bleh. im tired of not feeling well
Okuri-chan: Pink skyrim orcs isn't that far off. They have a similar range in height to humans and pig-like ears, but otherwise yeah! Tusks and all. Tekno has tusks too, just little bitty ones. The human population in the Nether is very limited, but, yes, most of Herobrine's men were humans! He had a few piglins just because. Well. Convenience. But most piglins hated him and he tried to keep away from them whenever possible.
DukeDaniel: Maybe... both :eyes: Eve and Herobrine can be so dumb sometimes but I love them.
True to the piglins' word, it was only about a twenty minute walk to their camp.
It was bigger than she'd expected, Evangeline noted as the first tents came into view. The 'camp' was more like a small town, with at least two dozen tents of varying sizes that ringed around a large central firepit. She could see piglins of all ages milling about the camp, from adults working with wood or leather to children cleaning or chasing each other about. Not a hunter's camp, then- this was a living space, where they raised their young.
There were guards stationed around the outside, who called out greetings to the hunters as they approached. Evangeline looked down when something crunched underfoot, and found teal pieces of dried warped mushroom scattered on the ground all around the camp. This must be how they kept away the hoglins.
Herobrine remained close at her side, one hand resting over hers where she held his arm. He was obviously tense, and she couldn't fault him for that. While he had clearly come a long way from attacking Tekno without provocation in the mineshaft, these piglins were strangers. It was quite possible that they felt the same way towards him as he did with them.
Their guides led them towards the center of camp, coming to a stop close to where the cooking fire burned low. "Wait here," The woman told them. "We need t' inform the highlord of what we found."
"Alright," Evangeline agreed. She let go of Herobrine's arm as the piglins retreated, selecting one of the stumps around the firepit and sinking down onto it.
Herobrine knelt down on her left, casting a glance towards where Alex was already wandering off before turning back to Evangeline. "How are you feeling?" He asked.
"Fine," She answered honestly. "I'm in no pain, only a little out of breath."
"Good." Herobrine nodded, settling down on the ground beside her. Evangeline was glad that the fire was not built up too high - the Nether was too hot for her tastes already.
Evangeline was quiet for a little while, watching Alex as the redhead milled around camp chatting with the piglins. Unlike herself and Herobrine, Alex seemed completely at ease with their hosts… which made plenty of sense, considering her upbringing.
"Do you think they recognize you?" Evangeline murmured to Herobrine. He didn't answer for a moment.
"I don't know," He finally replied. "I… would be surprised if the highlord did not." Evangeline hummed quietly. The highlord, she presumed, was the leader of the camp.
"Are you going to be alright?" Was her next question. Herobrine's jaw tightened a bit.
"I'll be fine." he told her. Evangeline nodded.
Movement caught her eye, and she glanced over to find the hunters that found them emerging from the largest tent. The man came towards them, while the woman broke off to speak with some of the others.
"His lordship would like to discuss your findings personally," The piglin said as he came near. "But-" he added as Evangeline made to stand, "Not until after the evening meal. I'm sure the three of you could use a hearty dinner."
"We certainly won't refuse it," Evangeline told him with a smile as she settled back down on the stump. The piglin grunted in acknowledgement and walked away. "It still amazes me that anyone can keep track of the time of day here." Evangeline commented, glancing around to find Alex again. "Without being able to see the sky." Herobrine chuckled quietly.
"You get used to it."
The activity in the camp around the began to pick up, the piglins building up the central fire and beginning to prepare what appeared to be a hoglin carcass. So they hunted the beasts even when they were not invading their camp. Evangeline observed idly, watching them work from her perch on the crimson stump until music from the other side of the camp caught her attention. A small group of piglins had produced a variety of instruments, and appeared to be in the process of tuning them, which was already drawing in a small audience of children. Was this a standard part of their routine…? Or were they performing because they had guests?
Alex was coming towards them again, and Evangeline called to her, "What's going on?"
"They're celebrating," Alex told her, plopping down onto the stump beside her with a grin on her face. "Because we- well, the two of you, anyway-" She amended. "-you killed the hoglins threatening their camp. So, they're having a party." Evangeline frowned.
"The hoglins must have done considerable damage for their deaths to be met with such celebration."
"Perhaps," Herobrine acknowledged from where he sat on her left. "But, when you live in a place like this…" He gestured around them, to the sulfuric air and winding, blood-red vines. "...you soon learn to celebrate the small victories." Evangeline hummed quietly.
"Oh."
As dinner was prepared, the musicians began to play, attracting a crowd of idle piglins to dance in the cleared space before them. The music was unlike anything Evangeline had ever heard before, upbeat but lilting, with an almost haunting quality to it. Alex soon left them again, going to dance with some of the piglin children. Evangeline smiled at the sight of them exclaiming over her fiery red hair.
Evangeline herself remained where she was for a while, sitting beside Herobrine close to where the food was being prepared. She was a little surprised by how at ease she felt, but, she supposed, there was little worse than being stranded in the vast wilds of the Nether. Even Herobrine seemed to be calming a bit, growing gradually more comfortable with being surrounded by a people he once called his enemy.
As they sat and waited for the food to be ready, a young lady with an intricate, pale-pink braid came running up to them. "Come dance with us!" She said breathlessly, her cheeks rosy from exertion. "You're the reason we're celebrating, after all." Evangeline blushed a bit, but she smiled at the girl, opening her mouth to make an excuse for why she couldn't.
