Hero's Bane
Chapter 29: To Escape
Edited 4/17/2022
Steve's eyes fluttered open with the soft sound of chirping near the edge of the window, the darkness faded with actual light now shining down on his face from the morning sun. 'Light.' He thought happily with a weak smile, it almost seemed like a privilege and not a luxury and he was thanking Notch that he survived the night, the dark fortress, and Herobrine.
The miner slowly lifted up from under the cover and immediately winced and gasped in pain as he lifted his wielding arm, it was very sore and ached more with each movement. He moved his other hand to message the pain away from his aching shoulder and that was when he realized that the enchanted blade wasn't no longer in his grasp. He gaped after seeing the weapon still at his side but not in his hand, he then moved his aching fingers over his torso. His chest wasn't seizing up and he could breathe normally, though he still felt so drained of energy as if he just finished running a marathon. His hand, neck and arm felt as though they were crushed by stone blocks and pricked with needles, but other than that he seemed fine. But the sword though? He almost immediately lost interest in the weapon after hearing more chirps.
Steve looked out the window above his bed and saw the early morning sun gracing him with it's radiant warming waves, piercing the dense fog that hung low around the fortress. Even if there was a cold chill to the air, he could still feel the slight warmth on his cheeks and it was really nice. Steve never thought how much he appreciated the sun until . A few birds flew around the window then out into the distance, disappearing out into the horizon and light blue sky. There wasn't any live mobs below him in the courtyard anymore, just a small pile of bones and a rotting sizzling corpse of a zombie.
The man suddenly heard a rumbling noise and moved a hand down to his stomach, he was hungry, very hungry. Steve moved his tired legs over the bedside after seeing his bags on the floor. Herobrine brought them to him? He wondered in silence, as mad as he was with the monster of the man holding him captive; he was thankful to at least have access to the rest of his possessions and even food.
He reached down and plucked his own chest pack and rummaged through it for anything to eat. He found a couple slices of cooked pork chops folded in paper but they reeked with a sour odor to his distress, he felt his stomach flip after peeling back the paper wrapping and staring at the now molding pieces of meat. He reached his left arm back and slid the rotting chops between the iron bars and pressed them off of the window ceil, he was desperate to eat food but he wasn't about to poison himself on spoiled meat no matter how much he needed the proteins and minerals for strength. He looked back down in his bag and noticed that he had no more food rations left, just crumbs of bread left from his last meal.
He tossed the bag down with a sigh of disappointment and then reached for the smaller one Warren gave him, he unzipped it and smiled widely after seeing two loaves of bread within it. He grabbed onto one loaf and placed the bag down and then he greedily chewed and swallowed down the stale roll, not caring if it was tough and chewy nor if it even had a weird outdated taste to it. He gnawed it down and then searched through the small sack that Nigel had given him once he finished. He heard clinking noises as he pulled the small bag onto his lap and he pulled out a few bottles. A few were recognizable, the sickly green and deep red ones were familiar and labeled properly.
One vial had a grayish fluid that wasn't labeled though. The miner had no clue as to what it was but placed it back into the sack along with all but one small concoction of the green stuff labeled Potion of Regeneration. He didn't like the taste but he was thirsty and tired, at least it should help him recover some strength and energy. He popped the cork out and reluctantly held the bottle up as he swallowed the foul tasting liquid. He instantly stopped after taking one big gulp and moved the bottle away with his tongue sticking out at the nasty drink. Maybe he wasn't as thirsty as he thought. "Gross." He muttered.
The half-filled bottle reminded him of Nigel, it was a gift from him after all. Guilt began to bubble up in the miner's mind again and he could still envision that scene of Hero dragging the still body across the floor, leaving a long trail of blood in it's path. He tightly shut his eyes and took a deep breath, fighting the hurt now in his chest. He was responsible for taking care of the old man and he couldn't, now he's gone. Then a dark thought entered his mind.
…
"The real fun hasn't even yet to begin. Why stop now? Besides, you know how I HATE humans and their intolerable behaviors. You should of seen the game we played with your friend, it was a blast! It's a shame we couldn't play longer. We were having so much fun that he just begged for more. Or… was it begging for mercy? Heh, matters not. Begging is begging and he was on his knees with his fingers laced, pleading for mercy. So I just took this sharp blade here and slowly slid it across his-"
…
"No!" The miner screamed aloud as he shook his head in disbelief, trying to push those sickening words away that the freakish grinning form of Herobrine said to him. He wanted so much to believe that the old adventurer was still alive but he couldn't now, no matter how much he hoped. He couldn't imagine why Herobrine never showed any mercy to the innocent elderly man, the guy had been coming here for years and now the inhuman being chose to kill him? It didn't make any sense. "Unless? It was me. It was my fault?" Steve said aloud. he didn't think his presence had anything to do with it but it made more sense then just watching the old man die for nothing. But then he suddenly realized something and his eyes went wide.
