Chapter 4 : Newcomer
The scream of pain and terror had Isac reaching for his sword even before he was fully conscious. Eyes flying open, he sat up and scanned the room for any possible enemies. The room, however, was empty. A whimper from beside him drew Isac's gaze to the boy lying next to him. Kylar's face was bone-white and he had a death grip on the blankets. The boy shivered violently and let out another wail. Isac sighed and put away his sword. The scream had caused him to forget where and when he was. Rubbing his face with his hand, Isac closed his eyes and tried to push away the memories that were sending needles of pain through his mind. The sound of running feet in hall drew Isac out of the past. He looked up just in time to see the door to his room all but fly off its hinges to reveal his very nearly naked second in command. Eyes wild with panic, Cor raced into the room. One of his hands held a sword while the other had a white-knuckled grip on a blazing torch. "It's alright Corrin," Isac said to his childhood friend, "There isn't anything attacking, prince Kylar is just having a nightmare." Cor stood there for a moment and then, shutting his eyes, he took a deep breath. Isac waited as Cor fought back the memories of a night, a long time ago, that was filled with similar screams. When he opened his eyes again, Isac saw the echoes of that night reflected in his friend's gaze. Isac knew that his eyes held a similar sight. "Go back to bed Cor," he commanded, "There is nothing more that you can do here so you should, at least, try to get some more sleep." "Are you sure?" Cor asked looking his captain and friend in the eyes. "Yes I'm sure," Isac said, "We both have duties to attend to in the morning, one of us should be at least partially awake." Cor smiled, "Yes sir, captain sir" Isac snorted at his best friend's antics, "You know that I hate it when you do that, to you I am just Isac, no more and no less." "Why else do you think I do it?" Cor asked with a grin as he shut the door. Looking down at the sleeping boy, Isac saw that he was still in the throes of the nightmare. Lying back on the bed, Isac reached over and pulled Kylar into his arms and then he closed his eyes.
Herobrine was in a truly foul mood, Farain noticed as the man paced around the clearing. With a sigh, the enderman leaned against the tree he was standing under. My curiosity will surely be the death of me, he thought as Herobrine made his way to the other end of the clearing, the deep green cloak he was wearing flared out as he turned. When Herobrine had stormed out of the cave systems that they had been using as a gathering place, Farain followed to see where their leader was going. That was his mistake. The weather had rapidly worsened until it matched Herobrine's mood. Now Farain was forced to take shelter under a large oak tree to avoid the acidic maelstrom. "Sir?" Farain turned his head to see who was stupid enough to approach the demigod when he was in such a mood. The zombie that entered the clearing was apparently blind as well as stupid if he couldn't see the way Herobrine's eyes were glowing. They shone like twin flame, a clear indicator of his ire. "I was wondering why we don't…." The zombie never got to finish his sentence. Herobrine gestured towards him and suddenly the zombie was engulfed in a massive fireball. Farain blinked and came to the decision that it was in his best interest to head back to the caves, acid rain be damned.
Herobrine watched as the enderman quickly retreated back the way he had come. With a growl of frustration, He went back to pacing back and forth across the grass. Someone had trespassed in his realm and had tried to steal his prey. They died far too quickly for my liking, He thought furiously as the grass surrounding his feet started to smolder. Herobrine glared at the ground in annoyance. As much as he would like to take out his fury on the one who had dared to try and make a fool out of him, he couldn't. Nor could he let release the tight hold he had on his power and destroy the surrounding landscape or a nearby village. That would draw unwanted attention and it was not yet time to attack the city. Herobrine sighed and stalked through the forest towards the city walls. He hadn't gone more than thirty feet when his cloak got caught by a low hanging branch. Herobrine growled but stopped to untangle the garment from the tree. After that was done, he turned and threw a fireball at the offending foliage. The tree was quickly consumed by the hungry flames until all that remained was a blackened circle of earth. Pulling the hood back over his head, he continued to walk through the damp woods. By the time the massive stone walls came into view his anger had simmered down to embers. Herobrine came to a stop just before the edge of the forest. Looking around he searched for a medium sized branch. Finding one, he broke it off and quickly stripped it of its leaves and bark. Using a little fire, Herobrine heated the wood until the sap formed a hard resin around the branch. Setting the walking stick aside, he reached inside his cloak and pulled out an old scrap of spring green fabric which he tied over his eyes. Grabbing the walking stick, Herobrine left the trees and walked down the road to Emeral's northernmost gate.
