[Chapter X]
[Sandermilian Fever]
"Hugo! Where are we going?" Kelsa cried out to her brother as he continued leading her towards the woods where he had found those strange steps.
"I want to show you something!" he grinned over his shoulder.
Upon reaching the first set of stones steps, Hugo let out a laugh while making his way through the thick vines, using his sword to cut down a path for him and his sister.
Reaching the end where the rotting sign barely stood, he walked up towards the iron bars, peering just inside the man made cave. "Wow… oh man I wonder just how far down it goes?" he whispered.
Kelsa approached the bars, standing next to her brother and looking inside as well. "I'm not sure, Hugo. But that sign says to stay away. Let's go back home. Please? It's almost high noon, so Steve should be waking up soon. I want to help Glorenda with his surprise!" She nearly whined.
Hugo looked down to his sister after managing to tear his eyes away from the stairs. Staring at her in silence for a few long seconds, the teen at last let out a sigh while backing away from rusting bars. "Oh alright. Come on, then. Let's head back." he chuckled.
"Yes!" Kelsa exclaimed excitedly while running on ahead of her brother.
Shaking his head while walking after her, Hugo stopped suddenly upon hearing what sounded like a woman's voice crying for help, echoing from the barred off staircase. Looking over his shoulder at the stairs, he waited for a few seconds to see if he heard it again.
However, the only voice he heard was his little sister calling out to him. "Oh, sorry, Kelsa! I-I'm coming!" he yelled back, giving one more unsure look towards the stairs before running after his sister.
The place was a large maze!
Cursing loudly upon coming to yet another pointless dead end, Steve frantically began trying to find another possible way out. Panting heavily now from both the amount of running and the suffocating heat that was beginning to weaken him, he stumbled over his own feet and collapsed against the wall, shutting his eyes while deciding to rest as he tried to catch his breath.
"Tired already?"
Steve gasped at the chuckling tone, eyes snapping wide open while pushing himself off the wall. Turning toward the way he came from, Steve took a few steps back closer towards the dead end. "Herobrine…" he breathed, swallowing thickly and vaguely aware of the beads of sweat rolling down his temples.
Herobrine smirked, eyes narrowing while grabbing Steve around his waist as the man suddenly tried making a run for the exit, twisting them both around in one fluent motion using Steve's own momentum to roughly slam his body—back first—into the Netherstone wall, holding him in place with his own body pressed up flush against his.
Steve struggled, hissing in mild pain as Herobrine moved to take a firm hold of both his wrists before holding his hands above his head and against the wall. "Let me go. Now!" he demanded, stilling his struggles for only a heartbeat to focus on glaring into the white eyes of the other.
Smirking at the futile fight the miner put up, Herobrine leaned in a little closer as he began whispering softly; "Why? Fun's just beginning. And besides… even if I do let you go, you wouldn't know which way to escape. This is your first time being in the Nether Fortress. Or even the Nether for that matter! The Mobs here all obey me. They'll kill you at first sight, since I haven't been able to tell them not to yet."
Steve scoffed while leaning his head back against the surprisingly cool wall. "Whatever. I'll fight my way out of this hell!" he spat, glaring harder into the white eyes of the faceless demon, trying to keep his composure in place and not shrink back in fear from the man's empty gaze.
"You stand no chance against them the way you are right now. Weak. Tired. Unarmed and naked of armor. You'd die by the fireball from a baby Ghast if you went out there like this!" he laughed through the last sentence, further pissing Steve off.
"You don't know that for sure…" he growled, cheeks burning from rage and slight embarrassment from being made fun of.
Calming his fit of laughter albeit minutely, Herobrine grinned while putting both of Steve's wrists into his left hand, his right dropping down to cup the man's cheek; ensuring he was unable to look away from him. "Steve, I do know that. For a fact." he whispered softly before adding with a cheerful tone to his voice; "But don't worry. I'm not going to allow the Mobs here to kill you."
Growling even louder while finding renewed strength that enabled him to yank his right hand free from its hold, he brought it up quickly and snatched Herobrine's wrist, gripping it tightly and yanking it away while at the same time freeing his left hand and violently shoving the demon back. "What the hell's wrong with you anyways? People say you're this evil monster that was banished here by Notch and yet—I don't understand why you're acting so friendly towards me! Just tell me what the hell it is you want from me already and get it over with!" he glared, violet eyes sparkling in the dim lighting of the redstone torches that lined the length of the walls.
