Hero's Bane
Chapter 11: The Spectator
Edited 4/9/2022
A small droplet of water splashed on Steve's forehead and he opened his eyes to the sudden contact of the cold dampness, he immediately stirred from his sleep; dazed and confused. He blinked a few times to clear his vision and a blank light gray sky hung over him with the threat of rain falling and a low growl of thunder reinforced that forewarning of dreary weather. A cold draft of air blew across his arms and made him lightly shiver, now he had become fully awake as he brought his arms together and rubbed away at the chill. Steve then sat up and blinked in confusion from his natural surroundings, and it wasn't a moment too soon that he realized he had been laying on grass?
"Where-?" He paused as he quickly scanned around himself again. He then rubbed his eyes but it didn't remove the beautiful landscape that had encircled him on all sides, nor the soft green threads he sat upon. He was sitting in the middle of a grass field with a few soaring mountains not too far off in the distance. He gently rolled onto his knees then pushed himself to stand upright, it hurt a little to do so but not as much as it did before. In fact, he was sore all over but not in too much pain to his relief. Steve looked around again to get a better view and then what he saw startled him.
There was a large gaping hole only feet away, it went straight deep into the ground, no incline. Cautiously approaching the border he peeked over to see it's long recognizable walls drop down into darkness below, walls that he had previously attempted to climb last night and fell to what should have been his tragic death. His expression contorted into one of fright and confusion, he was still supposed to be down there; not up here. Steve knew he fell, the pain in his joints was proof enough. This disturbed him on a whole new level and he found himself backing away from the pit and tripping to land back onto the grass. He crawled backwards a few more feet without ever taking his attention away from the gap, unable to find words for what was running through his mind.
'How?' He breathed, remaining motionless as his eyes and brain tried to catch up with each other. He forced his eyes shut and shook his head violently. "This has to be a dream." He whispered to himself, before lightly bashing the side of his head with his pam in an attempt to wake himself up. He started to pound harder as tried to find a reasonable explanation for his appearance on the surface. "Gahh." He winced, all he did was hurt himself more, it did nothing to clear up this realistic hallucination. He began to rub at the tender spot on his cranium before making himself stand again.
It had to of been a dream right? There's no way he should have been able to get up here unless he could somehow sleep-climb, but that he really doubted as he's done no such thing before. He definitely didn't remember giving it a second go, all he could really remember was blacking out after hitting the bottom. So the only explanation he could come up with was that he had to of had help and was taken up by someone else; someone who was strong enough to climb with the weight of another person, someone most likely inhuman. …
There was only one powerful and inhuman being that he knew of at the moment that he had just encountered recently...
The miner quickly turned away from the hole and ran, he didn't know where he was running to or if he was being followed, only that he had to find a place to make into a shelter and hide in it. Even if the back of his mind kept telling him it that this was all possibly a dream he chose to act as though he was in real life, just in case it was and he sort of hoped it would be. Any place was better than that never-ending abyss of cave tunnels and gaping chasms. Herobrine's nightmares were just too real and it only took two of those cursed dreams to realize this, and for all he knew; he could be in another at that very moment.
His legs hurt, everything just hurt. His feet, lungs, chest, arms, and even his head, the pain magnified as he pushed himself and he was really beginning to feel fatigued. He slowed to a stop as he ran down from small hill, there were some trees a few yards out and some woodlands not much further then that. Dense trees meant supplies, tools, and maybe food. Just thinking of the word food made Steve fall back and sit on a dirt heap as he caught his breath, he pulled his chest pack from his back and reached in to grab a loaf of bread. He took another quick moment to survey his area before taking a huge bite to calm his groaning stomach.
Steve couldn't remember the last time he ate but it had been a while and all of the running and fighting and even those dreams had made him so hungry. He made quick work of the loaf and wiped away the bread crumbs that coated his lap before throwing the bag back over his shoulders. He was still fairly hungry but he didn't have many provisions to gorge down, not when he needed to stretch his supplies until he could find a good surplus to re-stock on. He stood back up after feeling a little satisfied and glanced behind him, then to the sides. Everything seemed clear and he didn't see any sign of 'him', so he lightly jogged down to the woods where he'd collect the most important necessity for survival; wood.