"I can't believe captain Isac has us guarding the gates again, we had guard duty last night!" exclaimed Marc ranted to the man standing next to him. "I mean, all I said was that maybe we didn't need to put guards on the northern gates since the majority of the people come in through the southern gates." "But what did he say," Marc continued mimicking Isac's voice, "Even so, if you leave a single weakness exposed your enemies will pounce on it and destroy you." "So I ask him, what enemies? We are at peace with all of the neighboring kingdoms and all of the mobs have long since fled in fear of Emeral's shadow. You know what he told me, the peaceful times never last." Marc snorted. "I can't believe that the king appointed him as captain, he's barely twenty-three and his second in command isn't any older than he is!" Kyle spoke up, interrupting Marc in the midst of his tirade. "Watch your words, you are close to speaking treason against the crown." Marc remained silent for a couple of moments and Kyle used the break to continue to talk, " In fact, we wouldn't be guarding the gate again if you hadn't opened your big mouth and told the captain to loosen up a little and cut down on the men guarding the wall. Your exact words were, open your Notch damn eyes and look around, no one ever comes to the north gates so why post guards where they're not needed." Kyle glared at his companion in irritation. "What were you expecting your insubordination to accomplish other than more work?" The sound of approaching footsteps caused both men to look up at the man walking towards them. " Apparently I was wrong," Marc said, "the only people who enter the city through the north gates are to blind to find their way to the southern gates."
Interesting, Herobrine thought as he neared the two men. With his superior hearing, he had been able to listen to the entire conversation. This captain Isac will be entertaining to toy with. "Greetings stranger, what brings you to Emeral in the dead of night?" asked one of the guards. "Obviously not sightseeing," muttered the other guard under his breath. This statement was quickly followed by the sharp sound of a slap and the first guard hissed quietly to the second, "Be considerate Marc, the boy is barely older than the captain." Herobrine nearly laughed aloud, he was easily older than everyone in the city by a good thousand years. However he managed to contain his mirth at the stupidity of the majority of mortals and said, "I did not realize that it was night already, I am a maker of fine walking sticks and I came to Emeral to ply my trade and to spend some time in this kingdom's capital." Herobrine held out the stick in his hand for the men to examine. The first guard let out a low whistle as he ran his hand along the smooth surface of the wood. "I have never felt wood so soft or smooth," he said, then to the other guard, "Hey Marc, come over here and look at this." Marc walked over to the outheld stick and ran one hand over the wood. "May I hold it?" he asked and, when Herobrine nodded in acquiescence, he picked up the walking stick and began to perform a basic staff drill. Letting out an approving grunt as the walking stick cut through the air he said, " I wish that the staves we used were as well made as this walking stick." "That's a wonderful idea," the first guard said, then turning back towards Herobrine he asked, "First off, what is your name?" "I am called Hero," Herobrine replied. "Okay Hero, you said that you were looking sell some of your wares and see the city, right?" "In a manner of speaking," he said and waited for the guard to continue to speak. "Well, I think that if our captain saw the work that you do he might give you a commission to craft some new staves for the guard. What do you say?" Herobrine smiled and said, "I would not be opposed to the idea." Especially since I will get a better understanding of the layout of the castle and the surrounding city, he thought as the guard said, " Good, then come to the guard barracks in the morning and tell whoever is on duty that Kyle said that you should talk to captain Isac about making some new weapons." "I will be sure to do that," Herobrine said as he retrieved his walking stick and walked past the two men into the city.
Why is my pillow snoring? Kylar wondered sleepily and reached over and punched the pillow to make it be quiet. There was a grunt of surprise and then his pillow was suddenly not there anymore. Kylar opened his eyes to see Isac, sitting up on the bed rubbing his side where he had been hit. Kylar bolted upright, "What the Nether are you doing in my bed!" he shouted. Isac sighed and said, "For your information this is my bed. As to why I am in it right now, there are no other available beds because a certain prince decided to use them to make a fort in the courtyard and left them out in a thunderstorm." "How was I to know that they would be struck by lightning?" Kylar grumbled as he flopped back down onto the mattress. He was just about to go back to sleep when something poked him repeatedly in the side. Kylar rolled over and glared at Isac, "What now?" "It's passed time to get up," Isac said as he walked over to a chest by the wall and started to get dressed. "I do not want to get up," Kylar as he looked out the window, "The sun is barely above the trees." "That just means we've overslept," the captain said as he lifted the boy out of the bed and set him on his feet near a smaller version of his own chest. "Hurry and get dressed, your punishment for the spider web trap is about to begin and I would like to eat breakfast first." Kylar let out a sigh of resignation as Isac left the room. He opened the chest and stared in amazement at what he found. Inside lay, a dark blue guard's jacket, below that was the rest of the uniform that the men of the royal guard wore. He reached in and touched the clothes to make sure they were real.