Herobrine simply chuckled while rubbing his sore wrist, glowing white eyes focusing intently on the younger male. "What can I say? I can't help it. I'm drawn to you, Steve. I just want to be friends."
"But why!? Why me!?" Steve shouted while pushing himself as far into the wall as possible in a failed attempt at putting some space between the two. "Is it only because I'm this stupid Great Hero? Is that the only reason? Because you sure as hell wanted nothing to do with me prior to that damn title!"
At this remark, Herobrine's smirk fell into a frown, eyes narrowed in seriousness as his head lowered slightly. Despite the lack of any pupils or irises, Steve could sense the other was no longer looking into his eyes, but rather off and to the side.
This sudden change in the demon caught Steve off guard, causing the human to raise a brow slightly with a small tilt of his head.
Nothing was said for a few long moments until Herobrine suddenly chuckled lightly, "You wouldn't understand. Or even believe me for that matter…" he whispered so softly Steve nearly missed it.
"I still want to hear why? I'm far from anything special… Despite this damn title. So why am I so interesting to you of all people?" he pushed on, his tone still holding anger though managed to keep more control over it this time.
"I don't know."
"Liar—"
"You see? I told you that you wouldn't believe me." he grinned.
Steve closed his mouth, unable to think of a retort to that. So instead he simply turned his head to the side, no longer wanting to look at the demon. His eyes were narrowed as he stared out of a window, trying to find something fascinating in the lava fall right outside to distract his mind.
Herobrine watched Steve for a few silent moments, studying his features that were dimly lit due to the low lighting. Suddenly and without warning, he leaned in; his lips ghosting over Steve's left ear as his hot breath prickled his flesh upon whispering darkly, the miner jumping violently before trying in vain to wiggle away, hands to his shoulders and pushing; "You shouldn't fight me. Or struggle against me. I've told you before that nothing you or anyone can do will stop me. You can't hide from me, Steve. I won't hurt you. I'm the best thing… that could ever happen to you." he began, pausing to give a fleeting glance towards the human's tightly closed eyes.
And within that brief moment's pause… Herobrine took notice of Steve's sudden lack of resistance. In fact, the other had become completely still! His eyes were screwed shut while his jaw trembled in the effort to keep his mouth closed and any and all sounds within.
An evil smirk found its way onto Herobrine's face at this, leaning back in to continue on where he left off; "Be honest with yourself. Just for once. You don't get that feeling of being alone or being brutally judged whilst around me. You don't feel as if you're unwanted or even different. I make you feel normal. No one wanted you until you got branded with this bullshit hero title. Before then, you were merely an outsider about as worthless as the shit you mine."
He paused again as he felt the body beneath his beginning to tremble, pulling his head back enough to look over at Steve's face. He stared at him while continuing after a while, his white eyes narrowing, "True… I only first sought you out because of the legend. I was curious to see the being spoken so highly of being the one to find and enter The End and slay the dragon within. But after taking the time to watch you… and the first encounter I had with you in your dream, I became… drawn to you, so to speak. I can't explain it, but I felt as if we were meant to become… allies."
Steve remained silent as he fought to control his emotions. Everything Herobrine was saying about how he felt around him was true. No matter how badly he wanted to deny the accusations; they were true. He couldn't explain it. He's known everything he's said about the people here to be true from the first time he entered a village after waking up on that beach.
But to have someone else actually before him verbalizing the truth, regardless who it was, caused that heart sinking feeling of dejection to pummel into him relentlessly.
Whether you want to say he has been lying to himself to stay strong was honestly up to anyone. Steve thought he was strong enough to accept the fact that he was different. And that he would be alone because of that... It was just so much easier to continue on while it was just himself telling him that.
But now to have someone else telling him the exact same thing and to his face… suddenly made it seem ten times more devastating.
His body soon began to shake more uncontrollably as violent tremors shook his being the more emotionally unstable he became, despite Herobrine keeping a strong hold against him. "I've been… weak." he began in a soft whisper, catching Herobrine surprisingly off guard.
The Nether ruler blinked in mild shock, leaning back to stare at Steve as the human continued to speak quietly and almost in a broken tone; "Loneliness had long ago begun breaking me. I went from… being surrounded by friends and family. To being completely alone… all in a single night." He mentally cursed at himself. Why was he suddenly spewing this kind of personal information to this man?
