Hero's Bane
Chapter 16: You Will See
Edited 4/10/2022
Steve sped down the hill as fast as he could nearly tripping a couple times, he didn't look back for a second with the sound of those cursed fowls following close behind. He watched as Nigel limped out onto an opening and came to rest upon a large stone mound, he looked far too tired and in pain to continue. Steve jumped down a small dirt heap and spun around and backed away slowly with his sword ready as the flock slowed and stopped at the end of the dirt ledge, they plainly gazed in silence at the miner but made no effort to move any further.
"They've stopped?" Nigel breathed a sigh of relief, leaning forward to see Steve stand there in a defensive pose waiting for an attack.
"Why are they just standing there? … … Why?!" Steve yelled when he didn't receive an answer.
"I can't say?" Nigel raised a brow.
"Creatures of Herobrine right?" He panted with his brows narrowing. Steve didn't remove an eye from those white-eyed birds, they could continue their chase at any moment.
"I believe so. I've seen them before, had my fair share of run ins, and not just with chickens. The birds are not so nice usually, but why they have stopped is beyond me. Perhaps Herobrine has called them off?"
"Just why would he do that?" Steve slowly backed up until he was next to the old explorer. "Why stop the attack? I just don't get it."
The flock of chickens suddenly turned away and then scrambled back up the snowy hill, getting lost in the mix of pine trees.
"What?!" Steve watched in confusion with wide eyes and gaped as they fled out of sight. "What is all of this about?"
Nigel had a strange feeling and then turned to look behind him, he had found that they were at the base of the foothills, near an old graveyard that wasn't too far from the fortress. "I think I may have a clue now." Nigel slid off of the rock and held onto it's edge as he turned completely around.
Steve reluctantly swayed his attention from the hills to see the old man stumble ever closer to what looked like a bunch of gravestones and a large crypt that looked as if it had collapsed in on itself. "What, did Herobrine just push us to our graves?"
"No, I should hope not."
"Well it certainly looks like it."
"I do think he pushed us down that hill out of impatience, but there could be another reason why he pushed us in this direction. See, I had originally planned for us to take the marked path not too far from here, in fact we were only a couple yards away from it up there. However, it would take longer to get to the fortress, since the route goes around some of the other hillsides. The only reason why I never went down that hill from my past travels was because the snow always seemed a bit sunken in and powdery in some areas, easy to get trapped in pits of soft snow; so I'd normally pass the opportunity to visit the cemetery for it's potential risks with my old age and brittle bones. I've gotten a sprang ankle from going down it so that was reason enough, but he's making us take the quicker route it seems." Nigel used the edge of the stone to move himself forward towards the tombstones. "At least now I have the opportunity to examine some of these graves, and I may just find something extraordinary."
"Then why is he pushing us there and in a hurry? Why would he do that? And if this is a graveyard then why are there only a few tombstones? Herobrine killed a lot of people and that fortress and the buildings around it looks like it housed many people for years. So where are the rest?"
The elder shrugged. "I'm not sure why he wants us to scuttle on, I'm not even sure of why he's pushing us there. We were going there in the first place, so he might be up to something for all we know. The reasons for this small cemetery is bizarre I admit, it's unusual for sure. I imagine a bigger one would probably be more closer to the stronghold, especially for dignitaries, noblemen, royals and such, but perhaps this is the resting place of special people. I wonder why these are all the way out here and so secluded though? I must take a gander at them."
"Wait! You're injured!" Steve reached out a hand before the man could move to the gravesite.
"Oofffhhh." The old man nearly tripped and Steve sighed after catching the geezer by the wrist in a mid trip.
He quickly grabbed the elder's arm to stable the man, he then moved it over his neck and used himself to support the old adventurer to fully stand. "Here." He leaned in more towards the old man and Nigel positioned himself completely upright as the miner lifted. "Sorry to be such an inconvenience to you." He then lightly chuckled to himself. "And to think you were a burden."
Steve halfheartedly smiled and rolled his eyes. "Don't say that, it's not your fault. But shouldn't we be making our way to the fortress now? It's going to take a while to reach it with you in this condition, we shouldn't slow down if we want to make it there by nightfall."
"It'll only be a short inspection, I at least would like to see if I could read the names carved in the stones. It won't take but a mere minute or so to decrypt them."
The miner sighed again and then headed to the small cluster of headstones. He noticed that they could still be read but it was written with strange symbols he couldn't quite understand. "Well, there's words- symbols I think-? I sure can't read them though."
"Move us a little closer, even with my eyeglasses I still have a little trouble seeing with them from this far."
"Okay then." Steve walked the elder close to one of the stones and the man adjusted his glasses.
"Hmmmm? That's strange?"
"What?"
"There's no name, just a date and it looks like it was effortlessly carved in by a nail or something. Care to move me to the next?"
"Alright." He moved over to the next one but it had the same kind of rough carvings in it. "It's a date again?"
