Steve's stomach heaved in dry retching, causing sharp pain to pierce along his ribs and stab into the injured point. All he wanted was to curl up in a ball and don't move, allowing his mind to slip away into unconsciousness to find relief. The pain wouldn't let him.
Steel grip of Herobrine's hand kept him up, not letting him collapse to the ground. Steve didn't even remember when Herobrine caught him.
"Steve?" Herobrine's voice held so much concern that Steve opened his eyes and blinked, the world around him blurry.
Bleary blue eyes found his twin's face and found worry in the other's white eyes, studying Steve's face. Herobrine's lips pinched into a flat line even while Steve's eyes filled with tears in gratitude at the unexpected compassion. He had almost come to believe that his twin could care less about what happened to him.
"Steve, stay here and don't move. You will be safe, I promise." Herobrine reassured, weary but also insistent with confidence.
Steve tried to nod, making a shaky smile. Still frowning at him, Herobrine winced as he gently let him down to sit with his back against some sort of wall. It was cool and stony to the touch, rough under Steve's palm.
Glancing past his twin, he blinked at the same pale, yellow color that reminded Steve of something. Those strange blocks that Herobrine's endermen brought to create the gate to another world.
He was sitting in a protected niche, beyond which he could see more of the flat yellow stone. Occasional protrusions rose from the ground, upon which strange, scraggly narrow forms stretched like malformed, leafless trees to the black, void sky – chorus plants.
Steve should have felt fascination at the sight. Until that moment he had only read about this world in library books and seen details in pictures that he hungrily studied. He never thought that he would see such a place with his own eyes. Now he was here and… all he wished was for him to wake up back home, safe and in his bed.
Steve's eyes began to close once more against his volition.
"Steve, it's almost over. Hold on. Just a little longer… Please." Herobrine's quiet voice seemed almost kind and Steve found himself obediently nodding, warmth trying to lift his heart. He was not wrong about him. Herobrine did care about what happened to him. Steve was not just a ploy of some sort, which Herobrine intended to use for his own means. He cared about him.
Steve felt his twin's hand lift away. He didn't hear any footsteps but felt his twin's absence. Surrendering to whatever would happen, Steve rested his head against the warm, rough surface, unable to find the strength to open his eyes and search for where his twin had gone.
And then.
A cold, mocking laugh sounded in the distance, making Steve's body shrink and breath catch in his chest as his heart stumbled into a faster rhythm once more.
No, no, no. Not again! They… They followed them here, too?
Steve's heart fell as a hopeless feeling settled over him.
"You've got nowhere to run, bot! Just give up and die, blip you!" Hateful, young voice spat out some distance away. Steve hoped they couldn't see him, hiding here behind the rocks. He barely dared to breathe, fearing to draw their attention.
And Herobrine? He was going to die, wasn't he? He could do nothing to protect him. He should try to stop them, talk to them! Steve couldn't find the strength to move. His hands shaking, he hid his grimacing face, waiting for the inevitable to happen.
"Look around you, Player." Herobrine's amused tone held no fear.
Silence followed. Steve could almost imagine the two heroes looking around, uncertainty slowing their movements.
"Did you think that I would make it this easy for you?"
"What is this place?..." Same young voice asked, uneasy despite the anger. Steve unwillingly shrunk. He remembered that same voice taunting him as he waited, condemned to a cruel death. He had no assurance that they would not finish what they started once they found him.
"It's the End." The older adventurer's voice came hostile and dull.
"It is for you." Herobrine made a dark huff.
"What are you…"
A distant, angry shriek rose, rolling across the air. The ground itself began to vibrate beneath Steve's huddled form. The aura permeating the sound carried so much disbelieving rage and power that Steve couldn't help feeling small, like an insignificant bug in path of giants once more. He didn't remember when he fell, but curled up as small as he could, shuddering while his hands pressed over his ears.
The sound ceased. A rush of air as something huge swooshed by, sending a gust of wind against his clothes and shutting out the light. Steve's breath caught.
"You've got to be flipping kidding me!... What the bleeee... Ugh-ahhhhhh!" The younger Hunter's disbelieving shout changed to a prolonged scream that suddenly devolved to gurgles and then cut off. A sound of something wetly falling to the ground made Steve flinch where he lay. Strange crunching and grinding followed as if a huge weight had just ground armor and bones against the solid earth.
The second adventurer made an angry growl and yelled as he charged against the giant beast. The ground shook at gigantic footsteps, and the air swooshed again as a huge tail swung, slamming into the ground and scraping, leaving deep burrows in the solid stone. The older man never cried out, but the sudden ominous silence made Steve's breath catch.