Isac was just about to head back and see what was taking Kylar so long when he heard his bedroom door open. He waited but when he didn't hear any footsteps following him he turned around to look for Kylar. You are an idiot Isac, he thought, the boy has most likely run off to the farthest... Isac's thoughts trailed off when he saw that Kylar hadn't taken off like there was a pack of nether hounds after him. Instead, the boy was standing in the hallway attempting to get the gold buttons of the guard jacket into their appropriate holes. The sight of Kylar in those clothes hit Isac like a punch in the stomach. Memories of another boy struggling to fasten that jacket threatened to swallow him. A tug on his hand brought him back to the present. "I…." Kylar paused and then he asked, "would you help me with my jacket?" It had obviously cost the prince no small amount of pride to admit that he couldn't do something as simple as button his jacket. I don't suppose he's ever had the chance to learn, Isac thought as he knelt down to help fasten the jacket, all he has ever had to wear are the same type of shirt, in fact, I can't even remember him ever wearing anything different. He was just standing back up when a cheerful voice spoke behind him. "I see you've finally decided to get your lazy butt out of bed, sir." Isac groaned and said with annoyance, "Are you ever going to not call me sir, Corrin?" Cor winced, "Fine, I'll stop but only if you stop calling me Corrin." Looking around his captain, Cor saw the young prince straightening his jacket. "Is that your old jacket?" he asked one eyebrow raised. Isac simply nodded, acknowledging the other silent question. "He is going to be living with us for the next six months so I figured that he should have a uniform at the very least," Isac said as he looked back to see Kylar watching him with an unnameable expression. "The queen will not be happy when she hears of this," Cor predicted a dark look crossing his face, "I can't believe that one has found what she has been doing!" Isac sighed as Cor spoke the words that had been running through his own mind. How could I have been so blind that I was unable to see what was happening under my very nose? Kylar spoke up for the first time since the conversation began. "She was always careful not to hurt me so much that I would not be able to walk." Both of the men turned to stare at Kylar, their disbelief clear. "I had to carry you out of your bedroom because you had passed out," Isac said, "then you slept through an entire day and night, I wouldn't call that being able to walk." "I am walking right now am I not?" Kylar asked, slightly annoyed that the two guards couldn't see what was as plain as day. "You may be walking but that is only because I gave you a potion of healing last night," Isac said with forced patience. "Well, why the Nether did you waste it on me?" asked Kylar angrily, "I would have been fine today even if you had not used the potion!" "You just keep telling yourself that, boy," Isac shot back. "Now, now, let's not do anything stupid," Cor said as he stepped between the prince and the captain. If glares were bows I would most likely resemble a pincushion right about now, he thought wryly. Before either of the angry pair could respond, a guard called down the hall "Hey captain Isac, there is a visitor here to see you." Isac sighed and said, "I apologize for losing my temper Kylar." Then he turned and walked down the hall to his office, it looked like he wouldn't get breakfast after all. Kylar watched as the captain walked away. Why did he bother apologizing? "You could have been a little politer," Cor admonished gently, "Being a prince is no excuse for not treating others with respect."
