stepped back, feeling a little embarrassed for her giddiness. "I've never told anyone about Stealth and I guess I just so excited that someone else knows and will keep our friendship a secret. I owe you."
"I said I would keep it and you don't owe me anything." Steve winced as he placed his hand on the side of his throat. "Owww, my neck. It seriously hurts. Did you forget that I was almost choked to death?"
"Again, sorry." She beamed nervously.
"That's alright, but I still have to get you up and daylight is a wasting."
"Wouldn't you rather be down there already?" Luna pointed over the edge but Steve shook his head back in forth in disapproval.
"Yes, I would like to be down there right now, but I made a promise to get you back up there and I will-"
"That's nice! Here let me help you." She quickly interrupted. "Stealth?" She smiled.
She snapped her fingers and the tall black mob stepped forward and grabbed her by arm, it then reached out and roughly nabbed Steve by the shoulder.
"Whaa-!" Steve's eyes widened as his body grew lighter and hotter, a sensation of fire flooded his veins and then he couldn't see anything but black.
Within seconds the trio flashed from the ravine's ledge and down to the bottom floor of the ravine. Steve nearly fell over from the strange power that over flooded his body, he felt like he had been spun around a dozen times and set aflame. "What in the Nether was that!?" He shouted and stumbled, trying to regain balance.
"You wanted down here so here you are. Consider it a thank you for keeping my secret." She simply stated, smiling at Stealth as a sign of appreciation.
"Where-" Steve blinked and shook his head after looking up and gazing at the soaring stone walls that enclosed them. "No way, Endermen can transport humans too?" He continued to look up in awe and into the dark half of the ravine and then at Stealth in amazement.
"That's right. How do you think I have survived all of this time while training? Warren and Mark also have trouble believing that it's pure skill alone and I definitely can't scale walls and escape like a spider can but I do have another method. That would be Stealth's lovely power, he's always getting me out of trouble. He can also take me back to the top of the ravine so you don't have to waste time or energy to."
"But I said that I-"
"If you do then it may take an hour or so from here, or you can 'trust' my Ender-friend to take me. Can't you?"
"Ummm," Steve placed a hand on his chin and thought hard on it. The Endermen was strong, really strong and he saved the girl before from her standpoint and even Steve himself. He would of rather take her up there himself but if he was about to step into that cursed land then he was going to have to get there soon and waste as little energy as possible. As tough as the choice was with the promise of a friend or the more sensible choice survival wise; it was better to go with the survival case.
"I guess I can put trust into Stealth in getting you up there, I'm going to need all of the energy I got from this point out. I just hope he can get you there safely."
"He will, that I can assure you. I can go now or I can show you the cavern, I'd rather show you the cavern though. So i will first. It's really cool and all but I don't dare step in there. I've seen some strange things happening in that place; monsters hording by the dozens, lava somehow floating, strange purple mist. I could list more."
He shook his head. "No, no thank you. I don't need to imagine any of that, especially not when I'm about to go in there."
"Then let's go, it's just at the end of the ravine! I know that you wouldn't have any trouble going into that cave since you are going into that damned land in the first place." She motioned for Steve to follow as she bravely marched into the darkness and around the mob corpses she had taken care of just minutes ago.
Steve was a bit reluctant at first, not with the new strange things that could possibly happen in the cavern. He mentally thanked Luna for giving him this so called 'courage'. He swallowed and began to walk, he quickened his pace as Luna and Stealth slowly faded into the black. "Hold on!" Steve quickly whipped out a torch from his leather bag and jogged up to Luna's side. He dug into his pocket for a flint and steel then lit the readymade stick.
"Yeah, making a torch probably was a good idea." She laughed to herself, seeming way too confident for a young lady in a place infested with powerful monsters. "It'll do little to help though, trust me. I found out the hard way. In this place and beyond; torches just make you an easier target, especially for Creepers. It doesn't really repel the mobs here, but rather attracts them."
"Thanks for making me feel confident, at least you 'have' someone to protect you from the monsters."
"That's why I don't need light." She glanced over to the miner then back to the dusty path, she had noticed that the man seemed a bit shaken, probably due to the lack of light. "So why are you going into that land anyways?"
"At first I was going to mine but now I have a more important reason." He frowned.
"Wait, are you going to try and kill Herobrine?"
Her guess was right on the money. "Yep, I was going to explore and mine it, but after seeing Warren and the town so unsettled by this ghost I've decided to find a way to either kill it or stop it one. Well that and for the truth."
"Truth?"
"The truth of his existence. Warren told me his history but I feel as though I still don't know enough about this monster. So I'm going to see if I can uncover more about him and hopefully a way to stop him."
"Why would you want to waste your time with history? He's a cruel demon!"
"Yeah, but he looks exactly like me from what everybody says, I must find out why. I'm tired of the people in your village fleeing and spitting at me in disgust from my presence. I want to clear my image and that is why."
"Oh. I didn't think about that." She said softly.
"It's okay. But I will find out and do something, I'm just not sure what to do yet."