Hadn't it been for Lionel then he may of died in his dream last night.
The sentinel had visited him a few times now and even saved him, but he also gave Steve warnings in advanced and the human ignored them and maybe that is why-
…
"Risky? His judgment upon you will be absolute if you even get near there! You don't even realize how infuriating you are becoming to him with this quest! He'll take everything away and leave you to suffer at his mercy before the final stroke of his blade! You wouldn't even be able to fathom the pain and anguish you'll receive in your attempts!"
…
"He'll take everything." The miner copied. "So it was my fault?" Steve placed a hand on his temple and rubbed away a tear threatening to form in the corner of his eye. Why couldn't he of just quit sooner? The more he thought on the sentinel's words and warnings the more it dawned on him that he wasn't going to make it to the shrine or outside, not alone and definitely not with a god-kind with unimaginable powers controlling the place along with powerful mobs. He was on the chopping block now, at any given moment could that old hero come in and finish where he left off.
Steve felt a chill crawling down his spine as another waft of cold air blew through the iron bars if the window, he pulled the blanket up and over his shoulders. The outside looked so much more calming, beautiful and just out of reach; yet here he was trapped in a cold stone structure waiting to die. It would only be a matter of time now.
"Probably the last time I'll ever see the light of day." He whispered with a deflated tone, confidence shot.
He stared out the window and freedom just seemed so close, so worth the pointless effort, but at the same time he knew it wouldn't matter. If he did manage to make it to the outside world then everything would remain the same. He wouldn't of stopped Herobrine's wrath, he wouldn't of fulfilled a sort of promise to Nigel and true promises to his friends, and the people back at that small village and beyond would continue to suffer as would the ancient hero himself. Plus, he knew Herobrine would still kill him and the being would probably make the death even more slow and painful if he escaped, however; he knew death wouldn't come easy and painless to begin with.
"Why stop now? There's nothing left to lose? I'm as good as dead here as I am outside." The miner said quietly to himself as he lowered his head. "But it's not about me. It's for everyone else!" Steve blinked when he suddenly realized his mission and felt an inner strength willing up again. "Now that there's nothing to lose but my life then I can't sit here and wait for the end, I have to at least try." He clinched his fist and took a deep breath, trying to push aside the weakness inside of him that wanted him to just lie down and enjoy what time he had left. "Fight a good fight, till the very end." He exhaled lowly and moved his aching legs further over the end of the bed and brushed the cover off.
After digging through his bags for a spare torch and flint and steel, he left the chest pack and sack on the bed. There was no need for them to weigh him down anymore; there was nothing useful left in them but potions, like he'd get the time to actually drink them before slaughter. Sitting at the edge of the mattress Steve carefully lighted his torch with the flint then proceeded to move himself. He moved forward to stand, he wobbled as his feet struggled to hold up his own weight. Steve quickly found himself falling face forward and tumbling to the floor after feeling his legs give away, he was still too fatigued to even walk.
The miner raised his head from the floor and grasped onto the edge of the bed and pulled himself up to see the gleaming diamond blade just sitting there with the sun's beams reflecting off of it's smooth surface, it displayed and array of colors in the light and made small rays of radiance shined on the nearby walls. Steve marveled at the blade's colorful splendor but he then stared hard at it with hesitation as a hand moved forward to collect it. He had just overcame what effect it had on him, he wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to take the sword and then have the same condition overtaking his body. He only hoped that affect of the weapon wouldn't progressively get worse if he let go of it.
Lionel had mentioned that he didn't know what would happen, but there was a slight possibility of adapting to the effects. Or so the miner hoped. Steve knew that the blade gave him strength and he was going to need it if he were to escape from this prison and move onwards to save his remaining friends, their village, and possibly even Herobrine. It wouldn't be long before the old hero would come back, or if he'd leave the man in the room to slowly starve to death.
