[Chapter 20]
[The Nether]
Herobrine had everything cleaned up and organized well before Steve had returned with a small bundle of freshly caught fish. The small cabin looked normal and just as it had when he left, so not thinking much about it upon entering and finding the Nether ruler out of bed and standing before the fire; Steve quickly cleaned, gutted and cooked the fish with the other's help.
They ate in silence, which caused Steve to become slightly alarmed. Had Herobrine thought ill about the way he had woken up this morning? Normally by now the demon would strike up a random conversation with the miner. But he was being far too quiet…
Setting his fork down, Steve frowned before asking; "Is something on your mind? You've been quiet since I came back."
Tensing slightly upon the sudden break in silence, Herobrine shrugged his shoulder weakly before answering; "Not really."
"Hmm." Steve hummed before finishing his meal and clearing his side of the table while Herobrine continued to work on his own dish. Nothing more was said between them until after Herobrine finished his meal.
"Damn! That was good! I can't remember the last time I've had fish!" the demon sighed with a satisfied grin on his face.
Unable to stop the weak chuckle that left him, Steve gently shook his head at the other's outburst. "So what have you been eating all those years in the Nether?"
Herobrine sneered at the thought while also answering the miner; "These nasty little mushrooms that grow in the dark there. None of the Mobs there care for them… I know why."
"So… it's safe to say you don't care for anything mushroom related?" he asked with a chuckle. "Well, you should really try Glorenda's soup. It's fantastic!" he added upon receiving a nod from the demon as an answer to his question.
Giving the human an unamused blank stare for a few seconds, Herobrine finally scoffed and pushed himself to his feet. Walking towards the window after scooting the second chair Steve quickly crafted together for him back under the table, he placed his hands to his hips while watching the snow falling to the ground.
Steve noticed the serious expression on the other's face and asked if he were alright. His own nerves were quick to become jittery upon the demon's response stating he thought he saw something.
A few moments passed with nothing being said while Herobrine continued to stare outside. White eyes narrowed suddenly while the Nether ruler glanced over his shoulder towards the miner, "Say, Steve… when were we planning on leaving this place and heading back? I'm sure everyone back in Sanderlorum is pretty worried about you since you weren't planning on being gone this long. I'm sure they'll come out looking for you soon."
Steve blinked before humming, "Yeah… you're right. We've been gone for a few days now…"
"You mean you've been gone." he quickly corrected, "No one is looking for me."
Frowning with a sigh, Steve glanced outside while moving to gather up their supplies. Clearing his throat to gain the other's attention, he grinned while picking up his bag; "So, since you're so eager to leave… ready to head back? If we leave now, we'll make it back in time way before the sun sets. We can start turning the pearls tonight if you like." Steve grinned.
Turning halfway towards the miner, Herobrine seemed to hesitate for a moment before giving a curt nod and moving over towards the fireplace. With a quick wave of his arm, the fire instantly died out, leaving the cabin suddenly darker and colder.
The journey through the woods was a quiet one. Peaceful even in Steve's case.
But as for Herobrine; he couldn't help but growl lowly while wrapping his arms tightly around himself before groaning loudly, "Are you sure I can't just teleport us back to the damn village? It doesn't hurt! I promise! It's cold out here and I'm sick of it!"
Steve rolled his eyes with a short shake of his head. "Oh, don't be such a baby. If I can put up with the heat around me at times you can deal with the cold. You're making it sound like it's hurting you." He then smirked; "Besides, I thought you had no weaknesses?"
"I don't!" he replied firmly and dare Steve say almost a little offended. "I just don't like the cold."
The miner chuckled while shaking his head. "Also… why did you put that blindfold back on? You don't' think we'll run into anyone else while out here, do you?"
Herobrine remained silent; pouting even at Steve's grin while the human continued to chuckle. About to say something else to the other, he was silenced by Herobrine cursing under his breath while halting in his steps, putting his hand up to hush the human before he could say anything.
He strained his ears while glancing around the snow covered land, trying to pin-point the sounds he had just picked up on.
