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Nullblaster: ok :]
Meryl stared out over the snowy fields, oblivious to her surroundings, until a touch on her arm made her jump.
"Meryl, come on." Sergeant Tekno urged her, and the valkyrie allowed herself to be beckoned along. "The sooner we get you to the Aether, the sooner we can go after Eve."
"Right…" Meryl followed him down the road, still looking lost in thought. Commander Zenith headed their little expedition, and Steven took up the rear, keeping a concerned eye on Meryl to ensure that she did not get left behind.
Shortly after Herobrine had left the previous night, Evangeline had slipped away as well, with only a promise to Meryl that she would return soon. When she did not reappear for several hours, Zenith went out looking for her, and found a patch of disturbed snow mixed with fresh blood. This was troubling to Steven, as he was fairly sure he had heard her go after his brother - if she was in danger, Herobrine may be also.
Meryl had been asleep when the signs of a struggle had been found, meaning that she did not hear of it until about an hour before they left. She was understandably upset that her friend was most likely in danger, and had spent the rest of the morning lost in her own head - hence Steven's watchfulness. She was still quite weak from everything that had happened to her.
The four of them were on their way to the next town over from Mosenta, as there was an Aether portal there. Meryl didn't have the strength to fly, so they were walking, and Steven had decided to accompany them in case they needed another fighter. As soon as they reached the portal, though, he was going back to do some searching of his own. If Evangeline's attackers had left any trail, he was certain that he would be able to find it.
In front of him, Meryl began to drift off the road again, and Steven sped up to redirect her.
"This way." He took her arm, angling her back in the right direction, and Meryl blinked up at him.
"My apologies, my lord."
"It's quite alright. I understand that you're distressed." Steven assured her, but she only frowned and shook her head.
"It's not that. I feel…" She reached up with her free hand, rubbing at her forehead. "...ever since I woke up in the prison, I've felt off. Like there's… something interrupting my thoughts." Steven frowned. Her slow, halting speech was proof enough of that.
"Last night you said you were exhausted." He tried, noting the other two listening to their conversation. "Is it perhaps just fatigue?"
"I suppose," Meryl said, but she didn't sound convinced. Maybe it was just the lingering effects from her death and rebirth, but either way it was something that should be monitored.
Meryl scrunched up her face, kneading at her forehead, and Steven slowed.
"Are you alright?"
"My head hurts." She muttered. A moment later, Steven's sharp ears picked up valkyrie wings cutting through the wind.
He looked up in surprise, moments later spotting a small flock of valkyries coming in their direction.
"Commander," He called. "Are those yours?" Zenith turned to follow his gaze, frowning up at the sky.
"I didn't call for reinforcements." He said slowly.
"They're wearing red." Tekno's hand fitted around the handle of his axe. "Our guys don't wear red." Steven tensed as the valkyries came closer, drawing Meryl close. So more of the undead, then. Though… Meryl was still wearing her uniform.
One of the six valkyries broke off from the pack, dive-bombing Tekno with a long, thin sword in his grasp.
Tekno was forced to dive out of the way to avoid being slammed into the ground, and Zenith immediately fell on his attacker while Tekno recovered. A second valkyrie landed behind Tekno and Steven shouted an alarm, allowing the half-piglin to whirl in time to deflect the oncoming attack. Though the clashing of weapons drowned out much of Steven's enhanced hearing, Steven still heard before he saw two of the remaining valkyries diving for him and Meryl.
Steven threw his free arm into the air, causing a spike of rock to erupt from the ground and knock both valkyries out of the sky.
Meryl gasped sharply, but Steven had no time to explain his actions as the remaining two valkyries moved in to attack. The two he had knocked down were struggling up again, and Steven let the spike of earth fall, rippling the ground beneath them to knock them over again. A valkyrie dived at him and Steven flung up another spike, impaling the attacker through the heart before she could get close. Having second thoughts, the last valkyrie looped away, shooting up towards the clouds again.
"Phil!" Tekno shouted, and Zenith took off after the escapee, as both of them had dealt with their opponents already. Steven turned his attention back to those who were downed. One of them was taking off, trying to flee, and another spike of earth made short work of him. The last valkyrie was struggling to stand, as his leg was bent oddly at the mid-calf. Steven left Meryl's side to stride towards him.
"Who sent you?" He demanded. These were not undead, that much was clear. They acted nothing like Meryl had, mindless, growling and without emotion. The fallen valkyrie sneered at him, fumbling at his robes, but Steven pinned down his arms with a practiced flick of his fingers.