But Herobrine shocked Steve as he hummed in apparent understanding, his hands slowly sliding down the lengths of the human's arms before releasing him, earning a shuddering intake of air the unfamiliar touches left. Chuckling at the reaction he received, Herobrine placed his hands to Steve's shoulders once again, gently pressing him harder into the wall while whispering softly; "But that can all change, Steve. You don't have to be alone anymore. I told you before… I wish to only be friends with you. I have a strong feeling that… our paths were crossed by fate. We can make an unstoppable team."
All he needed was just one sign of Steve submitting to him…
"Steve… give into your needs and wants. You crave to have someone in your life again that understands and listens to you. You've been alone for far too long and now you're desperate for companionship. It will not make you a weak person to admit this about yourself, Steve. It's human nature to not want to be alone." He breathed each word hotly against the other's ear. "All you have to do is ask me… and I can take all your loneliness away. You can have a friend in me, Steve, just listen to your—"
"No…" Steve managed to breathe out between clenched teeth, interrupting Herobrine through his last sentence.
Herobrine paused, a small sneer and glare flashing across his dark face for only a second before a deep chuckle came from the back of his throat while pulling away slightly. "I see. It's still too soon then…" he whispered, earning a confused glance from the human. "You need more time to see that I mean what I say."
With renewed anger at the feeling that the other was just toying with him suddenly giving him strength, Steve balled his right hand into a trembling fist, bringing it up to collide against Herobrine's cheek. Shock flashed across the miner's features when Herobrine reached up and effortlessly caught the punch, a pained noise slipping from the human as the demon then quickly pulled himself away and twisted Steve's wrist, causing his entire arm to twist backwards.
"Gah!" Pulling Steve away from the wall while bending his arm back and up against his back, Herobrine turned the human around in his grasp and roughly shoved him back against the wall; chest first.
Pushing his entire being against Steve's backside to ensure he was held firmly in place, Herobrine leaned over his right shoulder, lips hovering over his ear as he growled angrily, "Impressive as that was… you may want to reconsider before trying that kind of shit with me again, Steve… You don't know who you're dealing with yet."
"Ahh—! Y-you asshole…!" Just as he cracked his eyes open to look over his shoulder and at the demon, Steve sat straight up in his bed with a loud gasp, sweat beading down his body while his chest heaved from his lung's effort to intake as much oxygen as possible.
"A dream… again? But— I-it felt so real." he panted out to the quietness around him. Even his right arm was sore from the grip and twisting motion done to it. Shaking his head, he flexed his right arm and wrist before bringing his hand against his burning forehead. "I feel feverish… I hope I'm not coming down with something…" he muttered to himself.
Lifting his head up, he looked over his shoulder and out his window, seeing the sun's bright rays beaming in through the glass.
"Shit… I overslept. I meant to wake up in the morning. It's easily past noon by now…" he sighed, dropping his hand from his forehead towards his growling stomach. His eyes suddenly narrowed as his mind began wandering off in thought;
'There's no way I dreamt that. It was too real. The heat and smell of the lava all around me was so dizzying. And the heat coming from his body when he was holding me against the wall was—' He felt his face heat up and a disgusting splurge of emotion shoot through him as he silenced the voice in his head from finishing that sentence with a quick shake of his head, mentally cursing what was wrong with himself before sighing while laying back down.
'Does… does Herobrine really have that kind of power? Could he have really just manipulated my mind into making it think and feel like I was really there? In the Nether? Or could he have really taken me there, and brought me back instantly? But then how did I go from talking to him one second and then literally the next waking up in my bed as if it were merely just a dream…?' He groaned to himself as his head began to ache. 'Clearly it had to have been a dream. The Elder said himself that Herobrine is trapped within the Nether and can't escape. So then it's impossible for him to bring me there!'
Deciding on it just being a dream after all, Steve pushed the suddenly too heavy and hot blanket off his body with his feet before rolling over and placing them on the floor, now lying on his side. His whole body was aching now…
He just lay still for a long while, trying to mentally will his body to cool off and stop hurting. While waiting, he allowed his thoughts to analyze his dream a little more in depth; 'Herobrine is clearly up to something. I obviously have something that he wants. Maybe what the village Elder said was true? Maybe he just wants to use me to get to The End? Seeing how he's never made any type of attempt at contacting me prior to me becoming this Great Hero. But still… just what length is he willing to go too just to get what he wants? I mean—if it's entry into The End he seeks, then why mess with me so… strangely? It's… it's not fair what he's making my mind and body go through! This stress is going to kill me!'