Steve, by now knowing full well whenever Herobrine acted this way danger was nearby, slowly moved closer towards the demon while quickly taking in their surroundings. "Brine, what's wrong? Is it a Mob?" he whispered hastily.
The Nether ruler shook his head before hissing under his breath for the miner to hear; "Human."
Steve stopped dead and blinked at the demon. A human? Did he mean there was someone else out here with them? Just as he leaned closer to ask the man, he instead found himself pushed none too gently to the cold ground with Herobrine on top of him.
"What the hell was that for?" Steve hissed. He then blinked and looked up; shock hitting him upon seeing an arrow sticking out of a nearby tree. "What…?"
Pushing himself to his feet and away from Steve, Herobrine was able to at last locate the men that had been following them for a little while now. "Show yourselves!" he demanded.
Getting to his feet and brushing snow off of himself, Steve looked over towards the direction the Nether ruler was glaring in.
"They've been following us." Herobrine whispered when Steve came to stand beside him.
"They?" The nod he received from Herobrine wasn't the only confirmation he got. He swallowed thickly while taking a small step back as three cloaked and armed men stepped out from behind the trees.
"They're the main reason why I wanted to leave the cabin. They found it. You weren't safe." the demon explained in a low tone. "They're also why I really wanted to just teleport us… they've been following us since we left. So clearly breaking into a small cabin wasn't their main objective…"
Steve narrowed his eyes while standing his ground, "What do you think they want from us?"
Herobrine didn't answer. He kept his covered eyes on the man wearing a dark green cloak. He could just sense from the man's arrogance radiating off him he was their leader. The one to the man's right wore a brown cloak while the one to his left wore a white one that matched the snow around them.
Watching the men standing with weapons drawn, Herobrine slowly shifted himself to be more in between them and Steve. "Stay your business!" His annoyance and anger began rising and meshing together as the three men remained silent and still, their hoods keeping their faces concealed in shadows save for their smirking lips.
All too suddenly, the one in green charged at Herobrine while holding his sword up; the one wearing the brown cloak ran at Steve while the one in white ducked behind a tree and disappeared into the snowy background.
Herobrine cursed just as his attacker was upon him; successfully sidestepping out of the striking zone of the man's blade just as he swung it in an attempt at his life. "You fools have made a big mistake messing with us…" the demon warned just before reaching out and grabbing the man by his wrists and holding him at bay.
Steve successfully dodged own assailant just as the man lunged at him as if to try and grab him. "Just what the hell did we do to you guys? Why are you attacking us!?" he tried reasoning with the men. However, they blatantly ignored him.
The one wearing the brown cloak ran at Steve yet again, swinging a punch at the miner's face that was easily dodged. The man cursed as he swung another fist around, yet again missing its mark as Steve ducked out of the way. Throwing a third punch that Steve actually caught versus dodging, the man grinned while quickly taking out a short dagger barely even three inches long from his belt and taking full advantage of having Steve within such a close range.
With a loud shout and deranged tooth baring grin, the man violently thrust the dagger towards Steve's stomach, the miner just barely catching site of the weapon in time to evade the attack.
The man being held at bay by Herobrine saw the rather aggressive attack his teammate displayed and snarled; "Watch it you fucking moron!"
Angered by the fact he was yelled at and Steve evading his attack, the man let out another scream of anger and brought the knife downwards, managing to deeply embed the blunt and dirty blade into Steve's right thigh almost to the hilt, letting a smug smirk of satisfaction spread across his face at the pained cry he received from the younger male.
Herobrine looked over his shoulder at the sound to see Steve trying to fend off his attacker, covered eyes opening wide upon seeing the cloaked man trying to dig the blade even deeper into the other's muscle, pulling cries of agony from the brunette as the man kept cutting up his flesh.
"Steve!" Herobrine called out before turning to face the man he was still fighting against, "How dare you harm him… You and ALL of your friends will regret this dearly!" he warned in a dark tone.