"Need some help?" Tekno called, and Steven glanced up as the half-piglin approached with his battle axe slung casually over his shoulder.
"I think you'd be better off taking this one back to the Aether." Steven nodded to his captive. Tekno grunted noncommittally.
"The other one got away." Zenith touched down beside them, his feathers ruffled in an irritated fashion. "Meryl, are you alright?"
"Yes sir, I'm fine." Meryl hadn't moved from where Steven had left her. "Those… robes look familiar."
"I'd be surprised if this lot wasn't involved in what happened to you." Tekno nudged the valkyrie with his boot, who could do nothing but sit there and glare. "Let's get him tied up."
"I have rope." Steven slung his knapsack over his shoulder and set it on the ground. "We should pick up the pace - they might send more."
"Right." Zenith bent down to assist him. "It's only a few hours walk. We should be there by nightfall.
Evangeline couldn't sleep.
Every time she came even close to slipping into unconsciousness, a particularly harsh stab of pain would startle her back awake and force her to change her position in search of unattainable comfort. She had a hunch that if she were able to lay face-down, the cool stone that made up the floor of her prison would help soothe her aching ribs, but the length of her chains would not allow for it, so she was forced to prop herself up against the wall in whatever position put the least amount of pressure on her wounds.
Herobrine had been quiet while she'd tried to sleep. At one point he had tried to break his way out of his new chains, with little success. Evangeline could understand why. Adrenaline and desperation could make you capable of feats of strength that ordinarily would be impossible.
Currently, Evangeline was hunched against the wall with her wings wrapped around her body, her head pillowed on her feathers and her eyes shut. She wasn't sure how long it had been since Sirben left, but the pain in her ribs had yet to subside. As long as she kept her breaths shallow she was alright…
She twisted again, then jumped as Herobrine spoke.
"Are you sure your ribs aren't broken?" He asked. Evangeline shot him a questioning look, and he went on. "I can hear your breathing. Broken ribs often pain you when you breathe deeply."
"They hurt constantly." She muttered. "It's possible, but there's little we can do about it if they are." Herobrine nodded, remained quiet for a moment.
"May I see?" He finally asked. Evangeline's gaze flickered up to meet his. "Your ribs?" He elaborated.
"Oh." Evangeline shifted slightly, pushing herself up and uncurling herself from her wings. "Alright."
She scooted over, shifting as close as she could get without pinning her wrists in an uncomfortable position, then drew up the hem of her shirt to expose the lower half of her ribs. Her chest and stomach were covered in a mottled patchwork of bruises in shades of green and purple, accompanied by small, trailing burn marks from the electric shocks. Evangeline grimaced at the sight. Broken ribs or not, these would take weeks to heal.
Herobrine's hand shifted downward, then he gave her a questioning look. Evangeline gave a weary nod, and she braced herself as he pressed lightly against the bruises.
The conclusion was, after a couple minutes, that she had no broken ribs. So at least she could be grateful for that. Evangeline straightened her shirt again and curled up against the wall, wishing that her wings were just a little softer.
"You know," She murmured. "You're doing a terrible job of convincing me that I shouldn't love you." Herobrine's gaze snapped back to hers.
"I suppose there's nothing I can do to dissuade your feelings." He gave a helpless shrug. "Nothing I am willing to do, anyway. But I wish you would not."
"Why?"
"Because, as I said, I cannot reciprocate." He focused on the stone tiles on the floor. "And I regret that my rejection hurts you." Evangeline gave a small shake of her head.
"And you claim you don't love me."
"I don't love you - not as you do, anyway. But…" He seemed to struggle for words for a moment. "I… care. I've been around you long enough that it is impossible not to." Evangeline stared at his hand, braced on the floor a few inches away from hers.
"Why are you so convinced that you can't make up for who you were?" She finally asked. "It's been three centuries… for how much longer will you carry this?"
"Three centuries is not- not nearly long enough for-" Herobrine dragged a hand down his face. "Evangeline, do you know what I did as king?" Evangeline frowned.
"Generally, yes, not specifics."
"Then you know about the…" Herobrine hesitated. "...population management." Evangeline nodded quietly.
"Yes." She had heard, in the days just after his banishment, all manner of stories about the cruelty of the Nether King. Among them was that not long before, Herobrine had instructed his armies to cull the population of piglins in his capital and surrounding provinces. This, of course, was a slaughter, one that she now knew to have been sparked by Herobrine's fear of piglins.