Suddenly feeling faint from getting himself worked up combined with the heat, Steve took a deep breath and released it as a shaky sigh, slightly taking note of himself having a little trouble breathing. With some effort, he managed to finally push himself up and onto his feet, swaying slightly upon growing a little light headed. "M-maybe I should go see Melz… Perhaps he'll have something to make me feel a little better."
Struggling to get dressed and head out the door, he managed to guide himself towards the Inn nearly blindly as the light from the late afternoon sun appeared far brighter than normal, hurting his eyes painfully as he flat out ignored all those around him. Before too long, he was standing before the double front doors to the large building. Now he was just trying to find the strength to actually open one of the doors.
Or at least knock.
Lifting his right hand up, he was just about to have his knuckles hit against the wood when the door suddenly opened, a surprised Melz standing before him now. "Steve! Is everything alright? I wasn't expecting to see you here."
"O-oh, hey, Melz. Sorry… I didn't mean to bother you." He forced out a weak chuckle, his weight constantly shifting from side to side as if having a difficult time maintaining his balance.
"Steve…? You're acting peculiar. And you look paler than the bones of a skeleton!" He then gasped upon seeing a strange marking that was beginning to form across Steve's left temple. "Great Notch! Come inside quick and out of the heat, now!" He hissed while beckoning him inside, ignoring Steve's ramblings of being alright.
"M-Melz… I'm fine. Really! Just feel a little hot is all… T-there's no need to be so concerned." he tried reassuring the older man.
Who was having no part of it. "Glorenda! Come quick! I think Steve's catching Sandermilian fever!"
Steve blinked while sitting down on the couch he was practically dragged towards to and pushed down upon. "S-Sandermilian… fever…? W-what the hell is… Sandermilian fever?"
Glorenda was by Steve's side within seconds upon the news. "Let me see, dear." She tenderly took hold of Steve's chin, slowly turning his head from side to side until gasping to herself. She was looking at his left temple like Melz had. "It's in its early stages… so it can be cured. But we must hurry." And with that she was gone again.
Steve, head becoming hazy now, looked over to Melz; "Melz," he gasped, only continuing when the man looked up at him. "What is Sandermilian fever?"
"The fever itself isn't that dangerous if treated early. It's just a hard one to treat."
"Why?"
"It continually rises your internal body temperature until you literally die from heat stroke. The means to cure it in its early stage is to just keep your body cold. Which is why it's hard to cure it… So far, this biome is the only known place to catch Sandermilian fever. Other dessert biomes don't seem to carry this strain of fever."
Steve lowered his gaze to the floor. "Oh…" he said weakly, the room becoming too hot to think straight anymore. "I'm tired, Melz…"
"Stay awake, Steve." he urged.
"W-what happens if it's… not cured in the early stages?"
"Then a potion will be needed… Problem is the main ingredient for it does not exist in the Overworld."
Steve blinked, trying to process what exactly was being said. With a faint shake of his head, he gave up, giving a pathetic roll of his shoulders in exchange for a full on shrug.
Before long, Glorenda returned carrying with her a bucket fill with ice cold water and a hand full of rags. "Help me lie him down on the couch, dear." she instructed her husband who didn't hesitate to listen.
Glorenda then immediately shoved all the rags she had with her into the water, barely wringing them out before statistically placing them on his body. "Keep these where I place them. These spots are sensitive to temperature change and will assist with fighting back the fever." she instructed.
Steve gave a weak nod of his head in understanding, vaguely aware of the cloths when they touched his skin. However, a few seconds later his mind began clearing up, the heat simmering down enough for him to think properly. Blinking, he felt the coldness of the rags wrapped around both of his wrists and ankles after Melz removed his shoes, one draped over his forehead, a larger one wrapped loosely around his entire neck, and one folded neatly and placed on his chest underneath his shirt.
"These will dry out quickly with how hot he is. We'll have to keep a full on watch over him and constantly check the cloths. I'll go get Kelsa. I'm sure she'll be more than happy to help." Glorenda said before quickly excusing herself.