The man smirked evilly while managing to hold back the demon's strength, "Heh heh… if you think a small cut is bad, just wait until we get him back to our base. This land has been waiting for hundreds of years for the new Great Hero of legend to come. Can you imagine what people would pay just to see him? Take that and double, no, triple it when they learn they can do more than just see him!"
It was Herobrine now who grinned madly, covered eyes glaring hard; "Whoring him out would make you filthy rich you sick fuck. Too bad you bastards won't get that chance though!" he hissed.
Suddenly no longer feeling he should be hiding his strength from these men as they clearly meant to do harm to them, Herobrine shoved his arms forwards and knocked the man backwards and towards the ground. Not giving his attacker much time to recover, he was upon him with his diamond pickax.
Seeing the tool turned weapon appearing from nowhere, the man shouted in a mix of surprise and mild fear while rolling away just as the demon brought the sharpened tip down and striking the snow covered ground where he had been mere seconds before; "W-where the fuck did you get that from? You weren't armed before!"
Herobrine said nothing as he effortlessly pulled his weapon free.
Steve grunted while using his free hand to grip at his attacker's wrist, squeezing it enough to cause the man to loosen his hold on the handle of the dagger and pull his hand away from it. Managing to hold the slightly taller man at bay, the pain to his thigh burned through Steve's nerves sharply as the human resisted the urge to grip at the wound and leaving himself wide open for further assaults.
All the while, his attacker was grinning widely at him as he watched him struggling. He lifted his head enough to expose his twisted expression as he at last spoke to the miner as Steve lifted his eyes to glare angrily into the man's green. "Damn shame you aren't female. I bet you'd be a pretty little thing!" he chuckled darkly at Steve's shocked expression.
Shock quickly wearing off, it was Steve next who weakly chuckled with a forced grin; "Well, sorry to disappoint you."
"Nah. I'm far from disappointed! I'm one to bend the rules as long as I get off in the end. Least you're nice to look at! And those eyes of yours… can't afford to lose you again." he whispered the last sentence with a dark desire that sent chills down Steve's spine.
'What? Again? Are these the men from the tavern that Herobrine had talked about? If so… then they apparently brought a friend along this time around, because I thought it was just two.'
Steve was pulled from his thoughts upon the man yanking his hand free from when the miner caught his punch and instead wrapped his arm around the other's waist and pulled him against himself; "No need to struggle. Now let's get a good look at you. And maybe even a little sample." He grinned while leaning towards the struggling male.
"You wish!" was all the warning Steve gave before his right fist collided hard against his attacker's cheek and shoving the stunned man away from him.
"Fuck! You're a feisty little shit, aren't ya!?" he shouted while rubbing his sore cheek and grinning. "You're gonna be a fun one to break!" His shouting and words instantly gained himself Herobrine's full attention; the demon suddenly ignoring the man he was advancing on and was now moving towards his new target.
Steve didn't hear the man's words as he no longer was able to ignore the pain to his thigh. He hissed as he clutched at the wound caused by the small embedded knife.
Knowing he was still in danger as he sensed the man advancing towards him once again, Steve stumbled while trying to walk backwards to keep the distance between them. However, too distracted by both the pain and the man grinning madly at him, the miner missed the third man who had stayed mainly in the shadows since the attack began taking aim at him from a distance with a bow, the archer aiming straight for the hero's uninjured thigh.
However, Herobrine caught the motion and with a low growl, he forced his weapon to vanish while running at Steve. With a shout of the man's name, Herobrine tackled him; wrapping his left arm tightly around the stunned miner's waist while his free hand moved to the blindfold to yank it off. White eyes now exposed, he gave a vengeful glare aimed towards the leader of the three-man group just as he pushed Steve out of the line of fire the same moment the arrow was released.
A strange coldness enveloped Steve's entire being at that instant as white noise filled his ears for barely a heart beat's length in time. And when he fell to his hands and knees on the ground, it wasn't snow or grass he felt beneath him.
It was smooth as stone… but was hot!
