Chapter 3
It was completely silent in Herobrine's big castle, but that did not bother Nuka.
On the contrary, he rather enjoyed the silence that this great Masonry brought him. As a result he could read the book he had just found in the library without distraction.
But just as he was about to start reading, this happened!
The door to the library flew open explosively and several people entered the room. Nuka couldn't recognize them at first, but when he finally did, the blood in his veins froze from the shock!
In front of him stood a couple of soldiers who looked suspiciously like the ones who had chased Nuka all the way to the Nether. Moreover, in front of them was none other than his former Tormentor himself!
,,Well well well, Nuka" he replied with a nasty grin on his face, "did you miss me?"
Nuka stared at him unable to say anything. He could feel his body start to shake.
He dropped the book, spun on his heel and ran away as fast as he could through the long corridors of the castle!
While he ran, he desperately tried to find a hiding place or even better Herobrine, but neither of them could be found and not only that!
The walls became darker and darker, the familiar red of the Netherbricks disappeared and was replaced by the gray, thicker, much larger bricks that Nuka knew only too well from Steve's dungeons…which only increased his fear and panic!
He had to get out of here as fast as he could!
But no matter where he ran, every time he sooner or later ended up in a dead end.
Desperately he tried to use his powers to teleport himself out of here somehow, but nothing worked.
Frustrated and close to tears, Nuka hit the rock wall that once again blocked his way before turning around and looking for another exit, when he suddenly noticed a shadow on the wall.
A shadow that frightened him terribly.
,,Where do you think you're going, kid?" he heard the taunting voice of his tormentor whisper behind him a moment later, "Do you really think you can just run away?"
Nuka froze before slowly turning to look at his Tormentor who was standing at the entrance to the dead end he was now trapped in.
He grinning evilly at him.
"Forget it!" he continued a second later, "You will never leave this place again! You will never get away from me again!"
With these words, he pulled out a whip and slowly walked towards Nuka with it.
At the sight of the whip, Nuka whimpered softly and cowered in a corner of the wall.
He only wanted to go home…
At that moment he heard someone call his name!
First he thought it would have been his Tormentor, but when he heard the voice a second time he realized that it was his mother!
Startled and surprised, Nuka lifted his head and looked at his mother. She was standing in the hallway instead of his Tormentor, looking at him with a worried expression.
What was she doing here?
But before he could ask her, she was at Nuka's side, looking at him with a pitying face.
,,I'm so glad I finally reached you," she continued without further ado, addressing Nuka, who was still staring at her, stunned and confused, "I'm so sorry you're having this terrible dream, but you have to listen to me now, I don't have much time."
She sighed deeply and shook her head sadly before turning her gaze back to Nuka.
,,You must go to Herobrine in the end and warn him!" she continued in an urgent voice, "He is about to make a terrible mistake! A mistake that will cost him his life if he doesn't...!"
At that moment, she gasped in fright and disappeared into nothingness causing Nuka to snap out of his sleep.
Immediately he sat up and looked around nervously.
He was back in his luxurious room in the castle where Herobrine had brought him after his rescue.
Since then, this room had become his new home and was one of the few places where Nuka felt truly safe.
He had not left the castle since his rescue.
Uncertainty, Nuka looked around before sighing and wearily wiping the sweat of his forehead that he often had all over his body after such nightmares.
He had had these kind of dreams before but since his stay in the dungeon they had become so bad that they hadn't allowed him sleep. This was until Herobrine had come and given him these herb-based sleeping potions.
They were a good remedy and helped Nuka to finally be able to sleep again without fear of having nightmares. Unfortunately they did not always help.
From time to time the nightmares came this time it was different. This night had been something special and not only because of his mother.
No, also that his former Tormentor had chased him through this castle was something he hadn't experienced before.
Maybe it's because Herobrine isn't here and I don't feel so safe anymore, he thought sadly, feeling his heart grow heavy.
It had only been 2 days since Herobrine had woken him up one morning and told him that he had to leave for a few days.
Of course Nuka had been horrified and had begged Herobrine not to leave him alone, but he had not changed his mind.
On the contrary, he seemed more annoyed than concerned about Nuka's fear of being left alone, which he made very clear.