More silence followed.
"Aha-ha-ha-ha!" Herobrine's laugh rung, light and full of relief.
"That was quick." His tone held surprise and gratitude. "You have my thanks. Along with my apology. This was not the way I promised to come."
Steve heard an apologetic smile in Herobrine's voice and dared to lift his head to steal a peek.
Herobrine stood only a dozen blocks from Steve's refuge. Numerous items floated next to him. Smiling, he looked up to the massive black form towering above him. Steve's heart sunk in his chest at the sight of the powerful, long spine of the legendary beast, sharp wedges protruding from each enormous vertebrae. The being's tale coiled along the raked ground out of Steve's field of vision.
Herobrine continued to stand, tiny by comparison, not a bit of fear in his unsteady posture even when the beast's maw drew closer to him on a powerful, muscular neck and its huge, purple eyes unblinkingly held on his. A fond puff of air stirred the man's unruly, brown hair.
Herobrine suddenly smiled with mild embarrassment.
"Well, yes… But I will heal now that I have what I need." Turning, Herobrine searched among the floating items until his eyes settled on one of them. It flew to his reached out hand and materialized into a glimmering, purple sword. Steve recognized one of the weapons that the two adventurers wielded during their fight against Herobrine.
His white eyes narrowing, Herobrine thoughtfully regarded the item before dismissing it to his inventory. He glanced again at the dragon.
"I owe you another debt, Alstor." He respectfully bowed his head to the master of this alien realm, only to earn himself another fond snort, which this time seemed sarcastic.
"True. Do take them seriously, though. You may have to leave, same as me. It is unfortunate. I was quite fond of this place." Herobrine admitted with definite regret. "I believe we have a few days, before they spread the news and come here in great numbers. Fortunately, they do not know about you and I will lead them away as soon as I can."
Herobrine's voice turned weary in his admission. The great beast shifted slightly, its huge folded wings twitching in annoyance as a faint growl rumbled from the depths of its chest. Herobrine glanced in direction of Steve's refuge.
"That's Steve. He is Human, yes. But he belongs to me."
The great beast began to turn and Steve quickly shut his eyes, unable to help a shiver run through him. Those huge jaws could snap his body in half like a toothpick. Trembling, he cowered as he felt overpowering presence approach and inspect him like an disgusting sort of bug. That was the sense Steve perceived as distinctly as if those were his own feelings. Disbelief and suspicion came next. His heart unwillingly sped up at the vague offer in the beast's thought, directed to Herobrine.
"Ha! No. You cannot eat him. Why offer when you do not like the taste?" Herobrine's voice held a good-natured tease, Steve froze as chills ran through him.
"In any case, I must get going. It's not good for a mortal to remain long in this realm and I do not wish for him to suffer any more injury than he already has… He suffered enough on my behalf."
Herobrine's voice turned serious, and Steve felt the powerful presence of the other being grow lighter, its attitude suddenly shifting to almost amiable. A snort, which Steve would have almost dared to call friendly, blew across his form.
"Do not scare him. He is only a weak human after all." Herobrine reproached. Another huff and then Steve felt the ground shake at each footstep as the great creature left them.
Steve flinched at the hand coming to rest on his shoulder. Herobrine made a soft chuckle.
"It's all right, now, Steve. He's gone."
Steve dared to open his eyes. Just then, a familiar sound of a breaking bottle came next to him and immediately, warm relief flowed across his body, taking away his pain. Steve sat up, blinking his eyes a bit, his eyes settling on remnants of a familiar potion bottle. Bits of red particles still swirled around his form, leaving a tingling on his skin where they melted.
Ignoring Herobrine, he craned his neck, trying to look behind him. He saw only the desolate landscape studded with fantastical twisted forms of black rock. Starless black sky hung above like a void, threatening to swallow him. Steve quickly dropped his gaze from it, dizzy. There was no sight of the scary being who offered Herobrine to eat him, Steve.
"That was Alstor. My friend. The Ender Dragon." Herobrine informed Steve with a soft fond smile that Steve had never before seen on his face. Relief and regret sweeping through him at the same time, Steve sighed and slumped. He now wished that he had taken a better look at the legendary being.
"I can call him back if you wish." Herobrine's offer evoked a quick shake of Steve's head and Herobrine's laugh drew Steve's eyes in surprise. He had never seen Herobrine like this. So… so genuine. And his voice… seemed so human at the moment.