"Yes, same date as the last." Nigel leaned all the way up and rubbed his temples. "Why are there only dates and no names?" He glanced around for the next but then a lonely one several more yards away stood noticeably out of the clearing. "Hmmmm, Steven, care to take me to that one way over there?"He pointed.
"Which one?" He looked in the direction that Nigel was pointing and saw the single marked grave all by itself. "Oh, that one?" He asked.
"Yes, if it's not too much of a bother?"
"It won't bother me at all." He carefully walked the explorer over to the tombstone and it looked like it had a lot more written on it and the engravings were more clean and expertly done. "Hey, there's more written on that one!" He said as they approached it.
"Oh, why yes. There is more." Steve leaned in and let Nigel read it, but he took longer to do so and the old man seemed a bit bewildered with raised brow and gaping softly. "Oh dear, this is… bizarre."
"What's written on it?" Steve asked curiously.
"It says: Here lies Lionel Stonewall." He noticed that Steve remained wordless and seemed a little shocked himself. "If I do remember correctly then I'd say that you share the last name. Stonewall right?"
Steve blinked. "Yeah. It is it's…" He trailed off with a soundless mutter.
"Here lies Lionel Stonewall: former royal guard of the Sovereign's sentinel court, also a traitor amongst men. All that's left is the date… but it's rather short." Nigel quietly mumbled as he added the years. "Absolutely tragic." He whispered and swayed his head with a deep frown. "This man has only lived for thirty-four years, I wonder if he had accidentally got killed or was condemned to death for being a traitor? This grave here may be owned by the vary man who stood by Herobrine and possibly the Hero's only friend. It could explain why it's all they way out here with lesser marked graves, far from the fortress."
Steve couldn't find a single word to say, he was quite speechless. It could be the traitor that Nigel had talked about but he couldn't be sure. No. There's no proof, this could be a traitor of a different kind. And there was other people out there with the same last name, it was impossible to be a descendant considering he was born and raised so very far away and during Herobrine's time- no one but the lucky survived. No he just couldn't be.
"Maybe this could be one of your predecessors?"
steve looked away. "I don't think so, he didn't get to live a long life and Herobrine would of killed nearly everybody during that time. Besides, my family for generations has lived just outside of WoodHaven, that's very, very far from here."
"I won't say it's impossible but it is very interesting. At least now I have a name to go by. Lionel Huh?" The older man pulled himself away from Steve and sat on some grass next to the grave, he then reached into his coat pocket and fished out a feather pen and a small note book. "I'll be ready to leave in a few minutes, just give me some time to jot down this information."
"Okay." He watched as Nigel began to write but that headstone snagged his attention again. He reached out and traced his fingers over the engraved writings in curiosity. Almost instantly he felt himself grow woozy and sick to his stomach, he suddenly didn't feel right and he almost wanted to puke. He leaned on his knees and closed his eyes while holding onto the top of the gravestone to keep himself upright. He was now feeling even more nauseous and then a blinding light consumed his mind and vision.
…
Steve oddly found himself laying out on his back in the open at the bottom of the hill with the view of the fortress out in the distance, but the strangest part of this discovery was it seemed like the exact spot he was supposed to be kneeling on a grave where he grew faint. It also wasn't all that cold anymore. In fact the weather was nice and warm, like late spring and the snow on the hill before him was all gone and so was the cloak he wore.
He lifted himself off of the ground and rubbed his head, something wasn't right and he knew it, but just couldn't put a finger on it.
"It's okay, just hang on. I'm going to get you some place safe so that you can heal."
He heard a voice from behind and he spun on his heels to see a man in silver armor drag a body across the small grassland, he had the man by the shoulders and was walking backwards and so Steve made a quick scurry over to a huge stone mound that Nigel was on not so long ago, but it was far bigger than he remembered. Where was Nigel? Why did everything seem so confusing. Steve shook his head and stayed crouched behind the big rock, he poked his head from around the corner and he felt his heart stop when he saw that ex-hero being dragged along.
"Don't worry… Herobrine, I have a small dwelling not too far from here. It … should keep you safe and hidden for a while, at least-." He struggled to move the incapacitated hero after running out of breath." The man laid Herobrine's arms down gently then he fully stood to take a breather. "At least until I find a way to clear your name, I know it sounds impossible but I won't stop until you are proven innocent!" He then moved a hand up to remove the helmet to wipe the sweat away from his head and readjust his long emerald green scarf.
"Wha-?!" Steve quickly threw a hand over his mouth for he had recognized the face of the man. He looked just like Steve… and just like Herobrine but with a more rugged look. 'That man!' Steve blinked and moved back behind the rock, he looked so much like him, almost as if they were twins but it was impossible. Why did he look like both Steve and Herobrine? Steve just couldn't believe it. Herobrine's sudden pained groan made Steve lightly jump and he turned back to see the being covered in tons burns and even a bone in his arm was exposed, the mixture of the sight and smell made the miner want to puke. He watched in astonishment as the hero's skin slowly reform at the ends of the burnt flesh, even the hero's clothing was slowly amending itself to his surprise.