Wood was a very reliable source for many things including homes, fires, structural supports, tools, and even warmth. Steve knew he couldn't do anything without the lumber so he poked around the inside of his backpack to fish out a stone axe. He lifted the hatchet above his head as he brought it against the closest tree he could find, he hacked at the large plant and slowly cut down each of the chucks into sizeable blocks that he could carry around with ease. His arms still ached but he pushed through the pain as he moved on to the next tree. It was slightly larger which meant more wood to collect and more tools for survival but also more arduous labor. He began to chop away at it and stopped as he removed the leaves and branches, something had tapped against his foot.
It was an apple upon sudden observation, Steve figured that it must of rolled next to his foot when he cleared the foliage out so he picked it up and wiped it off before taking a bite. It was sweet and juicy, having a much more savory taste then the bread he had previously ate. He looked around for more but there only appeared to be one.
Steve decided to enjoy the fruit at that moment and took smaller bites so that it'll last longer, and just as he bit down to the core the sounds of twigs snapping instantly made him drop the remains of the apple and back against the tree. He quickly shot for his axe that he had laid at his feet and held it close with his eyes speedily scanning his area. A few blocky leaves gently floated down off a tree several yards away, whatever was there wasn't anymore and that concerned the miner. He patiently waited and listened for any kind of movements but there weren't any, so after a few minutes of waiting he turned his back and began to chop at the bare tree.
Steve pushed himself to chop faster, he felt like he was being watched again and he didn't like it at all. Halfway through he felt a nasty chill in the air and he stiffened his posture, his expression soon matched. He knew what that feeling was and he feared that Herobrine was close by. 'Will he ever leave me alone?' He thought to himself as he started to chip away at the wood again, hoping he was just imagining things.
Another snapping of a tree limb made him instantly stop and turn his head back and he saw a human figure dart behind a birch tree, it was then he knew he wasn't dreaming it. The figure was cloaked in the shadows so he couldn't be too sure of who it was but that cold nip in the air was the only verification he needed to know who it exactly was stalking him. The fight or flight instinct completely took over and Steve found himself stuffing all of the blocks of wood into his chest pack, he kept his gaze on that one tree as he shoved the rest of his timber and axe into the bag before running off into the opposite direction.
'Herobrine, it has to be!' He screamed in his mind, just the mental image of the man made him sick to his stomach. He picked up his pace as he ran through the woods with his heart thundering in his chest, he was still tired but had enough energy to get away from that place.
Herobrine followed behind at a short distance, weaving through trees to keep the miner thinking that he was getting further away from the hunter when actually the hunter was getting closer. Watching the mortal fret and run was quite amusing and he missed the days of old when he would chase his victims for hours on end, it had been a while since he last enjoyed this cat and mouse game. The sounds of rapid breaths, the footsteps that rushed to get away, and the sounds of the human heart beating wildly in terror and fatigue; overworking itself to keep the body functioning. The sense of fear itself was the most enjoyable part of the chase and he could feel a strong wave of it coming from the miner, and that he missed more than anything.
He watched as the human sprinted near the edge of the tree line and he stopped and watched the man run frantically. This was only the beginning and he'd be sure to get that human once he was settled down and feeling safe, that was the best time to strike. Herobrine felt himself grin.
The sound of thunder made Steve move even more faster, the bad weather was rolling in and would be hitting soon and he didn't have time to waste with that white-eyed freak. Rain would make it safe for any monster to come out of the caves and he'd be screwed if he got caught in a horde of any of them, particularly zombies.
He continued while looking back a few times until he ran into a clearing. It was another open field but with larger hills and greener terrain, there were even trees scattered about and a small pond next to a large naturally cut out dirt mound. It wasn't the best place to make out a shelter but he couldn't be too picky, nightfall would also come soon judging by the darkening sky.
Steve sprinted over to the mass of dirt then checked for a good spot to dig out his safe haven, it looked pretty rigid and sturdy. He glanced back once more to see the woods, it was silent and there was no movement that he eyes could trace. He pealed off both bags and then dug through his bag to whip out his shovel. With one power swing; he slammed it into the dirt and then scooped away a large block, before repeating the process several more times while keeping an eye out on that forest with every other scoop.
After digging out a small hole he planted the spade into the ground before leaning against the frame of his dirt haven and wiping away the sweat that lined his forehead.