Herobrine no longer paid attention. With relief settled in his features, he turned to glance back at the numerous scattered items that still floated bobbing up and down above the ground. A crooked smirk grew on his face. Reaching out his hand, he waited while possessions of the Players flew toward him and vanished. Satisfied, he turned back to Steve.
"Time to go." Herobrine declared and reached out his hand to Steve, easily pulling him to his feet. Steve stood, carefully shifting his body to check. The aches still remained, but they were only a pale echo of his earlier discomfort. Herobrine seemed rejuvenated himself, his body standing a little taller, though he still seemed weary.
"We're going to my place." Herobrine declared and made a step away. Steve remained standing where he was.
"B-but… They are dead now, right?" He asked uncertainly. Herobrine turned to look at him, a rueful and guilty smirk on his face while his eyes remained patient and mild. Encouraged and very, very tired despite being healed, Steve pressed. "Cannot you… take me home now?" He asked hopefully, aware that he sounded like a begging child.
Herobrine sighed. "They are. But not for long. Players have that ability. Steve, I would take you home, but I cannot do it just yet. I still don't have enough power. Plus, it might not be safe for you to return. I am sorry, Steve..."
Steve blinked at that revelation; his whole figure slumping as new discouragement set in. His cabin? His animals? All his things and tools? Everything he worked for for the past two years… Gone?
"I'll see if we can go back later and pick up your things. For now, it is best to leave this place. When those Players return, they won't be alone. And since I failed to stop them, they now know how to get here." An annoyed wince crossed Herobrine's features. Steve startled, his eyes flying wide as his entire body tensed up as fear began to rise.
"Don't worry. We are safe for the moment." Herobrine reassured, noticing Steve's anxious state. "I won't let them hurt you again, I promise." Herobrine promised with a dark look back, where dark splotches covered the ground. Realizing that those patches were spilled blood, Steve could not help swallowing. He avoided looking if there might be mangled bodies somewhere nearby, where the great dragon's jaws dropped them.
Catching Steve's uneasy look, Herobrine frowned.
"Do not feel bad for them. Remember what they planned to do to you… until they learned who you really were… Unlike you and me, they barely felt any pain even though I did increase their stats to the max. Their interface simply does not allow for more." A hateful scowl twisted Herobrine's expression, reminding Steve of his older look, and he hurriedly nodded his head though he didn't fully understand Herobrine's words.
"W-who are they, then?" Steve asked, more to distract Herobrine from his dark thoughts than because he wanted to know. He did want to know, but he was also tired. So tired.
"Are they... Not Human?.. Y-you… Keep calling them Players. And you said that… I am one of them? What does that mean?"
Herobrine paused, his stance tensing as he frowned, before he cast Steve a sharp, mistrustful look. Almost immediately, maybe on seeing Steve's befuddled and tired look, Herobrine relaxed once more.
"Its… hard to explain." He admitted. "There is much that you don't know, Steve. About… Everything, really."
"But I'm coming with you right now, right? To your home?" Steve pushed hopefully.
"Hmmm. To one of them, anyway." Amusement returned to Herobrine's expression.
"Then you will tell me everything about this. Right? And about you, too? Later, not now of course..." Steve dared to remind.
"… I did promise you that." Herobrine agreed with a slight, calm nod, and Steve took a deep breath of relief. It felt good to be treated like… an equal almost. Not a pet or a toy as Herobrine often claimed to him before. His actions over the last few days while Herobrine had been forced to accept his care had earned him at least some favor in the man's eyes, though Herobrine still mistrusted him. His hatred of the Players ran deep and he remained convinced that Steve was one of them. Steve's hope that the man would one day consider him a friend was probably too much to ask.
"Very well. I will answer your questions. But first… You must rest." Herobrine allowed. Steve stepped forward, joining him. Together, they stepped off in direction Herobrine lead them at an unhurried pace.
"But… how? The legends… "
"Yes, the legends say that the Ender Dragon must first be slain before a portal to our world can open. But surely you don't think that the master of this realm could not make a way back for his old friend?"
Herobrine smirked and looked ahead. Steve followed his gaze and saw another gaping portal, similar to the one that brought them here. Coming to stand before it, Herobrine took hold of Steve's arm.
"Ready?" He asked with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. Steve nervously shook his head, remembering the previous feeling of dizziness and nausea that assaulted him. Then, sheepishly smiled. There really was no choice, was there? Unless he wished to guest here longer and meet Herobrine's toothy friend?
His thoughts must have been plain on his face, because Herobrine chuckled again and then simply leaped with Steve in tow into the gaping portal. Steve's breath caught, both hands flying out to grasp the worn teal shirt of the man next to him. And then he was flying.