A shout of surprise at the heat left him as Steve struggled to quickly push himself up with Herobrine's aid. "W-what happened? Where are we?" He stammered while looking around in a panic, seeing them no longer in the woods but in a dark enclosed room that was bare of anything that gave even a glimmer of a hint to their current location.
The walls, ceiling and floor were all coloured the same deep maroon. Hearing strange noises directly behind him, he threw a glance over his shoulder before crying out in surprise and stumbling against Herobrine's chest.
A large portal made up of what he assumed were Obsidian blocks was in the middle of the large room, a purple haze swirling around within the blocks and indicating the portal was active.
The noises that reached his ears once his shock began wearing off were of nothing he's ever heard before. Or so he thought at first…
Strange moaning and grunting coming from somewhere outside the square room and iron door that was closed behind Herobrine, while what sounded like a sad child echoed from the distance. Slowly the sounds and the heat and the smell of molten lava were beginning to hit some recognition, causing Steve to suddenly feel like he was punched in the face the instant he was able to put a name to their location; "Wait a minute, Brine… I've—I've been here before…!"
"Well, sort of." Steve turned his head with a quirked brow to face Herobrine upon his words. "The last encounter I had with you while you were sleeping; before physically approaching you. When you were feeling the effects of that damn fever? I had brought your sub-consciousness here. I guess I panicked, okay? I didn't know where else to take you that I knew—for a fact—you'd be safe while your injuries healed. Nor did I have the time to ask for your permission to bring you here by teleportation." he added the last sentence with a snap of annoyance.
Steve's eyes grew wide, his shock making him momentarily forgetting about the throbbing pain he was in as he tried struggling out of Herobrine's grasp. "Then I'm right? We're… we're actually in the Nether…?"
"Look. This doesn't change the person you are or anything. Alright? People used to come here all the time before I got banished here! Being in the Nether isn't going to make you an evil person or anything! So stop giving me that look!" he growled with a glare while also tightening his hold on the human.
Steve let out an uncharacteristic whine suddenly, causing Herobrine to raise a brow. "It's too hot though! I thought it was hot before but this is unbearable! I can barely breathe…" he gasped out, earning a slightly annoyed sigh from the demon.
"Hmm. I guess the Nether's high temperatures would be too much for a human not used to extreme heat to be able to withstand… And unfortunately ever since catching that damn fever, your body is even more susceptible to the heat now." 'On second thought…? Maybe bringing him to the Nether wasn't such a wise idea… he could easily get heat sickness while here…' He snorted while growling at himself for not thinking clearly.
"Is there any place here that's cooler than this room at least?" Steve asked with a thin hint of hope in his voice. His mind then became sidetracked as he bent forward with a hiss, left hand to his bleeding thigh.
Herobrine studied him for a few seconds before speaking again, his tone low and almost uncertain; "Well… there is one place here that's at a more comfortable degree for you to at least be able to rest and heal easier…" he trailed off.
Just as Steve was about to ask where it was, he felt Herobrine's arm wrapping around him once more, his face heating up greatly at the contact. That same coldness and white noise filled him as they teleported to a different location within the Nether. A larger room to be more precise.
The first thing he noticed was the fact that Herobrine was correct. The temperature was indeed cooler than where they were just at. Quite noticeably cooler actually.
It wasn't super large, but wasn't really small either. They stood in what looked like the entrance way to the room, behind them being a large metal-looking door that looked locked separating the room from the rest of what he was guessing was his fortress. On either side of them were wide L shaped staircases that led up to the second floor.
Directly in front of them looked like a large cage, inside it Steve wasn't able to make out as his vision continued being obscured from the pain he was in. Lava circled and bubbled around whatever was being held within the iron bars, almost as if creating another form of protection.
Whether it was in ensure that no one got into the cage… or whatever could be inside got out, Steve had no idea.
Tilting his head up slightly had the human silently gasping in awe upon seeing a massive chandelier constructed from a decretive combination of glowstones and Redstone torches hanging from the center of the tall ceiling and illuminating the large room in a dim glow.