Herobrine waited for the captain of the guards to be notified of his guest. He was tempted to remove the fabric that covered his eyes and get a good look at his surroundings but decided against it. After all, it would look suspicious if I knew where everything was while I am supposedly blind, he thought as he began to pace the floor. I wonder what kind of man King Meneas would trust to guard him and his family after the last captain failed to do his duty? From what he could tell of the room, it was empty save for a few chairs, a desk and a rack that only held a single sword. Herobrine picked up the weapon and ran a hand lightly over the blade. "What do you think of the sword?" a voice asked. Herobrine had heard the man enter the room a few moments ago. He turned around reached a hand out until his fingers met the fabric of the guard's jacket. This was mostly just for show as Herobrine could pinpoint the man's location from the sound of his heartbeat. "Is it alright if I give it a couple of swings?" he asked the captain. The man was silent for a moment but then he replied with a simple "Yes." Herobrine backed up a few feet smiling slightly as he heard the guard quietly move backwards and to the right of his last position. It seems like he is not a completely trusting idiot, that will make the confrontation all the more enjoyable. Raising the sword, Herobrine began a complicated blade-dance. Isac watched as the sword began to move through the air. At first, it was just a few slow moving slashes but as the stranger continued, the speed and the number of strokes that the sword made began to increase until the blade was little more than a metallic blur. Herobrine ended the exercise with a lightning quick slash towards the captain. The sword stopped two inches from its target, the sound of two blades clashing rang through the air. This just keeps getting better and better, Herobrine thought as he felt the tip of a dagger digging into the flesh over his heart, I have finally found the first truly worthy opponent after the last one died three thousand years ago. "Was there a point to that demonstration?" The captain's voice was as hard as diamonds. "I wanted to see what kind of man is made captain before they are even old enough to be a soldier. The only sign of surprise that the man betrayed was a slight flutter of his pulse. Impressive, Herobrine thought as he waited for the captain to respond. Isac eyed the stranger warily, there was more to this man than one would suspect at first glance. He sighed but answered the unspoken question. "The world sometimes forces boys to become warriors before society thinks they are ready." "How old were you when you entered the guard?" Herobrine wondered aloud, intrigued despite himself. "Truthfully, Cor and I were twelve when we signed up but we claimed to be sixteen," Isac said, wondering why he was answering the man's questions. It is most likely because he is the only person to figure out that I wasn't as old as I said I was. Herobrine snorted back a laugh, "Whoever was in charge of the recruits must have been even more blind than I am." "It wasn't that big of a stretch, we looked like we were two years older and we said that we were late bloomers though the scribe who was responsible for recording all the new recruits wore a pair of huge glasses so that might have helped." The two men fell quiet for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Herobrine finally broke the silence and asked, "So…. are we going to stand like this all day or what?" Isac laughed and removed the dagger from where it rested on the man's chest. Sheathing both of his blades he asked, "What is your name?" Herobrine responded with the name he had given the guards at the gate last night, "My name is Hero." "Well Hero, my question from earlier still stands, what is your opinion of the sword?" Herobrine closed his eyes and swung the sword lightly so that it whispered through the air in a couple of small circles. "It is old and has seen many battles but it still retains a deadly edge. Whoever forged this blade was a master of the craft, the blade is still in one piece where any less blade would have shattered," he said fingering the inch long notch that ran diagonally into the blade. He continued to speak, "This sword has not been wielded since the last owner died fighting an opponent much larger and stronger than they were." Isac remained silent for many long minutes. When he eventually spoke all he said was, " You see much for a blind man, Hero." Shaking away the memories of the blade lying in a pool of blood, Isac asked, "Why did you come to find me?" "I originally came to the city to sell walking sticks but the guards at the gate suggested that I come and talk to you about making new staves for you and your men," Herobrine said as he placed the sword back on the rack and handed the walking stick to the captain. Isac held the wood up to the light streaming through the window, a faint wave pattern in the lacquer-like coating caught his attention. Could it be, he thought excitedly and, placing one end of the walking stick on the windowsill, swung his dagger as hard as he could at the wood. The blade bounced off without leaving a single mark on the wood. It is, Isac thought not quite believing what he held in his hands. One of the fabled traveler's treasures, a walking stick that would never break no matter what was done to it, not even lava could damage it. "You made this?" he asked and when Hero nodded, he continued, "Are staves the only thing you can make or do you craft other things as well?" Herobrine knew he should say that could only make staves but his pride got the better of him. "Actually, I am a weaponsmith by trade but I also can craft armor and shield." He mentally kicked himself for revealing too much. Isac's eyes widened at this revelation, he had expected Hero to only be able to make the staves. This has to be the luckiest day of my life, he thought and said, "I will gladly hire you to make new weapons and armor for the guard. Is there anything that you need?" Herobrine sighed at the problems that his pride had gotten him into, "A place to sleep, a place to work, and someone to show me around the city and to help with the more basic parts of crafting the equipment." Isac smiled, his day had just gone from good to near Notch damn perfect. "I think I know a place that would work, it needs a little fixing up but it should suit your needs." Herobrine waited head cocked in curiosity. "There is an old blacksmith's cabin about half a mile in the forest that surrounds the castle. It's not much, just a single room with a fireplace, a covered area that was used for the smithy behind the building, and a small attic. However it's more private than the smithy in the city, I figure you wouldn't want people gawking at you as you worked." Herobrine let out a wry laugh "That would be….inconvenient." "As for your assistant, I have the perfect person in mind," Isac said with a small smile.
Going on a temporary hiatus (Be back soon)