"Something like that… is not something that one can make up for." Herobrine's gaze remained fixed on the ground. "I am responsible for the loss of countless lives, because of… the actions of a few insurgents." He paused, then went on. "I was attacked by a group of assassins early into my reign, and the experience gave me… a fear of my own subjects. That is why I attacked Sergeant Tekno in the mineshaft."
"Oh," Evangeline murmured, not willing to reveal that she'd already known. "I… understand that you've done terrible things, but-"
"No, you don't understand." Herobrine cut her off. "You are a valkyrie, you're accustomed to death - these were innocents. They had never threatened me, or anyone else, and I had them killed because I was a coward." He drew in a shaky breath, then let it out. "And that may have been the worst of what I've done, but it was not the first, nor the last." He sat back against the wall, running a hand through his hair, and when he spoke again his voice was slightly calmer. "I don't deserve your affection." He told her quietly. "And you don't deserve to be affiliated with a man like me." Evangeline was quiet for a moment, processing this.
"All that self hatred won't undo what you've done." She stated.
"Nothing will."
"Yes," She agreed. "You're right. Nothing will. But would bettering yourself and changing your reputation not do more for the world than hiding yourself away?" Herobrine didn't answer for a few moments.
"What are you saying?"
"You told me that the world still hates and fears you." Evangeline pressed onwards. "That they still live under the threat of your existence. But the man they are afraid of is gone, and he has been for a long time. Shouldn't you show them that they have nothing to be afraid of?" Herobrine frowned.
"It would not absolve me of my actions." He murmured. "And they would never forgive me."
"That isn't the point." Evangeline rested her hand over his, marveling at how small he made hers look. "You don't need forgiveness to change. You have changed. I think the world should be allowed to see it." Herobrine turned his hand over, capturing her smaller one gently within his own.
"A noble thought," He murmured. "But I don't know if either of us will make it out of here to fulfill it." Evangeline sobered, her gaze shifting to the shackles on their wrists. This situation did seem like it came with only one ending. "I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye," He added, his voice barely above a whisper. "If I hadn't forced you to come after me, you would not be here right now."
"But you would be."
"It doesn't matter. Nothing they can do to me is irreversible." His thumb traced over her knuckles. "I will do what I can to keep you safe."
"At least my death will come at the victory of keeping the cure from him." Evangeline's gaze was locked on their joined hands. His was warm, and she was struggling to keep her breaths even enough to not disturb her ribs. "I should think that, between the two of us, I will be getting the easier way out." Herobrine just gave a quiet nod.
He held her hand for a while, only letting go when another stab of pain from her chest forced her to hunch around her ribs. "Is there anything I can do?" He asked as she slumped against the wall.
"I-" Evangeline's breath hitched as she pictured herself resting her head on his shoulder. "I-I don't think so."
"Alright." Herobrine was still for a beat, a soft frown on his face. Then he reached up, his chains clinking as he cupped her chin and tilted her face upwards. "I'm sorry that I was the one you fell in love with." He murmured as she blinked, face heating at his touch. "And I'm sorry that I wasn't able to save you." He bent his head and kissed her.
Evangeline forgot to breathe when his lips touched hers, the heat rushing through her body drowning out the pain in her chest just until he pulled away. She stared up at him mutely, her lips tingling from his kiss, until her reaction teased a small smile onto his face.
"You can't do that." She whispered, unable to resist returning his smile as giddiness stole over her. "You can't… say you don't love me and then do that."
"I'm sorry," He murmured, his thumb stroking her cheek. "I didn't want to leave you on a bad note." He released her chin, and Evangeline let out a shaky breath. Her heart felt about to beat out of her chest, but she wasn't complaining.
"How much time do you think we have?" She asked, her voice sounding faint to her own ears.
"I don't know." Was Herobrine's response. "He said 'when the others return'. From what, it wasn't clear."
"Mm." Evangeline's thoughts went back to Sirben's threat, that he would kill Meryl, Zenith, and Tekno. Surely he wouldn't succeed. Even with Meryl weak, Zenith and Tekno were two of the finest warriors that the Aether had ever known.
Herobrine's hand rested on her head, nudging her down. "Go to sleep."
"I'll try." Though she wasn't particularly hopeful, Evangeline lowered herself down to the ground again. She shut her eyes, trying to drown out the pain by listening to Herobrine's slow, deep breaths. Oh Notch, he'd kissed her.
Between the excitement and her exhaustion, this time she managed to drift off to sleep.