Melz turned to her, "Where's Hugo? Wouldn't he wish to help as well?"
Glorenda paused and looked over at Melz, frowning; "Kelsa said he went into the woods to try and do some hunting on his own. She said he told her he was going with some of the adults."
With a slightly annoyed sigh, he nodded to her before pulling a chair up next to the couch, sitting down and giving Steve a sad smile. "You've helped us out so much… and this is how our biome repays you…"
A horse chuckle came from Steve, his throat beginning to feel irritated as he spoke, "It's fine. I'm sure I just… over exerted myself. I haven't been… exactly taking the best care of… myself lately."
They sat in silence for a few moments until Steve broke it with a harsh cough before speaking weakly, "Earlier. You said that a potion would be needed… to treat this if unable to in its early stages?"
Startled slightly out of his thoughts, Melz gave him a nod, "That's right."
"You said that… the main ingredient… didn't exist here…" Steve pressed on, his tone sounding more and more exhausted.
"That's correct. The main ingredient is a Ghast tear. Ghasts don't exist here…" he trailed off.
Steve was well aware of where they existed.
The Nether.
'Herobrine—!'
He shook his head as the name subconsciously crossed his mind, a small growl aggravating his throat further.
"Steve, please rest. Don't trouble your mind anymore." Melz whispered.
Or he at least sounded like he was whispering as Steve's hearing began fading as his consciousness left him, everything around him going black.
Hugo narrowed his eyes in determination. He knows he heard a woman crying for help down in that cave.
Holding his sword tightly, he swallowed as he walked up the old stone steps and slowly approached the rusty and vine covered bars. Peering deeply inside the cave, he nearly jumped out of his skin upon hearing a sudden shrill cry for help coming from the staircase.
"I knew it…" he whispered to himself, taking his sword up and readying to swing it at the vines.
He paused upon hearing the sounds of vines ripping apart to his right. Lowering his weapon down and glancing over, he gasped when he saw an opening had appeared in the bars. Looking all around the ground, he raised a brow in confusion as he saw no signs of the missing bars anywhere.
"Please! Someone help me!" the woman's voice echoed weakly.
Snapping out of his confused trance, Hugo held his sword tightly after fumbling to light one of the many torches he brought with him. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he slowly entered the once bared off entrance way, holding the torch up high and in front of him in his left hand, right hand holding his weapon up and ready to strike if need be.
The stone steps went deeply underground, the stairs and walls covered in cobwebs and overgrown vines.
Torches lined the walls that clearly showed signs of no use for many years.
His head began to steadily pound due to the pressure the deeper he went, and was starting to reconsider continuing. However, just as he paused and looked over his shoulder at the barely visible light, the girl's voice, echoing much louder now, called out for help once again.
"Come on, Hugo… You can do this." he whispered to himself while pushing forward. The staircase turned to the left sharply, Hugo holding the torch out first to see ahead of himself. Green eyes opened wide upon the light showing what looked like a carved out entrance way into a large room just a few more steps down.
With hesitation, he entered. The room was large and the first thing he heard was the sound of running water. Looking to his right, he saw a small stream that passed underneath a small stone bridge that led into a much larger space that had some light coming from it.
Taking a few steps closer toward the bridge, Hugo stopped instantly upon hearing the bubbling sounds of lava. Feeling the increase in heat, he assumed the light coming from around the corner to the left was lava considering how deep underground he was.
Backtracking to the staircase, the girl's voice called out yet again, echoing from the left side from when he first entered this room.
Renewed determination filling him, Hugo began running towards the frantic crying. Going around a strange pillar, he found another set of steps, running up those and turning to the right. He ran up the two sets of steps there and ran down the long corridor, adrenaline pumping through his body the louder the girl's voice got.
Reaching a dead end, Hugo began panting to catch his breath, confused as to where the voice was coming from.
"Please! Somebody help me!"
"But where—?" he asked while looking all around. Suddenly looking to his left, he paused upon seeing what appeared to be a broken door hidden behind years' worth of cobwebs, dust and vines.
Using his sword to carefully cut back enough to expose what was a door, he let a small triumphant laugh leave his lungs while passing through, walking down the short hallway until it opened out into a large square room.
"Wow…" Hugo breathed out in awe, taking in the site of the decrepit room and furniture. What remains of many chairs and tables lined the wall to his left and in front of him. However, when he looked to the right, his jaw fell open as he nearly dropped his torch, heart literally stopping for a fleeting second as he took a large step back.