Steve clinched onto the handle as soon as he thought of Herobrine and what he did last night, chills instantly traveled down his back and it only made him shiver more with a foreign power moving through his veins once again. His grip tightened and the miner moved one arm up and he sneered as he moved his legs up, not yet feeling the power circulate enough. He then made one quick push upwards and he stumbled around a bit before finding his footing. He smiled after the tiny waves strength ran through his legs and he carefully approached the iron door with light footsteps. He tried to push it open but he knew it wasn't coming off so easily, so he pushed harder. Still nothing.
He backed away from the door and moved his left shoulder forward as he staggered at the iron blockage, he slammed into it and bounced backwards from his failed attempt. He rubbed his arm and glared at his obstacle, it didn't shift in the slightest and he may of just made another injury in his endeavor. A realization abruptly came to the man, he was a miner! He had tools that could break through the stupid ores and metals, for instance… a diamond sword, it wasn't the best choice but it was made of diamond. He moved the blade from his sore right arm to his left and then he heaved the weapon backwards before lashing it out at the smooth gray surface. The weapon cut through stone without even a chip or scratch on the sword so why not metal? He smacked it against the door over and over again, ignoring the loud clangs that came from it.
…
Herobrine's eyes snapped wide open after a loud bang echoed through the fortress, it would have been hard to hear for any human but the being heard it perfectly with his superior hearing. This loud aggravating noise had disrupted his deep train of thought, making the man furious for having his memory search ruined. He shot up out of his throne and narrowed his eyes. The grating sounds just kept repeating over and over again to his annoyance and Herobrine had a hunch of what was causing it. It sounded like a sword clanging against another but in a bizarre fashion that sounded more of a larger object being struck by a blade. There was no doubt that it was the mortal and he was trying to escape. Herobrine walked down from his elevated chair and flashed away.
…
The blade almost glowed brightly as Steve made each strike, the power just kept growing from his determination and it wasn't long after a few more whacks that the door cracked and broke off of the stone wall hinges and into chunks. Steve quickly took a deep breath and wiped a way the sweat now lining his brow. He peered just outside of the door and looked both ways from the hall before cautiously placing one foot through the doorway. He fully stepped out into the small hall and faced the direction that Herobrine dragged him through. Nigel had told the miner that the shrine was on the opposite end of the main hall and connected throne room, that would mean possibly coming across the hero and running to his death. "Let's hope he's not there." Steve said to himself, trying to stay positive to accomplish his goal.
With a deep breath he took off at a slow pace, lightly jogging down the dark narrow hall, passing up many closed doors. He almost wanted to stop and see what all of the rooms looked like but he knew he couldn't waste precious time, so he moved forward and cautiously descended down a large staircase; careful to not trip and injure himself further.
With a short paced jog he made it back into the corridor and it wasn't as clear as he wished it was. Screeching sounds from above made the miner look up while he ran and he panicked when hew spotted multiple dots of red following him along the ceiling, he quickened his pace despite the numbing of his legs. Steve's chest now burned and he gasped in his sprint, hoping that his heart wouldn't explode from just as something as simple as running. He was greatly exhausted and didn't have the energy to fight, he needed to get to some place safe and hopefully rest enough to catch his ragged breath. He moved his head back and noticed that the spiders had given up in their pursuit and he was able to breathe just a tad bit better, this moment of peace however didn't last with the violet-fuchsia glowing eyes just ahead.
"Vlurrrppphhh."
Steve moved his gaze to the floor and slowed his steps, being careful not to catch sight of the creature. He felt a light brush against it but the mob didn't seem agitated in any way, so he daringly moved his gaze back to the corridor ahead. Now several stumbling creatures blocked his path. "Zombies." Steve groaned in exasperation, he didn't want to fight anymore and there was enough moving bodies in the hall to be considered two hordes. He even thought he saw a skeleton in the mix, what fun. He figured that he might as well as save his strength and remaining energy and just try and outrun them with the enchantment on the sword that gave him speed.
As he closed in on the monsters he darted by, evading the bodies as they quickly stumbled right after with their mouths open wide and arms reaching out. He shoved through the cluster of green limbs, taking a few opportunities to swipe at the mobs with his sword and torch to force them out of his way. A few tried to cling onto him but he shoved them away and dodged what he could.
An arrow suddenly sped past him and then another and another each in rapid session, too many arrows for just one to fire continuously without the downtime of replacing arrows. Steve tilted his head back to see not one skeleton chasing after him, but four along with the horde of green flesh eaters. His eyes had adjusted for the most part but he should of spotted all those walking bone-bags, all of them with their bone-dry white color. He meandered back in forth in his run to evade more arrows and eventually they stopped flying at him to his relief. The monsters had quit once the miner got too far away.