Feeling Steve slightly hesitating against him when he tried to move him, Herobrine sighed with a small shake of his head. Human curiosity… Something he certainly didn't miss. But with it being Steve…? It surprisingly enough didn't bother him. "Come on. You can explore later. Right now, we've got to take care of your injury." Herobrine whispered while finally being able to lead the human up the stairs to their right.
He hadn't thought about the steps before bringing Steve here, but decided it best not to test his luck with teleporting the man for a third time within such a short time span. So they took each step up slowly and carefully until at last reaching the second floor. Steve's curious eyes did well to distract him from much of the pain he was in. Especially once they reached the second floor.
Lining the walls to his right were large shadow boxes holding mint and finely crafted diamond tools. And on the opposite side to his left lining the wall just at the top of the other staircase were more shadow boxes housing equally mint and finely crafted pieces of diamond armor.
He's only dreamed of seeing a full set! And this whole time Herobrine owns a complete and unused set! And the bastard has it on display!?
"Steve. You can ask me anything and ogle over everything. Just please let's take care of your wound first?" Herobrine softy snapped at the miner, successfully gaining his attention away from the tools and armor hanging on the wall and towards a small set of steps leading up into a smaller room.
As they walked, Steve was able to make out a difference in material they walked upon. Glancing down, he blinked as he saw not stone but black carpeting that looked to be made from the finest wool.
Limping now rather badly while also leaving a slightly noticeable trail of blood droplets, Steve relied heavily on the Nether ruler for support up the small set of stairs leading into what was indeed a much smaller room.
Redstone torches hung from the two large pillars that reached up to the ceiling right beyond the entryway they were standing in at the top of the steps, dimly lighting up pathways going both left and right that led to two steps that went up to a higher floor.
Upon taking a few steps further into the room, Steve was able to make out some furniture that consisted of a table and chair if you went up to the left, and to the right were two chairs facing one another.
In the two far corners of the room, hanging from the ceiling were small clusters of glowstones, being only bright enough to barely light up the corners they hung in.
Waiting until his eyes adjusted more, Steve broke the uncomfortable silence; "It's awfully dark in this particular room…"
Herobrine then led him up the path that was to the left, carefully guiding the limping man around the small corner and up two more steps, "Yeah well… I don't really like a lot of lighting in the places I sleep." After saying that, he brought the other to a halt; clearing his throat while releasing the hold he had on the miner.
Steve stared, unsure of what to make of what he was staring at just in front of him.
A large, king-sized bed with pristine sheets and blanket was centered against the back wall. Six of the fluffiest looking pillows lined the head of the bed, the sheets and cases looking to be made of silk while the blanket a thick wool.
The sheets and cases were coloured the same deep almost ruby-red of the walls that made up the Nether fortress while the blanket was black.
Steve swallowed thickly as his mind began jumping to too many thoughts and conclusions, preventing his body from moving any further even as Herobrine tried pushing him closer towards the large piece of furniture.
"What is the matter with you all of a sudden? It's just a bed…"
"Is this…?"
A heavy sigh escaped Herobrine as he gave up, walking around Steve instead and flopping down on the mattress. "My room? Yes…"
Steve just remained where he was left, staring at the enticingly comfortable looking bed.
Pushing himself up into a sitting position, Herobrine tilted his head to the side, a grin spreading on his face, "Not afraid of a bed… are you?"
"N-no! Just… You don't need to go out of your way to help me. I still don't understand why you are." he spoke in a low tone while turning his head to the side. Spotting the chair and table that was behind him, he motioned towards them. "I'll rest there. Besides, I don't want to dirty your sheets." he said while motioning down to his still bleeding thigh.
With a loud sigh, Herobrine pushed himself to his feet, "Really? The bed is far more comfortable. Plus I'll be able to get a better look at your thigh from it." He continued while approaching the other once more. "What is the big deal anyways?"