"Well, then make sure you plant an arrow between Herobrine's eyes for me. Cause if you don't, then I will."
"Heh." He smiled. "I can't guarantee that but I'll give it a go."
"Vluurp!" The friendly Endermen suddenly nudged Luna's arm, making small awkward burbles as if was talking to the young lady.
"Stealth? Later, I want to show Steve the cavern." She lightly pushed him back a little but he nudged again, seeming somewhat distressed.
"What's wrong with him?"
"Nothing." She said blankly. The tone of her mood shifted from content to concern. "It's probably nothing."
"Luna?" Steve nervously asked. "Are you-"
"I'm alright." She smiled. "Stealth just wants more fish, it's his favorite food and I forgot to bring some. There's nothing to worry about okay?" She laughed, taking a few steps forward. "I'll show you where to enter into the valley and Stealth will take me back up after that, sounds great right?"
Lunaris's smile slowly faded as a familiar darkness crept from the corner of her vision, the air became thin and she found it slightly harder to breathe. That eerie feeling retuned.
"Stop!" She abruptly halted with her muscles tense, frozen in place.
"Why?" He stood in place too as a sudden soft gale of wind wafted by the two and the temperature around them dropped significantly, it grew so cold that the two could see their own breaths. Chills quickly crawled up Steve's spine, making him shudder and rub his exposed arms to relieve the strange feeling.
"Wow, did it suddenly just get really cold down here or what?" He jokingly questioned, a hint of worry in his expression. It only grew from the look on Luna's face. She looked absolutely horrified.
"No. No no no no." Luna whispered to herself, shaking her head. Why now?" She closed her eyes and unconsciously reached for Stealth's hand.
"Vlurp?" Stealth noticed the warm touch from the young woman's hand. He took her small hand into his and he tightly coiled his fingers over hers, letting her know that he was still there for her and that he would protect her.
"Luna, are you alright?" He noticed that something definitely wasn't right, that feeling of being watched instantly struck him like a bolt of lighting. The hairs on the back of his head stood on end and he felt as though someone was right behind him- just feet away.
"Just keep going Steve, there's no need to-"
Heavy footsteps abruptly came from behind then just as quickly ceased, Steve tried to snap his head around to see what it was and Stealth hastily moved an arm in front of his line of sight before pushing his head back towards the pathway.
"Wait! There's something behind us!" Steve tried to move the black limb to look back but Stealth placed his hand on the man's head and moved it back towards the cavern. The Endermen lightly growled from the miner's persistence to look behind him.
"Stealth don't let him look!"
"Why not?" Steve struggled but gave in when Stealth growled loudly.
"It's him." She whispered. "It's him and I can't do it. I just can't." She sounded as though she was on the verge of tears. "I always kept saying I'd be ready to face him but I can't, I'll never be strong enough."
"What are you talking abou-?" He asked then went stiff, a wave of fear swept over him; an unnatural and unnerving feeling.
"It's Herobrine." She whispered lightly, she then took a step forward and this motioned Stealth to do the same while pushing the miner onward. "Just keep walking."
"It's Herobrine!?" Steve quickly tried to twist around to see the powerful fiend but the Endermen shoved him ahead and blocked his line of sight again, glaring menacingly at the man.
"Don't play his game Steve!" She shouted loudly and the miner stared at her in silence. "Just don't look behind you, it's a game he plays a lot, he does this all of the time." She said quietly with a low growl. "It's still better than an outright attack at least."
"His game? How do you even know it's him? How is this some game Luna?"
Lunaris bravely opened her eyes and shot a concerning glance at Steve before turning away and closing her eyes once again. "Herobrine likes to play with his victims and this is one of his sick and cruel games, I know it because I played it before. Twice. He'll quietly approach his target and when he gets close enough he'll wait, he'll make strange noises and even walk up very close to you so that you'd turn to see him. When you do, he'll kill you. And if you run... That just makes the game enjoyable for him, he'd want that. He'll chase you to your death, I can guarantee that. I would have been dead a few times before if Stealth hadn't been there, that is why he has a scar and is missing an eye. We barely made it out both times."
Steve couldn't even muster a response, not with those footsteps falling into sync with theirs.
Herobrine slowed his pace and smirked when he heard the sounds of their hearts pumping louder, he waited patiently for the slightest mistake. He particularly waited for a mistake from the miner.
"Won't he just flat out attack us now!?" Steve stopped and blurted out, failing to deny the fact that he was very frightened. "We have our backs turned to him, wouldn't he take the opportunity?" He held the torch close and the iron blade closer, prepared for anything.
The White eyed humanoid moved even closer to the man and Stealth howled loudly, then growled.
"Don't move Steve!" Lunaris screamed, "Don't play his game."
Steve didn't have to even hear her words to be frozen in place, the cold presence behind him made him violently shudder. He felt as though he had a heavy weight on his shoulders even though there was nothing there. Steve was been stared down and he had no urge to remove the blade from his side. He was paralyzed in fear and he knew deep in his mind that Herobrine was enjoying this torment.