Hero's Bane

Chapter 66: Don't Resist

Edited 5/14/2022

The miner jerked his upper body from side to side as he was being pressed forward by the two guards, but they held the upper part of his arms firmly and jerked him back into place. "I don't understand? Why am I being arrested?!" He snorted as he tried again to pull himself free, using up a fair amount of energy to try and break loose. He was unsuccessful.

Steve could feel the guys push him to walk faster throughout the village, he nearly tripped in his forced stumble; unable to keep his balance with his aching legs. He could feel eyes all on him, people from the sidelines all stopped their menial tasks and chores to see what was going on. A lot of those faces he saw weren't pleasant ones, but rather spiteful and fearful. 'I'm not Herobrine so why are they looking at me like that? Is it the rumors?' The miner thought as he dragged his heels down the gravel path.

"Put your mind at ease miner, I am having you taken in for questioning. None of those people on the streets are going to hurt you and my men won't. As long as you cooperate with me that is?"

Steve lightly tilted his head back to see the village chief walking casually behind him with a grin plastered on his face. "Questioning?"

The elder adjusted his glasses. "As I've said before, I have been receiving a lot of notices and rumors from these people that you see around here. It turns out that a certain traveler decided to stop by and share his 'adventure' with just about anybody he met, now we have reports constantly flying into my office. For such a small population of people; I have nearly an entire stack or written reports as high as my desk. This village only houses forty-four adults and twelve children; yet I have so many complaints and concerns, but I don't have answers so they keep nagging to me until I give them something.

Many in this town are demanding answers for what the traveler or explorer had said about you and Him, your friend I assume. These people do not believe in the old man's words, they instead believe that you coming back here would bring much despair and death. If you have truly befriended that fiend then they say you are a traitor to your own kind, to humanity. I am inclined to agree." The village leader walked a little quicker until he was just behind the miner and he whispered into Steve's ear. "You know what? It turns out they are right. Who would have thought? After hearing your little chitchat with the bartender it proves that they are right, picking out only a few to survive while the rest remains here to be slaughtered? They really don't know how right they are. You are truly a selfish and detestable vermin."

Steve's eyes close tightly and he shook his head back and forth, the man was right. He should have done more or tried harder to sway Herobrine from fulfilling his duty to amass souls.

"Pity." The elder spoke more loudly again. "Some didn't think you were coming back, but after seeing you now? They know something bad is about to happen and they will surely be coming to me real soon with questions and concerns, as the leader I must take the appropriate actions and give the people what they need." He finished, Morrison then slowed his pace.

"You were eavesdropping?" Steve growled, turning his head to the side to cast a low glare at the villager leader.

Chief Morrison's eyes scanned the area around him, making sure that there was no one close by to hear them. "Indeed. I was in the right too. If I didn't hear your little story with Warren then everyone here would be hopelessly up against the monster with no power to fight, only to cower in place as that demon swings his sword and stains it red. Eavesdropping got me enough information and it helped in backing up what the other man had told me, unfortunately I still need you though. Saying that you are taken in for questioning serves in keeping the peace amongst the people around here, they don't yet fully know what terrible fate we are going to face in the next several hours. I still have a few questions myself, of course in regards to helping me. I have no interest in 'His' past, I do not care if it is true or not. All I care for is the sanctity of my people and I am going to do whatever it takes to preserve 'us', Notch's first unified; we MUST survive at all costs."

"Then what are you going to have me do?" Steve struggled again as turned his head and was shoved jerked forward to keep his eyes on the road.

"Good question Steve. That is your name I presume?" He asked with a mannerly tone, he awaited for a reply but all he got was a glare from the corner of the miner's left eye. "You are going to help me fix this little problem and even help me dish out the everyday terror in the process; once and for all."

"What are you talking about?"

The man gestured a hand. "I don't believe that you are worthless in that demon's eyes, not like Warren did. Going to that forbidden territory and coming out alive is an impressive feat, surely you would've never returned if you didn't entertain that white-eyed monstrosity to some capacity. I think you have to have some value if that wicked man is allowing you to walk about freely, and even letting you take a few friends? People that he cannot bare to relinquish his wrath from? Yet he's willing to do it for your sake? Ha, that's proof enough that you can do something about this upcoming attack." He finished with a big grin across his face.

Steve shook his head back and forth. "I can't. I was warned by Herobrine to- Ahh!" Steve yelped as he was jerked to the side and lead up a few steps towards a huge two-story wooden and cobble structure. One of the two men let go of him and the other pushed the double doors wide open.