"Herobrine?" The silver-plated man crouched down to the being and onto a knee, he rubbed a hand over his eyes and down his face; brushing over his short mustache and goatee. "If it's okay with you, then we'll take a long rest right at this spot. I can't say how painful it is to be moved like this but I can't get you anywhere without being tracked or being reported for suspicious activity, if I brought a wagon out or my horse here then they'd know I would be up to something. I doubt they'll find us all the way out here though, It may take a couple hours but we'll be there soon. Just you wait friend."
"Friend?" Steve whispered to himself, he was baffled.
Herobrine suddenly muttered a bunch of gibberish loudly and moved his head back and forth as if he was trying to warn him about something.
"What's wrong? Are you uncomfortable?" Lionel asked as he leaned in closer and tried to move Herobrine some, his face was of concern and even looked a little sad.
"Hold it right there Lionel J. Stonewall." A sinister but bold like voice came from behind the man and he turned around to have a blade pointed at his chest. "And just what do you think you are doing traitor?"
"Lionel?" Steve whispered again, even more stunned from that name than the scene playing before his very eyes. He hid himself behind the rock then crept to the other side quietly to see five other plated guards in iron armor except for one in gold, the one in the gold armor looked to be more intimidating with his tall height and muscular build; he held his blade at Lionel.
A low gasp came from one of the guards and it came from a girl. "He's… but how? Herobrine should be dead and gone." She whispered.
"Back off Brutus, Herobrine is innocent." The green scarf guard sneered at the superior guard and tossed his helmet away with his hand at his side; ready to draw his own sword.
"He killed the Sovereign's son, there is no innocence amongst murderers." The gold guard exclaimed with a heavy tone and narrowed eyes.
"It was an accident! He didn't mean to and he even told me himself, he didn't mean for-"
The man Steve had come to know as Brutus had raised the blade dangerously close to Lionel's throat. "Silence!" He interrupted. "The mourning Sovereign and his people, like myself; must see to it that the beast pays for his crime. All murderers are punished by death! There is no escaping that which is justice, a life for a life."
"Herobrine should be dead!" One in the group spoke loudly.
"Why did you betray us Lionel?" Another guard spoke. "You know that we must abide by our leader's wishes, it's what we were sworn to do."
"Enough." Brutus spoke. "He's not one of us anymore remember? And to think your traitor enough as it is for defending that wretched fiend?" He glared at the immobile form on the ground before returning his nasty gaze to the traitor. "The Sovereign will have your head once he learns of this. He will not be happy to know that the monster has survived his ordeal."
"You don't understand!" Lionel quickly stood upright with a pleading look. "He is a Hero, he saved your life, and yours!" He quickly pointed to one of the guards and then rested a hand over his chest plate. "He's saved mine and so many others from peril- so many times! Can't you see that he is being treated harshly for this?"
"No. And I do not care. You now stand at your very own grave Lionel, the punishment for trying to bring back that demon is punishable by death."
Steve's world began to spin and everything was beginning to fade in and out after hearing that dark word, he felt himself slide from the rock and hit the ground with a thud. He watched as Lionel and the others continue to quarrel but they were becoming blurry and their voices melted in his ears.
…
Steve felt a patting at his cheeks and he opened his eyes to see Nigel lightly swatting away at him. "Oh, good!" The old man smiled and helped the miner lean up. "I was hoping that I wouldn't take too much time to write down what was one the tombstone, but I got so carried away and started to jot down some of my ideas and theories, I must of bored you so much that you feel asleep on me. Sorry about that chap."
Steve blinked and quickly searched his surroundings as he sat up. The rock that he was hiding behind was small now, small and eroded down to a fraction of it's size. The hillside was covered in snow and It was cold again. The miner pulled the cloak over him tighter from the sudden chill and he stood up. Did he just get another dream from Herobrine?
"I wonder about this Lionel? If he was the traitor?"
Steve didn't want to share the vision he just received, he wasn't even entirely sure that it was just a normal dream or a strange visual that was given to him by a certain being, but now was not the time to worry about it. "… We should get moving now."
"Oh right, of course!" The older man nodded and stumbled upright.
Steve stood back up and pulled the old man's arm over his shoulder, the two then started up the hilly valley that surrounded the fortress.
"If we move quick we may make it by five o'clock."
"What time is it now?"
Nigel reached into his long coat pocket and pulled out the little pocket watch. "It's… twelve-thirty-nine."
"Well, let's get going then, it'll be slow with your injury and we still have a long ways to go." Steve said blankly.
His mind was filled with utter confusion and so many thoughts that he had only just begun to piece together. The one that didn't seem to fit though was Lionel's appearance. Having nearly the same face as Steve and somewhat similar one to Herobrine's was one thought he couldn't get passed his logic. And Lionel's last name? The looks and name made it out to be but Steve didn't want to believe it. Maybe he was a descendant of this so called traitor, but then that would make him the descendant of the one who would call Herobrine… a friend.