A large pillar that reached from the floor to the ceiling was on opposite sides of each other at the base of a set of steps that went up four steps, leading up to what looked like a strange altar.
Against the back wall on either site of the alter were large square holes that looked as if at one point in time, water was pouring through them and filled the fountains that were on opposite sides of the alter.
What Hugo couldn't take his eyes off of… where the ten strange purple colored bricks that were stacked perfectly together and created what seemed like a large frame. "What… what is this place?" he asked himself while slowly walking up the steps and drawing nearing to the purple bricks.
Suddenly, the girl who had been calling out to him gasped; "H-hello? Is somebody… there?"
Hugo cried out while nearly falling down the steps, his hand over his pounding chest. After calming down, he swallowed while approaching the large structure again, "H-hello? A-are you able to… hear me?"
Suddenly, the girl gasped before sounding like she was crying again; "Oh how long I've been calling and calling for help! Please, kind sir… listen to my plea! My name is Azryel. Years ago, my father became enraged and dragged me down to the very room you are standing in. What you are standing before, is a portal. It is inactive, but my father had activated it and threw me inside before sealing it again! Please! I beg of you! Find a way to activate it and set me free from here!" she desperately cried, her quivering voice giving away just how emotionally upset she was becoming.
Without a second thought, Hugo began searching all over the portal for some clue as to how it activates. Upon finding nothing, he let out a frustrated growl. "I can't find anything! Do you know how it opens?"
The girl was quiet for a few seconds before she let out a small hum, "Hmm… I do remember he had a flint and steel with him to light the torches along the path. I think he also used it at the base of the portal. Do you have flint and steel? Or possibly a lit torch?"
Looking down at the torch in his left hand, Hugo grinned; "I have a torch!"
A relieved sigh echoed throughout the room as the girl excitedly gave quick instructions; "Oh thank Notch! Okay, now listen carefully! Set fire to the base of the portal, but on the top of the purple blocks. Once you do, step back! I'm not sure what will happen…"
Swallowing nervously, Hugo gave a nod of his head before glancing down at where she had instructed him to set fire.
Suddenly… a very unnerving feeling began upsetting his stomach as his heart pound painfully against his ribcage. It was almost as if he were sensing something… catastrophic would happen should he active the portal.
Foolishly choosing to ignore the feeling, he took a deep breath and lowered the lit end of his torch towards the base, the two purple blocks that were set side by side between two chiseled stone blocks instantly set ablaze. Suddenly all the unlit torches within the structure mysteriously lit up, startling the teen rather badly.
Falling backwards and down the steps, Hugo let out a pained hiss as he sat up, gasping with a jump as a low rumbling noise began growing louder from behind the portal.
Shouting out in surprise as he scrambled backwards, Hugo watched as bright hot lava gushed out from the strange holes on the back wall, eyes trailing down to see the boiling liquid slowly filling up the fountains, however seemed to have stopped at the top; never overflowing the rim.
"Incredible…" he breathed while getting to his feet. His attention was fully brought back towards the portal once again as a strange noise boomed from it, just before an odd purple swirling haze filled the entire frame.
Frightening sounds began filtering through the portal, as well as small purple particles.
Just as Hugo began to approach the steps he stopped dead in his tracks, a cold fear seizing his entire body as a chilling dark chuckle echoed around the room. Looking around with scared wide eyes, the teen gasped as suddenly and slowly, a man emerged from the portal, his head hung low so his face could not be seen.
"Hehehe. At long last… I honestly didn't think that trick would actually work. I guess kids are still just as stupid and gullible as they were over six hundred years ago." the man mused to himself, but loud enough for Hugo to hear him.
The teen became angry at his words, "What was that? Who the hell are you?! What have you done with Azryel!?" he demanded.
The man's shoulders bounced as he laughed, shaking his head before speaking again, his voice no longer his own but the voice of the woman that had supposedly been calling out for help, "Oh brave young man! However can I repay you…?" he paused before chuckling darkly and lifting his head up, his voice once again his own as he finished his sentence; "… for releasing me at long last."
Hugo felt his heart stop as he fell backwards and stared, green eyes impossibly wide. The man had no face, just a black void. However, he could see his tooth baring grin and narrowed eyes that bore into his own. The man's eyes were what held his mind and body in a cold shock.