He felt like he finally accomplished something since the beginning of his trip, though he didn't plan to stay for long. At least it wasn't that dreaded cave, he didn't think he could possibly take another night in that awful place. It must have been sheer luck to live this long, that or he was being toyed with by a certain fiend; a thought that he couldn't bare to think about. If Herobrine brought him to the surface just to mess with him then Steve wasn't going to settle for it, he wasn't some form of amusement. "I won't let him get to me." He said to himself while keeping his viewing eyes wide open, glancing around. Steve had to stop him or at least find away, so he'd begin his search for the ancient fortress tomorrow when he's rested up and hopefully in nicer weather.
Once he caught his breath he walked over to the small pond and kneeled down to push his face into the cool water, he brought himself back up to scoop some of that water into the palms of his hands to drink. He quenched his thirst and grabbed his bags then made his way into the dirt interior of his shelter.
It was large enough to stand in but also big enough to lie down, though not as near as comfortable as he'd hoped and the place was pretty dark and dank. Steve realized how much he missed his bed, even a worn out one from the Inn would be nice. He placed a lit torch on the wall and then fiddled through his backpack to see what other items he had that he could utilize as a makeshift bed but he couldn't find anything. "Looks like a night of unpleasant discomfort huh?" He asked himself, knowing he had no one other then himself to reply.
One loud rumble hung in the skies and then rain began to pour. "Just in time." He said with a soft sigh.
He looked through the front door and watched as the water droplets pelted the ground, the sky was darkening more and more; minute after minute. Night was settling in and so Steve took a chunk of dirt that he had collected and placed it on the bottom part of the doorway too keep the water from seeping into his makeshift home but also to keep him safe from the monsters of the night. Thank Notch for blocks.
He maneuvered himself around in the small room until he found a slightly more comfortable position to lie down and he laid his head on the chest pack and bag. Groaning in discontent he pushed the chunky pack and bag away from him, he wasn't going to be sleeping on what felt like a large brick or bag of rocks. Both bags were filled with tools and blocks so he couldn't sleep on those, he patted away at the dirt below him before resting his head on the ground. It was cold and a bit damp but he forced his eyes shut hoping that morning would come soon. The warmth and soft glow from the torch gave him just enough comfort and he was able to relax and let his mind slip into autopilot.
…
The ex-hero had waited patiently for long enough and he was tired of just standing out in the rain waiting for the human to find sleep, but his patience has finally paid off. Herobrine stepped out of the woods then lightly paced up to the glowing source coming from a mass of dirt that had been carved out. He quietly approached the dug out doorway and peered inside of the interior to see the man lying on the ground and lightly breathing to the rhythm of his resting body. Herobrine's eyes began to glow more brighter as he stared down at the mortal, entering the dream realm and shifting the man's version of the world into a place of dread and despair.
…
Steve had been in a large crater-like outcrop mining some coal ores, he had already massed a huge pile and was still finding loads of more. He could make a fair amount of emeralds with what he was gathering, there were so many more ores to collect too. He happily swung the pickaxe down to break off another chunk and so he then placed it into the pile with the rest, he had enough coal to supply him for a very long time and trade. Just when he was about to mine out the last block of ore everything was suddenly darkening, a small drop of water landed on the ore and splashed outwards attracting his attention. "Rain?" He then looked up to see the clouds shift unnaturally and darken as well. It had been a nice sunny day and now everything changing so quickly. Perhaps too quickly.
A sudden flash of lightning cracked the sky and loud thunder roared across the land, a resounded boom ever so slightly shook the ground at his feet. The wind began to blow at his heels- all the way up to his head and it picked up as more droplets of water fell out of the clouds. Steve strained to see as the rain poured and splattered across his face, the wind was making it difficult to keep his eyes open so he raised an arm up and over them and then looked for the ladder he had made to get down in the crater to begin with. But his eyes must have been fooling him, the ladder wasn't there. He forced himself through the cold gale and over to the wall that he had descended, holding one arm up over his face to shield his eyes from the wind and rain. He definitely wasn't imagining it, the ladder was completely gone, there was no trace of wood to be found. Steve glanced around to the other side hoping that he was just on the wrong side of the stone cavity and another flash of lighting made him glance to his right to see two white dots fiercely glowing through the downpour high above on the very edge of the gap.
His heart leaped up into his throat and he found himself paralyzed while staring at those dreadful orbs several feet up glaring back down at him. Herobrine was on the rim of the hole and he had his arms crossed as he continued to gaze. Steve felt it, he felt that monster smirk and he didn't even have to see it to know that there was a wicked grin on that face.
"Go away!" Steve demanded, throwing an arm out. "Leave me be, I have done nothing wrong to you!" He squinted his eyes as a drops of water invaded his vision.