"In you go, don't try anything stupid." The man still holding his arm warned. He forced the miner up the last two steps and into the building.

Steve looked back as one of the doors was slammed shut and saw the village leader moving down the gravel path alone.

Morrison waved to his men as he continued down the road, going deeper into the village. "Just go ahead and put him in the cell for now, I need to run a few errands before I have a talk with him first. Keep guard over the does and don't let anyone in alright? And, if you see Him anywhere then alert me at once."

"Wait!?" Steve ran towards the open door but he was pushed back as the other man pulled the door close.

"Back up miner, you aren't leaving anytime soon." The man said with annoyance as he reached for one of the miner's bound arms.

"No!" Steve shouted and backed away, able to finally yank his other arm from the second guard. "Your chief is making a huge mistake." Steve said while backing away from the approaching men, there wasn't anything but a few chairs and a small table in the room so he had nothing to get behind or used to give him space from his captors. He coughed as he continued to step back; dust filled the air, this indicated that the building was almost never in use but the dust had been stirred before and now particles flew about from movement. "Herobrine will not be himself when he comes here, he's- he's not going to spare anybody. He's-" Steve stopped as he bumped into a wall of oak wood.

"Stop right there miner." One of the guards quickly shot forward and grabbed his arm before roughly jostling him about, he wore a dark blue leather armor plates and had light brown, almost blonde hair. "Don't you dare move." Dark blue eyes glared darkly at his. The man then gave a nasty grin before lightly shoving him. "You're not going anywhere traitor."

Steve in reaction to the man's cold grin prompted him to get angry and antsy. He kicked the guy as hard as he could in the shin and brought his leg up and across the pained man's side, the guard stumbled from the kick as did Steve from using up a good amount of strength to deliver the hit.

The guard growled loudly before regaining balance and grabbing the miner's bound arm, he forced Steve to spin around on his heels before shoving the miner face first into a wall and happily listening to the pained grunt. "We are not going to have any trouble here, are we traitor?" He asked with maliciousness in his voice. "If you don't fix our problem then none of us are coming out of this mess alive. Hear me?!" He shouted and pulled Steve back from the wall before forcing him into it again. "You definitely won't be going anywhere, you will comply."

"You don't understand." The bound miner hissed with a sneer and tried to pull himself away, he failed to free himself and gasped as he was suddenly slammed into the wood repeatedly. Steve's forehead was slammed into the solid surface again and he grimaced as his teeth painfully gnashed in the trashing, his head also stirred with dizziness and ache. "He's… going to kill us all! Even me!"

"Look. I understand it like this." He pushed Steve against the solid surface again and grabbed a small handful the miner's short hair and pulled his head back to meet his eyes in an uncomfortable manner. "If you can't help us then you'll face execution by yours truly." He spat. "You're looking at the lead archer of the village chief's personal defense, don't think that I won't plant an arrow in your neck; because I will as soon as Morrison gives the command. Step out of line or try to escape and you will get a few arrows in your limbs, I'll be sure to let you live though. Not unless Morrison commands otherwise." He heatedly sneered. "I'll personally put you out of your misery."

"Okay, enough Jimmy. Let's get him to the cell downstairs." The other guard stated. The man had jet black hair, green eyes, and silver and black leather plated armor.

Steve blinked in shock but held his scowl, he didn't even know this guy 'Jimmy', but this man appeared to hate him to the point of wanting to murder him; or so it seemed. "That's murder!" He stained to pull his head back, the roots of his hair kept him firmly in place of the guard grasp.

"It's not murder if you are trespassing… which if you come to this town and don't leave when you are told then we can count that against you. And you aren't leaving anytime soon so guess what? You're trespassing. Forced or not, it doesn't matter here." He says as he roughly slammed Steve's head into the wooden wall again. "Besides, we hardly ever have visitors to this dead-end town. You could be buried here and never be heard from again, no one would know you were even here. But then again, none of us will if that demon gets us all." The guard started to pull Steve's head back more and this made the captive winced and cried out as his neck was bent back painfully.