A deep crimson blush heated Steve's cheeks as he shook his head, avoiding eye contact while speaking in a hushed but hurried tone, "I don't feel comfortable… Who knows what you could've done in that bed…"
Herobrine just gawked at him for a few seconds before laughing, placing a hand to his forehead for a moment until he was able to calm himself enough to speak. "Uh… I've slept in it? Though recently I haven't been able to since we've been traveling... Must admit I've missed it. It's far more comfortable than those shitty ass beds that were in those awful Inns we've stayed at." Then it was like he was hit with a brick suddenly, an evil smirk spreading across his face at the idea that came to him upon seeing Steve's expression. "Waaaait just a minute… You were referring more to whom I could've done in this bed… weren't you, Steve?"
The blush deepened in hue from growing embarrassment as he swallowed thickly, quickly turning his head away and trying to make his way towards the chair and table, his thigh throbbing horribly now. "Look, I personally really don't care! I just want to sit down and rest… my leg is killing me…"
Before he was able to reach his destination however, Herobrine was right before him. 'Damn his powers…' Steve thought bitterly while taking an unbalanced step back.
"Aww, is somebody jealous?" he teased, chuckling at the angered glare he received. Sighing as he took the hint Steve wasn't in the mood to be messed with, he threw his hands up in self-defense for a second before dropping them to hang by his sides again; "Look, if it makes you feel any better… I have had no one in that bed but myself. You're the first human to enter the Nether since my banishment in fact. I built this room and this entire portion of this fortress after I was locked away here. So even if I wanted to have someone here… I wasn't exactly able to. Truth be told actually… you're the first living creature to even be in this room aside myself… " he trailed off, almost like he was just as surprised as Steve was at this knowledge. "I've never even allowed any of the Nether's Mobs in here. The closest to my room they've ever been allowed is downstairs…" He paused as he stared at the carpet for a second. Shaking his head suddenly, he chuckled to cover up his own shock as he continued, "Besides, those days are long ago in the past. Now too many people fear my name. I'm sure I couldn't get anyone to lie down beneath me unless I used force." He held an almost sad looking smile for a moment.
Steve frowned as he listened, his shock fading and slowly replaced with the smallest amount of pity for this man. He would never come out and say such nonsense to the demon, fearing what he would do should he find out a mere human was feeling pity for him. Blinking his eyes as they continued to sting from the pain he was in, he gave a glance back over towards the inviting-looking bed.
It did look very comfortable… Even if it is Herobrine's bed… If he would be able to recover his strength and his wound is able to heal faster, then he should take advantage of the offer. Right?
With a soft sigh that held a hint of defeat, Steve gave a curt nod and allowed Herobrine to help him back up the two steps and towards the bed after the demon huffed an annoyed "Finally." under his breath.
With slight hesitation, he kicked his shoes off when given a 'don't dare think about putting your shoes on my bed' look from the Nether ruler, before slowly climbing on top the mattress, surprise filling him at just how comfortable it was!
Seeing the relaxing look in the man's violet eyes, Herobrine chuckled smugly. "I told you so. Now to get a look at your wound... People like that have been known to poison their blades and arrowheads. Sometimes enough to kill, but more often than that it's usually just enough to cause illness of temporary paralyses."
Steve's eyes snapped open. "Poison? If I were poisoned, are you able to cure it?" he asked with obvious concern in his voice.
Herobrine paused for a moment and simply stared at the human blankly. "Did you seriously just ask me that? Clearly you've forgotten who I am and what I'm capable of doing, Steve."
"Hmm… y-you're right. Sorry about that." He then hissed softly while shifting into a more comfortable stop on the bed.
Becoming too distracted by the feeling of his body just sinking into the heavenly mattress, Steve nearly jumped out of his skin the instant he heard the sound of his pants being ripped apart. Looking down at his thigh, his heart began pounding against his ribcage at what he saw.
Herobrine had a rather sharp looking dagger in his hand and was carefully cutting the material away from the open wound. 'W-where the fuck did he get that from?!' Steve began to panic until his further observation caught him off guard; causing him to relax as he watched Herobrine work.