White and pupilless… just like in the stories told for hundreds of years about the demon of the Nether—
"Herobrine…" the teen breathed out at last.
Herobrine stood upright, clapping his hands together slowly while walking down the steps and closer towards Hugo; "Well done! You actually do have some intellect within that useless mind." he mocked coldly, grinning even wider as suddenly, a horde of skeletons wielding their bows spawned around the still frightened teen.
"I gotta hand it to you, kid. I really didn't think you'd be brave enough to venture down here. Especially all on your own. Good to see kids in this day in age are actually able to make their own decisions. Regardless of how… wrong and foolish… they turn out to be."
"Ahh!?" Hugo cried out as he was suddenly taken by both his arms and lifted to his feet before the skeletons forced him to his knees before Herobrine.
"Careful. Don't want to leave any markings. We can't afford to alert him just yet…" he almost cooed towards the Mobs.
Hugo, despite his fears, glanced up in confusion.
Herobrine chuckled at the teen before squatting down in front of him. "You don't need to worry. Because you'll have no memory of what happened here today. But just to temporarily sedate my sick amusement; I do want to let you know—" he spoke quietly before placing his right hand to Hugo's chin and forcing the teen to stare straight into his white empty eyes. "You have no idea the extent of danger… that you have just put Steve in." he warned in a low tone.
Hugo's eyes grew wide right before fluttering shut as Herobrine brought his left hand against the teen's forehead, the human falling limp within the Mobs' hold.
Standing up once again, Herobrine crossed his arms over his chest. "Take him back to the surface and be sure to place him safely at the outskirts of the woods. Make sure you are all not seen in the process! The humans are already out searching for him and should they see you with him like this they will attack you." he instructed sternly.
The Mobs all nodded their heads at once, their bones rattling as they began carrying the unconscious teen out of the room.
Watching them all leave, he was soon left alone with just one Skeleton. It approached him with a bow of its head, earning a smirk from the demon as he fully turned to face it, its bones as white as his eyes; "I see you have stayed strong. It's good to see you again."
The Skeleton nodded its head while speaking, its voice nothing more than rhythmic rattles of its bones that the other understood clearly.
Herobrine scoffed at its words while closing his eyes, waving his hand around dismissively, "Pfft! Nah! Of course Steve is in no danger! You know that. I only said that to that kid to amuse myself. His expression was priceless! Even you have to admit!" he laughed while looking towards the Mob again. "Anyways… I need you to go ahead and alert the rest of the Mobs around the Overworld. Tell them I'm back and that the time has come. It'll take a lot of work, but the plan begins now." he instructed seriously, the Mob nodding its head once before turning to leave the Nether ruler alone.
Herobrine's grin slowly faded as he lowered his head; "I'm free… at last. Where do I even begin?" he asked in a whisper, receiving no response of any kind.
Narrowing his eyes, he reached into his back pocket, "There is so much to do. But first things first above anything else—!"
Carefully, the Nether ruler pulled out a small glass vial containing a white, almost silvery liquid swirling around. Bringing it out and holding it in front of him, he stared down at the potion in his palm. "We need to take care of that fever of yours… Steve."
Just as he finished his sentence, his reflection on the smooth glass vial caught his attention, earning himself a displeasured grunt; "The Nether certainly didn't treat me too nicely during all those years." he remarked upon seeing his face. Deciding that he needed a new look, a sly grin spread across his features as he began chuckling. Concentrating, he used his powers to alter his physical appearance, pleased to see just how accurate he was able to be.
Staring back at him was no longer a dark faceless man. Instead, Steve was smirking back at him. However instead of seeing the man's lively violet eyes staring at him, Herobrine's ghostly-white glowing eyes remained. His clothes had also changed in appearance, copying Steve's jeans and light blue shirt, only his having a slightly darker contrast verses the human's.
His grin returned with renewed energy as he began chuckling while still staring down at the precious potion.
He would wait until the night came.
To Be Continued…
A/N: Sorry for the delay. New job kicking my ass! XD But I've gotten the hang of it now. :3 Anyways, hope everyone is still enjoying this story! And I'm sure everyone is like 'At last! Herobrine is finally in the f*cking story!' And I honestly don't blame you~ Anyhoo... Toodles! ;3
*Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!*