"Jimmy that's enough!" Carson grabbed Jimmy by the shoulder and pulled him off, the guard glared at him halfheartedly. "If he is 'His' friend then you could be putting a target on yourself by hurting him like that idiot." Jimmy was quick to let go of the prisoner's arm. "The miner can't do much now to resist us anyways." He grabbed Steve by the bindings behind his back and pulled him away from the wall towards a set of stairs on the opposite end of the room. "Jimmy, you go to the door and guard it, remember to not let anyone in." Jimmy snorted and walked out the door before slamming it shut.

"Hot head." Carson sighed. He looked at the miner and lead him to the stairway. "You'll have to mind him, he acts tough but he's actually pretty scared of the demon. He also gets irrational at times, especially after listening in with Morrison on the demon coming to kill all of us tonight; he couldn't keep his mouth shut so the chief had to step in before he barged through the door. I thought the bastard was going to give us away for a while there, he really hates Him and you too I suppose? Thankfully he doesn't have his bow on him, he's got decent aim."

"Then did you have to beat on me too?!" The miner growled and stopped as they reached the stairwell.

"Calm down. I was commanded before even entering the bar to make sure that you wouldn't resist, in other words; we were told to bring you to your knees. I was given orders to make sure you get into your cell with or without a fuss; so don't make me get violent, you look like you've had enough roughhousing for a while anyway." The man said with a apathetic tone.

"You don't seem so concerned like everybody else." Steve turned his head back to see the middle-aged man with an uninterested facial expression. The guy was a little taller than him with a fairly decent muscular tone, he also had short jet black hair and a short goatee to match. His eyes were colored a deep green and they looked like they were void of emotion. "You don't look concerned at all."

"I don't really give a damn of what happens to me to be honest, I've been through so much and I don't have any living relatives left to care about so when it's my time; it's my time ya know? It's not like any of us can fight that monster and getaway anyway. It'll be suicidal. Actually, putting us out of our misery wouldn't seem like a bad idea really."

The miner looked away to the stairs in front of him, this guy had apparently lost everything dear to him. "You have any friends? That's people to care about."

"I don't have any, there's no point in making any. I'll just lose them too, eventually." He shrugged. "The last friend I made was killed by a couple zombies a few years back, she was sweet and kind but shy. She became my girlfriend for a while, it was nice to see her every day but one night she went outside by herself. It turns out that some rotting corpses were beating on the door to her house, she tried to escape out back but it was an unfortunate mistake. She didn't deserve to die but that's the risk of living in this Nether hole."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Steve said quietly while looking at the floor with a deep frown.

"Eh, stuff happens. That monster causes death and despair, if you survive or don't go and kill yourself from madness then you are lucky. No, it's not lucky actually. It's- …Oh well. It's nothing." He swayed his head back and forth dismally. "Alright, enough talk miner. Down the stairs, nice and easy." He lightly commanded.

Steve huffed after seeing the cobble walls and flooring down the incline of stairs, he could feel a cool draft flow from below rise up into the dusty room. With hesitance; he placed one foot down and slowly descended the rickety creaking oak steps. Shivers ran up his forearms and he couldn't rub the cold feeling, he could only shake while he walked down further into the dark and cold place. Once he reached the bottom he noticed that it was just one large room, half of the interior was encased by a large wall of iron bars and an iron barred door. A wooden chair was the only furniture in the room next to the cell, it had a leather pelt hanging over the armrest in the corner of the room. The only light source was from two barred windows atop of the interior of the cells, producing weak light from the overcast sky. He could see grass poking through the iron rods of the windows, he was definitely underground. 'So that is why it's a little chilly down here?' He thought to himself as he was lightly prodded in the back to move forward. "It's kind of cold down here."

"Sorry bout that, we haven't had a prisoner in so many years so this place hasn't been used or maintained. I have been using a leather cover to keep warm since I been down here all week long. There isn't much light in here and it's as dusty as the nether, the air is stale with the stuff so you'll probably cough a lot. And watch your steps, there's a few holes in the floor too but their shallow so no need to worry about monsters coming up out of them. Maybe the occasional silverfish but that's usually it."

The miner looked down at his feet and carefully walked around the small gaps in the cobble flooring.

"Those damn pests are eating the floor up. Almost tripped yesterday, could have broke an arm or leg." The guard said dryly.

Steve lifted his head and blinked as something lying on a pile of leather pelts in the cell shifted around and leaned up. His mouth hung agape as an elderly man with glasses and soft brown eyes looked at him in surprise.