The hero didn't move nor reply. He just stood there as the sudden sounds of spiders, skeletons, and zombies filled his and the human's ears.
Steve's eyes shot to the sides of the crater to see spiders crawl down the walls as skeletons and zombies jumped from the edges to land on their feet without trouble. They surrounded him and began to approach the somewhat defenseless miner. Steve looked closely at his one and only means of protection, his pickaxe. It was made of old iron and the edges were worn and dulled, the broad head was loose and was barely clinging onto the wooden handle. This was a tool designed to be used as a tool and not a weapon, but it was all he had and it was on the verge of breaking.
His mind told him to run, but he couldn't. He wanted to leave to escape but there was no way out. He tightened his firm on the digging tool and prepared for the worst, he shifted his gaze and turned his head to see the mobs closing in on him. "Fight, come on. Move!" He shook his head, trying to get over this heavy unnatural fear that kept him glued in place. "FIGHT! SURVIVE DAMN IT!"
A spider to his left made a swift pounce towards him and Steve swung the tool right at the creature's face, casing it to bounce back from the strike with a loud screech from pain. He was stunned that he actually managed to hit it but that feeling didn't last as it made another leap forward in retaliation, screeching as it did. Steve kicked it away and then an arrow whizzed by his head. The flash from the lightning made the presence of something white known from the corner of his eye.
A skeleton pulled it's bow back and another arrow flew by the human barely hitting it's target. Steve spun on his heels and charged at the boney mob and he raised the pick above his head before bringing it down to the walking pile of bones. It blocked most of the hit with it's bow, but Steve wasted no time in using the close-up to his advantage. He took the tool and brought it to his side before swinging it sideways and causing the monster to shatter at the spine and fall into a broken mess.
The spider reared up again and lunged, knocking the miner to the floor. He quickly rolled onto his back to see the sharp fangs coming right at him and he quickly pulled the wooden handle up and outwards to keep the arachnid from biting into his flesh.
It kept pushing downwards as more of it's companions grew closer, remembering that vision of him being mauled alive by cave spiders sent Steve into a frenzy state and he overpowered the creature and shoved it off of him with a loud cry of determination to power him. He took the sharpest end of the tool and wedged into the side of the spider's head and yanked it out quickly as the arachnid went limp.
Another spider jumped at him and so he sprung to the side and did a barrel roll to moved back onto his feet in a crouch, only then having a zombie just a foot away reach out for him. "No!" He pulled himself fully up and shoved the tool at the green-colored undead; using a strong enough push to make the fiend stumble backwards and away.
Bones rattled close by again and he glanced around to see another skeleton pulling back an arrow, he could not let this mob shoot him or he would be in a world of hurt. The miner weaved through the attacking zombies and spiders to take out the immediate threat, and he repeated his attack as he did for the first one but this time as the pick landed on the bone it had broke, the wooden handle splintered into tiny pieces and the metal head flung off and out of sight.
Steve backed away as more mobs came to take the place of the crumbled skeleton, lighting flashed to reveal hordes upon hordes descending into the crater. Steve turned his head back to see the zombies and spiders closing in but more slowly than he expected. In fact, all of the mobs slowed to a stop and stared at him and this had suddenly confused the man.
Another loud crack from thunder and lighting and Steve returned his attention back to his spectator and Herobrine held his hand out as something began to manifest in his open palm. Steve squinted again through the rain to see Herobrine clutch to a hilt of an incomplete blade, the blade though- shortly formed from the base all the way to the sharp tip within seconds. The sword was clearly made of diamond and had a low ghostly glow to it along with a luster of red reflecting from its surface, very unnatural and most likely enchanted.
Steve feared the worst, the demon was going to kill him instead of letting the other monsters have the honor. Of course. But then something happened that he didn't expect. Herobrine took the blade and raised it up before reeling his arm back and throwing it down into the pit, it landing blade tip first into the stone before Steve; just barely a foot away sticking out of the rock at the miner's feet.
He looked down at it before looking back up at the onlooker, Herobrine crossed his arms again and nodded. Steve hesitantly picked up the sword which oddly enough turned out to be a quite an enthralling blade with it's luster and glow, as soon as he did though; the mobs started after him. He felt mad and sick that he was doing this for Herobrine's twisted entertainment but he wasn't about to die. Steve stood firm as the monsters closed in, ready to fight till he couldn't no more.
… At least he wasn't fighting Herobrine.