He couldn't believe just how gentle the other was trying to be… Between the way he leaned in closer when coming to a bad angle so as to make sure he didn't accidentally bump the knife still sticking from his thigh as he continued to slowly cut the ruined material away to expose the wound, to the way he would pause with each gasp and flinch from the miner, only continuing again after receiving a nod to do so.
Steve forced himself to look away as his face suddenly began heating up greatly the longer he continued watching Herobrine and staring at his face, not liking the strange feeling of tightness that was beginning to form in his throat and mild warmth that started to spread throughout his body before settling between his thighs. His heart was no longer drumming against his ribcage like a cornered wolf trying to find an escape. But rather was fluttering gently against his chest like a feather in a light breeze.
He was so unfamiliar with these feelings and hated the fact that he seemed to only get them around Herobrine and Herobrine only! He couldn't even really pin point when in time he's started experiencing them. Only recently had he taken notice of them!
If there was anything to be grateful from this whole mess, he'd have to say it was the pain. Because of how badly he was hurting, it was preventing the warming arousal he was feeling from awakening a certain part of him.
Once the Nether ruler managed to cut enough of the material away to fully expose the injury, Herobrine narrowed his eyes upon seeing the bloody and damaged flesh already showing signs of bruising from the force of the rather blunt knife. Upon further examination of the extent of the wound, Herobrine made a startling discovery. "Those humans meant to kill you, Steve. Or at least make sure you wouldn't be able to get away. Any idea as to why?"
A shake of his head was his first response. Until he saw Herobrine was still studying his wound and missed the motion so verbalized it, "No. I've never seen them before tonight… so I don't know what grudge they'd have against me." He hissed quickly as the other gently placed his hand around the handle of the knife.
"This has got to come out, Steve. I'm not going to lie… this'll hurt." he warned before his blank eyes glanced up to look the miner in his violet. "Don't hold your breath."
With a quick nod from Steve, Herobrine whispered something that went unheard by Steve as the miner gave out a sharp cry of pain just as the knife was swiftly pulled out; small blood splatter flinging from the blade and across the glowstone that hung directly above them.
A growled out curse was then heard from Steve as pressure was applied to the wound now as it bled profusely, the blade of the knife no longer acting as a stunt for the bleeding. "I feel faint…" he weakly breathed.
"It was deep. It'll take some time to heal fully… Even with the aid of a healing potion. Despite its short length it penetrated deeply into your muscle, Steve. I need to hurry and finish with this… You're losing a considerable amount of blood now." he spoke in a low tone as he concentrated on completing the treatment as quickly as possible.
"Dammit…" he groaned while his eyes squeezed shut, feeling a stinging that burned his thigh as the Nether ruler started to suture the opening! Nausea began bubbling up his throat next as his stomach churned, "I feel like I'm about to get sick…"
"Not in my bed you're not, Steve. You hang yourself over the edge if you're about to do that." he warned.
Steve mentally cursed at the other before adding; "… and like I'm about to pass out." his body feeling extremely hot and dizzy.
"Stay with me, Stevie. I'm almost done. You can rest when it's over." he urged, finishing up the last few passes of the thread to ensure his wound was sealed closed.
"Stop saying my name like that." Steve growled out so suddenly and surprisingly strong between clenched teeth.
Herobrine paused and blinked while lifting his gaze from the wound he was nearly finished suturing. He obviously held a confused expression on his face, because Steve blushed with a glare on his, turning his head to the left so he was able to look away from the demon's staring gaze. "Stop saying it like you care…" he spoke in a low tone, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth for a few seconds before adding, "… it's confusing and I'm sick of it…"
Nothing was said from the other as he remained still, his glowing eyes wide and unblinking. Finally, he merely hummed softly while lowering his now lidded gaze to focus back on the task at hand.