"Steven? Is that you?" Nigel removed his glasses and rubbed the lens gently with his coat sleeve and placed them back on his face. "Ah! It really is you!" He shouted with joy and leaned himself up against the wall under one of the windows to reveal his expression of relief and elation. "Oh I just knew you were still alive. Thank you Notch." He smiled and bowed his head in a quick silent prayer.

"Nigel?" Steve moved closer to the bars and looked past the rusty rods to see the elderly man readjusting his potion carefully. The adventurer appeared happy with his smile but Steve could tell that the man was roughed up and exhausted. He looked a little thin and pale, his beard and mustache had grown out a little longer, and his clothes were on the messy side and worn or torn in places. "What happened to you?" Steve asked, worried.

"Hmm?" The old explorer tilted his head to the side and raised a brow. "I am sorry friend, I don't have a clue as to what you are saying. I am perfectly fine, getting to the village wasn't easy though; especially with my wound. Nothing has happened that you need to be concerned about, but I am having a bit of trepidation myself to see you down 'here'. It cannot be good news."

Carson walked over to the barred door and pulled out a single iron key before sticking it into the lock and twisting. He pulled the door open and it creaked loudly with it's rusty hinges. "In ya go." He said blankly.

"How is your wound?" Steve asked with concern, it wasn't as fresh with the passage of time but with the old man's declining health; it only made him wonder.

"It's healing rather nicely actually, it's been a challenge to keep it clean but Carson here at least has the heart to give me potions and fresh bandages. He even feeds me." He looked at the black-haired man and nodded. "Thanks again lad."

"How many times do I have to say your welcome? Okay, into the cell miner." He motioned to the door and the miner passed through it.

Steve quickly turned around as the metal door creaked behind him. "Wait! What about my binds?"

"Almost forgot." Carson sighed and pulled it open, he then pulled his iron sword out of the scabbard tied to his back. "Turn back around and be perfectly still."

Steve nodded and turned to face Nigel as the guard cut the rope off of his hands, he felt the pressure lighten up and moved his hands in front of them. He rubbed his aching wrists and looked back as the door was shut and locked behind him.

"Come take a seat friend, we have plenty of pelts in here to keep us warm." He scooted to the side as Steve ambled over to the wall and sat down next to the old man. "You must tell me how you did it."

"How I did what?" He asked absent-mindedly as he pulled a leather cover over his shoulders.

"How you beat him? Herobrine."

"Oh." The miner glanced away.

"Hold on a second. First things first; I owe you an apology boy, I hope that you can forgive me?" He said sadly.

"Apology?" The younger man furrowed a brow and looked back at the elder. "For what exactly?"

"It's my fault that you are down here now." Nigel said more quietly with his excitement dying down as well as his smile, he couldn't even look at the miner as he spoke.

"Oh, … that?" Steve rubbed the back of his head.

"I guess I got carried away. I- I just knew that you would come out of it some way or another, I knew you'd return here. I was so excited when I left that shack that I wanted to celebrate, a little sooner than I should have. I talked with a friend of mine upon my return, he was happy to see me at first but that feeling did not last."

"Warren right?"

"Uh… How did you know?"

"I was his friend too when I first came here. He even paid for my stay at the Inn. I saved his life when I first came here and he repaid me by showing me the way into the valley. I asked him-" Steve paused when he heard a few muffled voices came from above.

"Really?" Carson rolled his eyes and stood up out of his chair. He laid the leather pelt on his seat and headed for the stairwell. "I'll be back in a second. Jimmy is probably telling someone off again." He soon disappeared up the steps.

"I wonder what that was about?" Nigel inquired as he looked back at Steve who only shrugged.

"You don't have to apologize. I can understand how excited you get, even for someone so high up in age. It doesn't help that you are an explorer."

"Nope my friend, it doesn't help at all. When I saw you holding that blade without receiving the effects; I just knew that you had overcame it's power through your resolve, from that point on I had no doubt that I would see you again." The elderly man smiled again. "Do you still have the sword?"

"Um no. Herobrine- well… You are not going to believe this… well maybe 'you' can, but I beat Herobrine in a sword duel."

Nigel's face was alighted in awe and splendor. His brows were furrowed and his mouth hung open slightly.

"True story." The miner smiled.

"No way."

Steve looked back at the stairs to see Carson descending them.

"There is no way you beat HIM in a battle of blades okay."

"What was all that commotion up there?" The old man asked curiously.

"Eh, just some guy who wanted to see you the two of you. He pissed Jimmy off by sticking around and complaining and Jimmy always runs his gums when he gets ticked off, the guy left so you won't have to hear that hot head explode unless he gets another visitor."