…
Herobrine watched quietly on the outskirts of the large horde as the mortal fought the crowd of zombies and make it across the other side and without getting shot by an arrow. The sword was still fueling the energy and it was interesting to see the man still move on his heels though he looked and sounded as if he was physically struggling to maintain control over the flowing energy. The blade was definitely taking it's toll on him now, he should have left it behind. If the human was smart he would of rested in the safety of his prison and allowed the his body to equalize with the power, but the mortal must have been so desperate to escape. Herobrine irately watched as the man made a break for his freedom, he was not going to allow the miner to leave the fortress.
The Hero held out his hand and tiny pieces of dust from the air slowly came together to form his other diamond sword in his palm, he was going to stop Steve in his tracks whether he had to weaken him and drag him back or frighten him enough. He prepared himself to make an appearance to the miner but the human did something the being didn't expect. As soon as the man made it to the end of the hall Steve made a right turn towards the main hall and not towards the crack that lead to the outside world. The miner wasn't trying to leave the fortress like pathetic and terrified mortal he was, but rather continue his quest to the shrine and this confused the white-eyed man. The human wasn't as cowardly as he thought, but considerably adamant about his mission.
The being stepped backwards from the roaming zombies and disappeared in the darker shadows.
…
Steve weakly smiled after making a quick turn and seeing a clear corridor ahead, the library was just yards away. Maybe there he could finally take a breather. He slowed to a stop as he reached the entrance of the archives and felt himself drop to the floor to catch his breath by the doorway. He moved his gaze to the inside of the entryway and noticed how dark it was now inside, he remembered Nigel lighting it up the entire place but now it was completely black inside; all except one torch just inside the doorway. It wasn't long before he could hear shuffling sounds of feet no too far away in the obscured interior.
"Muaaaaahhhhhhhaaaaa."
A low moan nearby made Steve shoot back onto his own feet and he backed away from the large doorframe as more groaning sounds came from the direction of the library. The place had to be infested with mobs now and his sword and torch were just bright shining beacons that attracted the mobs everywhere he went. Maybe Luna was right? 'Light just attracts them.' He quickly thought to himself, but he couldn't put the blade away, not when the powerful weapon was keeping him currently alive and stable. He chose to continue onward now that he at least had a few seconds to rest.
…
White eyes from the darkness glowed and then faded into the black with the remaining torch dying out almost instantly.
…
More glowing red eyes hovered above and on a few of the pillars. "Why must... there be so many m-monsters?" Steve asked himself between breaths as he proceed down the last corridor, the one that would lead him to the throne room where he just knew that a certain entity would be. Steve shook his head back and forth, shaking off the frightful thought of encountering him. He was close now to the shrine, he just hoped that Herobrine wasn't in the expansive room.
His feet echoed as he ran and somehow it sounded as though that echo grew louder. Steve slowed his pace and that was when he heard a separate set of feet following shortly behind. Herobrine's game. He slowed to a stop and prayed that the heavy footsteps behind would stop too and they did to his relief. He remained still, hoping that he was only imagining the sounds and hearing them out of fear. He waited for the cold draft that would flow towards him in the air, like the time it did with his first encounter with the demon, but it never came to his surprise.
Then his torch died out. Great.
Steve could suddenly feel eyes on him now, his heart pounded faster then it did in his run and a wave of fear crashed over his shoulders in an instant. He closed his own orbs and held the sword close, his fingers tightened as another quiet step was made from behind.
…
Hero waited quietly, almost tempted to run up and knock the mortal on the side of the head and drag him back, but he needed to see if the human was going to continue or not. The man was unpredictable which made him a little amusing to observe.
…
"Herobrine?" Steve swallowed, counting each second before the being would suddenly lunge at him and cut him down or slash at his back. He could almost feel death pricking at his backside, his effort to make it to the shrine was pretty much over already. He really didn't know what else to say to the immortal, but anything to fill the deadly silence was better than waiting for the end to come. "Please, if Nigel is still alive… please, let him- him go." He choked on the plea, knowing that the question was pointless and that this sad request may be his last.
…
He was 'completely' unpredictable. Was that what the mortal was trying to do? Was he in search of his friend or was he moving for the sake of the mission? Both?
…
"Please?" Steve whispered, making a bold and foolish turn to see if Herobrine was really there. He didn't have anything left to lose but his life, his promises, and his hope.