,,Hey! Clam down!" Nuka heard him say again in a harsh voice, "You're on me like a limpet! Why can't you just stay alone for a while!?"
Nuka remembered well how shocked and dismayed he had been by this statement.
Herobrine seemed to have noticed his reaction as well, because only a short moment later he sighed deeply before running his hand over his face in annoyance.
,,Listen," he had finally continued in an effortly calm tone to Nuka, "just stay here in the castle and nothing will happen to you, okay?"
With these words he turned away and disappeared without another word to Nuka.
Nuka sighed sadly when he thought about it.
He knew that the castle, because of its location in the Nether and all the mobs around it, was well protected from any attacks even without its ruler, but Nuka would still have preferred it if he stayed.
Not only because he could protect Nuka the best, but also because he was the only one who could take care of him and calm him down after such nightmares.
So far he could calm himself with the thought that Herobrine knew what he was doing and that he would not break his promise to be back soon. But the news his mother gave him worried him.
He knew that spirits could visit the dreams of the living and tell them messages and other things, but he didn't expect his mother to do that.
Not because she did not want to, but rather because she could not.
Herobrine had once told him that spirits who had done bad things or were related to a hybrid or criminal or something had a rather low status and therefore could not do such things.
Nuka sighed deeply as he thought of her.
He didn't know exactly how she had managed to visit him and where she had gotten all the information from, but Nuka didn't care.
He knew his mother would never tell him something like that for fun.
She knew exactly how much Herobrine and especially the safety of the castle meant to him and would never force him to leave it unless it was absolutely necessary.
I wish I had gotten more information from her, Nuka thought before running one finger through his messy hair. He finally got dressed and quickly left the room after making sure everything was safe outside.
He would have loved to run to the nearest end portal and travel to the End right away. If he wasn't so afraid of the world outside the castle and especially the Overworld of course.
In the past Nuka had had no problem going outside but that had drastically changed since his imprisonment in Steve's dungeon.
With this thought, Nuka stopped and looked outside of one of the many windows from where he could see the Nether clearly.
Just the thought of going out there made his heart beat faster and he could feel his hands start to tremble, followed by extreme sweating. Nuka quickly turned away from the window and walked quickly down the corridor while trying to calm himself down again.
No! He couldn't go out there!
Not when he was having a panic attack just thinking about it!
But I have to do something! he thought desperately as he leaned against a wall, angry at himself and his stupid weakness. I can't just sit here and do nothing! Not after receiving such a warning!
But what if Herobrine doesn't want your help after all? he suddenly heard a quiet voice in his head say I mean he seemed to be nothing but annoyed with you lately anyway. Especially considering your last conversation. He probably already regrets becoming your friend.
Nuka felt his heart clench.
He had known that it would not be easy with Herobrine, and in the beginning everything had been good.
Herobrine had taken good care of him and helped him whenever he had problems because of his injuries or with his nightmares. But by now Nuka had the feeling that he no longer did that because he really cared about him, but rather because he felt obligated.
In the past, he had done his best to help Nuka with his nightmares, but they seem to be getting on his nerves.
Moreover, he was still incredibly distant and never told him what he was doing when he wasn't with Nuka. Not even when Nuka asked him about it.
He also noticed that his visits had become more and more rare lately. And when he was there he didn't listen to Nuka and hardly seemed to be interested in his interests or problems.
Not to forget the statement about him just before he disappeared.
Nuka felt a stab in his heart when he thought back to it again.
That statement still hurt him even tho he might have deserved it.…
Maybe he really had been a little too clingy.…
I should definitely apologize to him when I see him again he added in his mind I can't let our friendship break because of me. I absolutely have to find a way to get to the end. But how can I do that?
He sighed and was about to turn away to look for something in the library when something suddenly came to his mind!
Without hesitation, he turned and teleported into the Bibliothek, where his eyes immediately fell upon a large map of the Nether that Herobrine had pinned on the wall with many notes and pins.
He had studied the map many times and had been fascinated and admired by all that Herobrine had gathered over the centuries. He had often dragged him here to quiz him on various things regarding the map.
Herobrine had even answered most of his questions, and Nuka thought he remembered quite clearly that he had also talked about a portal that could take him directly to an endportal.