Steve removed the dusty leather cover and stood up before he walked over to the bars and wrapped his hands around the iron. "Who came to see us?"

"Don't know? Don't care either. He was gone by the time I got up the steps but Jim kept on grumbling to himself like he usually does. I hate working with him, truly. Notch help me please? He's killing me." Carson said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes, he slowly moved back to his chair and took a seat. "So… how did you beat the legendary man?" He asked in curiosity despite his doubt, he leaned back and shifted to get more comfortable in his chair. "One of the rumors going around was you going out to fight and defeat Him.

"Yes do tell?" Came Nigel's voice from behind. The old man reached into one of his larger coat pockets and pulled out a small book of notes and an ink-filled quill to write with, he immediately opened the book to an empty page and began to write.

Steve lightly sighed, his eyes just staying focused on the bars before him. "It was an accident actually. Herobrine was just about to kill me too because I fought him as best as I could, be hut he came out the strongest in the end. Anyone should expect that. Notch knows I tried though, I was a goner but I fought like my father did. I gave everything I got, right even towards my supposed 'end'. It all started when I found him in the woods, I had one of his legendary blades that was infused with his own blood." The miner spun on his heels and faced Nigel with a confident smile on his face.

"His blood?" Asked Carson with mild amusement from the other end of the room.

The miner then turned to face the guard. "Yeah, Herobrine even told me himself that it was infused with his own cursed blood to make the blade indestructible, it also gave off waves of power that I felt and utilized somehow. His other was infused with enchantments and pure rage, it's got a nastier and more deadly effect."

The old man slowly peeled away from his writings and looked up at the miner. "Hold it right there boy, did you just say… that Herobrine 'told' you 'himself'?" Nigel leaned forward with surprise across his features. "As in speak?"

"Well I wouldn't say speak, because he can't. He does have a way of getting into one's mind though."

"What? Extrasensory perception?" The elderly man raised a brown and adjusted his glasses. "You mean like in a dream so to speak? Or actually from your mind?"

Steve shook his head back and forth. "No, that's one way but he somehow put his real voice in my head and it hurt for a while every time he spoke. It's nothing like I have ever heard before, it's almost like that of divinity, strong but calm and deep; echoing a if he spoke the same thing twice. And the process of forming the connection? It almost killed me, and it just happened to have took place in the Nether, where Herobrine dragged me for answers." Steve teased, making both of the men in the same room as him give him strange and weird looks. "It's true, I was imprisoned in a fortress in that nightmare of a world for a while and I can say that the experience was anything but a good one."

"Steven, you have to slow down my boy. This- this all so much to take in." Nigel said as he scrambled to write down what he had heard. "I must document this. Oh there is so much to ask still. What is his voice like?"

"Dark, deep, sort of smooth and calm, as long as he 'is' calm. It's also like split, as if two of him were talking at once but with the tones being a little different from each other. When he shouts it's like an earthquake, powerful. It really hurts my head when he shouts." Steve unconsciously rubbed the side of his cranium.

"I don't think I can believe you." Said the guard. "I mean as interesting as it is; I think I would have to experience everything myself."

Steve looked at Carson who only shook his head in disbelief. "You really don't want to go through everything that I've been through, even for proof. I've been nearly killed a dozen times it seems, I've had several weird and terrible nightmares that were almost real, some of those were interactive memories of Herobrine's. I've had to fight powerful and deadly mobs, even some from the Nether. I had received bruises and cuts from head to toe if you haven't yet noticed?" Steve held out his arms and gestured his battered body.

"Got some bad burns, I was nearly strangled to death a few times, I was literally dragged into the Nether by Herobrine, awful place by the way. I was on the verge of dehydration and starving while there, … then… then-." Steve paused and stared blankly at the palm of his hand. He remembered seeing the green Eye of Ender gazing at him with malevolence from Herobrine's decaying hand. Ender was forcing Herobrine into taking souls, he let that notion slip his mind with his focus on reaching out to Warren and the others. He couldn't persuade Herobrine to go against Ender. Herobrine was going to purposely forget everything that had happened after the miner's arrival and even his own memories; to become the sadistic killer that he believed he was created to be. He was going to forget everything but of that in which fueled his rage. Everything he did was for nothing, then the notion of failure hit him again. He let his hand fall to his side but his gaze remained in place.