The two of them remained in an uncomfortable silence until Herobrine was completely finished with treating his thigh. The wound began bleeding through the bandage, earning an annoyed click of Herobrine's tongue against his teeth. "I will have to keep changing the bandage every few hours until the bleeding stops. Rest for now, Stevi—Steve." he trailed off, eyes narrowed while he pushed himself to his feet.
Gathering up all the materials used to treat his injury that Steve still had no idea just where he had gotten them from, he turned to walk towards the opening they came in when Steve gasped out; "They… the one who stabbed me…"
Herobrine halted and turned towards him with a raised brow.
Steve fumbled about on top the bed until he was comfortable again before continuing, "He had said they can't… afford to lose me again…? Brine, were they… from the tavern? If so, what do I have that they want!?"
Herobrine stared at him, his body trembling from the effort to contain his rage. He had a feeling they were a part of that same group. He just wasn't one hundred percent sure. Not wanting to alarm the human by telling him his apparent worth to those who had attacked him, Herobrine sighed to himself with a roll of his shoulder; "He could've just been on something."
"Brine!?" Steve called out while struggling to push himself up on his elbows. He hissed at the throbbing from his thigh and tightness in his chest at the sudden coldness he was being treated with.
Walking down the steps and towards the opening that lead out to the large foyer, Herobrine paused just before passing through and simply added; "Sleep. I'll be back to check on the bandage and change it later."
"W-where are you going?" he asked, hating how weak he sounded at that moment.
Herobrine didn't turn to face him, "I'm going to do some digging around on those three men that were after you." And before Steve could say anything else, Herobrine was gone. Instead of going downstairs and leaving out the door, the man simply just disappeared; teleporting out of the bedroom and to who knows where within the massive fortress. Or if he was even still in the Nether.
And now Steve was left alone in silence.
He sighed while slowly settling down more into the bed, hissing from time to time as the wound stung. "Bastard could've at least given me something to help numb the pain…" he groaned while shifting, hands balling into the soft sheets.
Lying still, he stared up at the ceiling, eyes transfixed on the dim glow from the stone set into the Netherstone that made up the entire fortress. He knows he should rest… but he wasn't tired. And how exactly could he be expected to rest considering the pain he was in?
That aside… he was somewhere he had only heard of. With the Nether having been closed off for over six hundred years… no one who lived today had any clue as to what exactly was in the Nether or what it even looked like. And he couldn't help the strong burst of a potential gloating pride at knowing he was the first human to enter since it had been sealed off.
And even though the passageway is open once more, he could only imagine Herobrine has both portals under such tight lock and key, no one would be able to enter!
He wanted to explore this place. Even if it were just the demon's room! He was certain the doors downstairs were locked. And even if they weren't, he wasn't stupid enough to leave. He had no armor, no weapons and had no clue what was out there. Nor did he think Herobrine told the Mobs here to not harm him.
What was really nagging him… was what could be in that cage that was just below him.
Carefully pushing himself up into a sitting position, Steve slid out of the comfortable bed and tried his luck with walking. Though it was with a bad limp, he was able to slowly make his way towards the opening with the aid of the walls.
Peeking out to ensure he was alone, he took a deep breath and began his slow journey to at least explore the large room his was left alone in.
To Be Continued…
A/N - I apologize for the decrease in updates for this story. The hospital I work at is undergoing major construction and remodeling and with season literally right around the corner... it's just been hectic that by the time I get home, I'm too exhausted to work on this story. Considering I work 40 hrs a week and 2nd shift so my "free time" is very limited right now, lol.
I'm not saying I'm ceasing the continuation for Legend of The End. I'm simply saying it's just... gonna take a little longer to finish. It's gone past it's half way marker a few chapters ago... and *spoiler alert* the next chapter will have (FINALLY) the long awaited explicit content between Steve and Herobrine. Of course, not saying it's the ONLY time between them...
Anyways, thank you all for the support! Everyone's reviews and private messages and favs/follows have helped me out a lot! The next chapter should be following closely behind this one since it's practically done as well!
*Again a huge special thanks to slingading for the fantastic cover art for this story! Thank you so much and much love to you!*