I hope I'm not wrong... Nuka thought worriedly while he skimmed the notes as fast as he could, otherwise I have no idea how else to get there!
At that moment he discovered it!
A note on which in large letters ENDPORTAL was written!
Relieved that his memories had not deceived him, Nuka took the note from the wall and looked quickly at the coordinates that were also marked there.
Perfect! he thought happily, now I just need someone to accompany me!
With these thoughts he teleported away and reappeared a short moment later in front of a cell where a young man was sitting.
He was a little older than Nuka, with fair skin and auburn hair, a worn t-shirt, plain black shoes and short blue pants that were the same color as his cloak.
Nuka smiled when he saw him.
,,Hello Einshine," he finally spoke in a friendly voice, whereupon the young man opposing him raised his head in surprise and turned his face to Nuka.
,,Nuka?" he asked, to which the young man only grinned.
,,Yes, it's me," he confirmed, looking at the Griefer that Herobrine had picked up and captured in the Nether about a week ago.
Actually, Herobrine had wanted to kill him because he had stolen some valuable things from his castle many years ago, but Nuka had prevented that after learning that Einshine was a creeper hybrid. This was also why he was one of the few who could sneak past Herobrine's guards and get in and out of the castle.
Nuka's heart grew heavy as his gaze fell on his counterpart's eyes, which were completely empty and rimmed with several small scars, a clear sign that he too had once been caught and experienced the hatred of Minecrafters.
He remembered Einshine telling him that he had lost his eyesight many years ago at the hands of some Minecrafters because he had tried to escape from their captivity.
Nuka shuddered when he imagined that.
He had thought being trapped and tortured in Steve's dungeon would be bad, but apparently there were actually even crueler things.
Einshine had only survived because other hybrids had saved him and given him a mask that allowed him to see again. Of course not as well as anyone with normal eyes coule but well enough to get by on his own.
Of course, Herobrine had taken it away from him, which is why he was still trapped down here, but that didn't bother Nuka too much because it meant he could finally talk to another hybrid.
Something that he was never able to do before and he had also felt the mistreatment by Minecrafters, which is why Nuka felt even more connected to this Griefer.
"How are you?" he heard the Griefer say in a friendly voice, "Is Herobrine back?"
At this question, his voice took on a slightly nervous undertone, to which Nuka just smiled even though he understood why the Griefer reacted that way.
Herobrine had hurt him pretty badly back then and it had taken the Griefer a whole week to recover from his injuries.
,,No, unfortunately not," he replied with a deep sigh, "That's why I need your help?"
"My help?" Einshine repeated, looking at him in surprise, whereupon Nuka just nodded- until he remembered that Einshine couldn't see that.
,,Yes," he replied quickly, while he could feel the heat shooting up his face.
Fortunately the pang of embarrassment was quickly gone when he remembered why he was here.
,,I...I think...No! I know that he is in great danger! And that's why I have to help him", he finally continued in a serious voice, "I already have the coordinates of a portal that can take us directly to an End Portal. But I...I can't do it alone…"
,,Why not?" Einshine asked confused, whereupon Nuka sighed.
"Because...because I don't feel safe out there a-alone," he finally brought out, while avoiding looking directly at Einshine, knowing exactly how stupid his fear was, "That's why I need you. I need you to come with me and watch my back, in...case something happens."
,,I see..." Einshine replied uncertainty and the doubt was clear on his face.
Fortunately he didn't ask further than "but do you think Herobrine will agree? I don't want to incur Herobrine's anger again."
At this question his voice became nervous again, but Nuka just shook his head.
,,It doesn't matter now," he replied as he unlocked the door, "Right now, all that matters is that he's in danger and needs our help. And even if he should be angry about it," he continued with a smile, "I promise you that I will make sure he doesn't do anything to you."
Einshine looked at him doubtfully, but finally he sighed in surrender.
,,All right," he replied, "I still don't have a good feeling about this, but it seems I have no choice if it's the only way to get out of this cell"
"Given you have my mask with you," he continued with a wary smile at Nuka, "otherwise I'll be completely useless to you out there."
But Nuka only smiled in response.
"Don't worry," he replied with a smile, "I'll give you your mask in a minute."