"And then what?" Nigel lightly urged as he finished writing something down before looking back up at the miner. "Please continue, I could make this into a book. A novel to spread your heroic actions and the truth behind Herobrine's past. … Steven?" He carefully asked with the miner just standing there in silence. "Is everything alright?"

"I failed." He simply said. "Here we are Nigel, stuck in this prison while Herobrine drops his memories for good so that he could come out here and kill all of the people and harvest their souls. This place is just one of possibly many." He blankly said. "I couldn't stop him, I couldn't convince him. My book…" Steve's eyes widened as he looked around him for a brief moment before sighing. "Damn, I lost the book!"

"Harvest souls?!" Carson's eyes went wide for once.

"Souls? Whatever do you mean Steven?" Nigel asked with perturbation. "What would Herobrine want with human souls? And what book did you lose?"

Steve finally removed his tracing gaze from the ground and turned towards his friend. "That book was the book of Lionel, the one Herobrine made! He gave it to me because he was going to destroy it if I didn't take it. He said that it only got in his way and distracted him from collecting his due." Steve sighed and rolled his head slowly with one hand covering his face from his little mistake. "I must have forgot it when I tripped? I fell once from exhaustion and I must have dropped and completely let the book slip my mind as I was heading for this village? I am such an idiot." Steve smacked his palm on his forehead. "I know how much you wanted to read that book Nigel. I'm sorry."

The old man weakly smiled. "That's okay Steven, at least you got here right? There's no reason to worry about it, if it's gone then its gone."

"Yeah, but that was like a gift from Herobrine. That book held just about everything about my possible ancestor. I am such a failure… even at carrying a simple book!" Steve groaned and let his hands fall to his sides. I even failed to save Herobrine from himself and Ender."

"Ender?" Nigel asked.

"Oh right, the real monster." Steve whispered to himself. "Herobrine… he was freed of paralysis and the Nether, he's not a ghost. I was shown his memories, I was told of his past and his fall. He didn't get out of the Nether alone, there was a beast that he made a deal with and now… now he has to collect souls."

Nigel tilted his head. "Why?"

"Because they are used by this powerful beast and put into Endermen to give them more power, they hold human souls. Ender hates Notch too, and he thinks it's a way to get back at him."

"But… I- don't know what to even say about all of this? … Are you sure?" Nigel asked carefully.

The miner nodded softly. "Yeah. Herobrine was freed in return for a debt. Ender, that is the name of the beast. The beast is supposedly one of Notch's greatest creations but it claimed to have been abandoned and exiled to a different world. Becoming Herobrine's friend; I managed to keep him from killing innocents, but at the same time he wasn't keeping up with his end of the deal of claiming lives. The beast has great power, even enough to subdue Herobrine."

"Whoa whoa … whoa." Carson stood up from his chair and walked over to the iron bars. "Take a step back for a moment if you will. You are losing me and I am having a hard time trying to believe the words coming out of your mouth." He said crossing his arms. "I thought you said you defeated Herobrine? If that is true then how did he make this 'mind connection' and how did you become his 'friend'? So slow down please."

"Do you want proof that what I say is true?" Asked Steve with a dull tone of voice as he spun to face the man.

"Well yeah. If you don't have it then how would you expect me continue listening to this nonsense? Give me the evidence. And this soul story is starting to sound even stranger and much more harder to believe."

Steve sighed and held his hand out to show the cuts that lined his palm. "Just as I have shown Warren; there is Netherrack dust in these cuts."

"Really?"

"See for yourself." He moved his arm up to the bars and the guard looked intently at the hand. "If you get close enough then you can smell a faint hint of smoke."

"Hmmm… it does kind of stink and it does sort of look like that block Morrison confiscated from the old guy."

"That's because it's the same stuff." The miner defended.

Carson leaned back a bit to fix his posture. "Okay, that's kind of impressive but I'm not buying your story just yet. I need more proof."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Alright then, since that's not enough proof then what about this?" The miner pulled his shirt up and over his head, revealing a long scar right in the dead center of his chest. He heard Nigel gasp from behind and Steve smiled. "There's a scar on my back, right Nigel?"

The old man wobbled as he stood up and moved closer to see the marking. "What's this?" He lightly poked it and Steve spun around to show him the identical scar that was on his chest. He could hear Carson mutter something softly from behind, probably baffled from the sealed wound.