…
As he spun on his heels the Hero vanished into thin air.
…
The miner pried open his eyes and felt his chest distend with breath as emptiness stared at him, he dropped the dead torch and backed up a step. There was no one there and perhaps he was just imagining it, but that feeling of being watched and the sounds had him shaken. His senses and mind mustn't be in sync, either that or the hero was playing with him. But with this reassurance of being alone at the moment, it was time to get moving forward again.
He shot down the hall running as fast as he could to avoid detection of wary mobs, then slowed as the corridor came to an end. The throne room. There wasn't any lit torches from his last visit, just darkness that the sword's glow lightly pierced. Steve bravely moved into the dark now walking cautiously through the open structure that obscured mobs and probably 'Him'. He was wielding the sword in his left hand now and it didn't feel right, not when he was used to swinging objects with his right for years. Fighting mobs or Hero was the last thing he wanted to do.
A few of the stone columns were within visible range and reflected a bit of the enchanted light back, making the glow slightly wider as he passed by them. The miner looked back and forth, keeping his eyes at a squint to get a better look through the darkness; though it did little to help. He finally made it to the center of the room and he stopped, he stopped not because of fear but because of the dark line of dried blood on the floor. Steve felt paralyzed as he gazed at the barely visible streak, it was Nigel's and in using the sword as a torch he moved the glowing weapon ahead of himself and saw that the line of blood went deeper into the darkness towards the main gate if he remembered correctly.
He felt his knees grow weak as he thought more about the old man.
...
"Keep you head held high my friend, as long as you put a hundred and ten percent into trying then you will find a way. I just know it."
...
Steve looked away from the dark crimson smear and took a second to recollect himself. He couldn't stop now. Nigel was right, he had to give it his all despite the physical and mental complications in his way. He made one step forward until a light in the corner of his eye snagged his attention.
There in the darkness was two bright white piercing eyes gazing at him, right where the throne should be. A heavy pressure hung in the air and it was utterly quiet with absolutely no sound from mobs or anything. Just a pair of eyes staring back into his.
He knew that Herobrine was going to be there, though he hoped against it. He should have been better prepared for this, in honesty though; there was no good way to prepare with what limited supplies he had. The miner kept his eyes on the white dots as he continued across the large interior, picking up his pace as he made it closer to the end. He expected for Herobrine to pop up in front of him unexpectedly but those unblinking eyes just remained in the seat several yards away, surveying the man as he moved out of sight and into the next corridor.
Steve couldn't believe it as he started to run through the unexplored hallway, he didn't expect to even get this far. Was Herobrine planning something? And just when he thought he was going to get through without the hero in tow; the echo of running feet came from behind again and the sound was getting closer. Herobrine was coming after him after all, Steve just had no luck whatsoever.
He moved his feet faster and stuck close to the stone pillars, weaving through them in hopes of throwing off Herobrine. It didn't help to his distress, the steps were closing in fast. Plus the sword's glow wasn't enough to see too far ahead, so the man was practically running blindly and he was running out of breath quick.
"Notch help me!" He ran around one stone column then made a quick runaround another but a solid greenish stick figure suddenly entered the right side of his peripheral, the miner skidded to a stop before making a dive away from the now hissing and expanding creature.
The Creeper hissed loudly before bursting into powerful shockwaves of burning gunpowder. The explosion was big and it blew apart a stone structural support beam, making large stone chunks fly outwards smacking into walls and landing on the ground with heavy thuds. The rest of the pillar slowly started to creak as small pieces split from the bottom, in just mere seconds the entire remaining column broke off of the ceiling and fell into the stirred dust and crumpled mess below.
Herobrine stood still and watched as gunpowder and dust hovered in the air, he took one step until another chunk broke off an arch and landed near his foot. He didn't expect this to happen, mobs were always such pathetic nuisances that got in the way and ruined everything. Creepers were the worst though, not only did the damn things damage his fortress but one probably just killed his prey. Herobrine closed his eyes and focused on the dust cloud, maybe the human survived it.
He opened his eyes to a very low pounding sound in his ears, it was very low but a heart beating no less. Herobrine moved through the grey haze and stepped over several stone blocks to see the miner nearly unconscious a few yards away. Apparently the mortal lucked out and got far enough from the explosion to avoid being blown apart. He must have been struck by a couple blocks and not by the entire pillar thankfully. He walked over to the now unmoving form laying on his side, the man was indeed alive with a blue eye looking back at him.