"I defeated Herobrine by accident, he was about to put me down once and for all but I slung my blade up to deflect his in a last pitch effort to survive. I had wounded him with his own blade after swinging the sword with as much force as I could, he apparently faltered at the same time I struck back. He normally heals from cuts, burns, and wounds immediately after receiving them, but he didn't that time. We later came to a conclusion that it was his blood infused sword that prevented that. But what happened was he was greatly wounded and bleeding out a lot. He ran away clutching his wound and I chased after, because I created the injury by accident. I finally caught up with him and he fell unconscious. From there I dragged him back to an old shack… you know what I am talking about Nigel. You have been there." He pointed to the old man and he nodded.

"That I have."

"Well I helped him but in his waking conscious state I cleaned his wound and he must have gotten the idea that I was torturing him because he was tortured a long time ago." Steve paused as a draft blew across his chest, he shivered a bit the pulled his damaged shirt back over his head. "Sorry, it's still kind of cold down here."

"Continue? Please?" Nigel beckoned as he held his quill and book tightly and gave the miner a pleading stare to continue.

"He thought I was someone from his past and he woke up and stabbed his sword through my chest and drove me into a wall where I was pinned up on for a while." Steve shivered and not from the cold, but from the memory of the agonizing pain he felt along with the strange soul drawl of the sword. "I was going to die, but after getting into my head and getting a few answers; Herobrine decided to spare me. He felt as though he owed me for wrapping his wound, those potions and the potion combining list came in handy Nigel." Steve shot a smile at the old man.

"Well that's splendid!" The old adventurer smiled. "I didn't know that my own handmade potions would help in saving Herobrine's life."

"Why did you save His life?"

Steve tilted his head back to see an indifferent expression on Carson's face, he didn't seem all fuming mad like Warren was but he was rather calm on the subject when it came to saving the village's living terror. "Everything that you know about Herobrine is a lie, it took nearly two full terrorizing weeks to realize the truth. He hates humans; but it's yours and maybe even my ancestor's fault on why Herobrine is the way he is. I saved him because it would have been wrong to leave him out there to possibly die, saving him had it's risks and I took them for my pervious actions. I was speared by his sword and left to slowly die as I hung on that wall. It was a fatal injury in having my vitals severed or severely damaged." Steve paused to recollect his thoughts as he remembered the ordeal he went through.

"Oh dear." Nigel looked at the miner with sympathy.

"After convincing him that I was just trying to help him; he pulled the blade out. I was lying there on the floor dying and he used a drop of his own transcendent blood to save my life. The bodily pain was the worst that I have ever felt before, it was like lava moving through my veins once the drop landed in my wound. But with it, I headed and the wound slowly vanished over a few days. He saved my life. Herobrine is not completely heartless, cold yes; but not just some cruel killing machine. He used to be a great hero before he was convicted and sentenced to the Nether. He doesn't deserve to suffer but neither does anyone else, but now he has to kill because of the debt to the beast that freed him. I became his friend and he started to calm down a lot, I did look and act like Lionel after all and that was his best friend and brother back in the ancient times. In doing so I disrupted his payment and now he wants to make up for it and never come across the beast's wrath again. So if my sealed 'fatal' wounds, visible cuts, bruises, and Nether dust isn't enough proof then I don't what is. If I had that book written in the ancient language then I could have some kind of backup."

The guard blinked. "I don't really know what to say? You have proof … I guess? This village is full of headstrong believers in the ancient legends of the wicked hero, he attacks us for Notch's sake; so that kind of makes 'our' tale the more believable one. Herobrine has taken a lot from us, even our way of life. Our village doesn't even have a name anymore, he was cruel enough to take that too." Carson shook his head. "We are born and raised strictly on our beliefs of him being the heinous monster."

"Village name?" Steve quietly asked himself. His turned his head towards Carson. "It's Stone Edge. That was the name that Herobrine told me that he repeatedly erased. Stone Edge." He repeated.

…

Warren's eyes went wide from shock and he backed away from the window next to the side of the building. He had been listening in after being refused to visit his friends and what he just heard stunned him. "He's been telling the truth then?" Warren lightly said to himself, wanting not to believe in the miner's full story and his experiences. What proved it all was that name he mentioned. The villages name had been lost for centuries and only a handful knew it, the newer generations wouldn't know it but he did; his father told him the name. Now he hears that Herobrine had told the miner the name? Warren was just overwhelmed. He remained in his spot and continued to listen to the miner's words.