On her left, Herobrine rose to his feet and offered her a hand. "Evangeline, would you dance with me?"
It took her a moment to process this, her gold-rimmed eyes going from his face to his outstretched hand. For a fleeting moment she wondered if he was playing a trick on her, but his face was earnest, and she had never once seen him tell a joke. So, she took his hand, letting him help her to her feet.
"I would love to," She said, her voice slightly faint to her ears. Herobrine nodded, turning and guiding her towards the clearing that was being used as a dance floor.
"Do you know any dances?" He asked as they neared.
"I know the waltz," She said, then added sheepishly, "Though I really only know the leading role." Herobrine smiled a bit at that.
"I know it too." He stopped as they reached the edge of the dance floor, turning her to face him and placing a hand on her upper back. "I'll go slowly?" He said. Evangeline nodded mutely, and he led her into the steps.
The world seemed to grow dull around her as she danced with him, aware of little else than the music and Herobrine's hands on her. He kept his movements slow and predictable until they settled into a rhythm, and only then did he start to grow a little more bold. He remained careful with her, though, his hand pressing gingerly against her shoulder blade as though she were made of glass.
She gazed up into his eyes as they danced, her mind whirling. His face was passive as he met her gaze, seeming more focused on the steps than on her. Why was he doing this? Was he keeping up appearances for the piglins…? No, that barely made sense. Why, then? When they had started on this journey, he had taken pains to avoid interacting with her if at all possible, and now, mere days later, he was dancing with her. Not only that, he'd initiated.
At one point, Evangeline caught Alex's eye across the dance floor as Herobrine twirled her around, registering the shock on the young woman's face just before she went out of sight again. Evangeline couldn't blame her - not after her speech the night prior about how Herobrine didn't love her and that she couldn't force him to. Surely he didn't… but then, why… could he?
The music came to an end, the song fading out before the musicians launched into the next one. Herobrine came to a stop, holding her at arm's length for a moment to study her.
"You should eat something," He said. Evangeline, thoroughly out of breath, could only nod.
Herobrine was quiet as he led her off the dance floor again, back to the stump where she had been sitting before. "Wait here," He said as she sat down. With that, he turned away, heading towards the large table upon which the food for the celebration was spread.
Evangeline stared after him in amazement. After all that, did he really have nothing to say? Did he- was he going to pretend it hadn't happened, leave her to wonder and remember how it felt to have him hold her like that?
Evangeline rested her chin in her palm, gazing into the fire that once again burned low. What an infuriating man.
The gray-haired piglin leaned on his desk, studying the set of huge tusks that rested atop the polished surface. "And you suspect that this fugitive of yours is to blame?" He finally asked.
"Yes, your lordship." Herobrine confirmed. "Considering his history with reanimating the dead." The piglin grunted softly.
"You say this valkyrie escaped from the Aether nearly forty years ago." He said, eying Herobrine with his eye not covered by a patch. "Why, then, have you waited to hunt him until now?" Herobrine glanced over his shoulder, seeking out Alex where she stood with Evangeline near the flap of the tent.
"We have reason to believe that he's become active again."
Once the festivities had begun to die down, Herobrine and his companions had been collected and brought to meet with the camp's Highlord, Erik Vex'n. The man was older, his leathery skin etched with marks and scars that spoke of a life wrought with violence, and his tattered ears were decorated with heavy gold bangles. He was clearly a well respected man.
Alex cleared her throat quietly, stepping forward at the unspoken prompt. "I was in a warped forest when a young piglin attacked me." She said. "He wasn't in his right mind, growling and lunging at me, not reacting to anything I said. I was forced to kill him in self defense." Vex'n's brow furrowed.
"When was this?"
"Ah…" Alex had to stop to consider this for a moment. "At this point, around two weeks ago."
"Can you describe the boy?"
"He was about this tall…" Alex lifted a hand to hover just above her head. "Had dark hair, I wouldn't say any older than 25." Vex'n was silent for a little while.
"We've had several disappearances from this camp over the past few months," He finally spoke. "By your description, that sounds like Carel… he disappeared just over a month ago." Alex's face fell.
"I'm sorry," She murmured. Vex'n lowered his head.
"And what makes you think that your 'Sirben' is responsible for this?" He finally asked.
"The marks on the young man's body were consistent with the ones on Sirben's other victims." Evangeline said, stepping forward to stand beside Alex. "And, like them, his body was extremely cold and did not deteriorate." She met Herobrine's eyes for a fraction of a second before looking away again. She had seemed especially shy ever since their shared dance, but Herobrine couldn't bring himself to regret it. "Even if it should somehow not be Sirben," She went on. "Such a threat is one that the Aether is keenly interested in neutralizing."
"As are we," Vex'n said. "And if you intend to go after this villain, we will gladly provide you with whatever you need." He pushed off the desk, taking a step back. "I invite you to rest yourselves here for the night. You, valkyrie-" He pointed out Evangeline. "You ought to get some new clothes. Smell of your blood could draw in poor company." Evangeline glanced down, to the bloodstain and the tear in her robes.
"Ah."
"I will see if we cannot find something that will fit you." Vex'n said. "You are dismissed- except for you." His dull, blue eye fastened on Herobrine. "I want to talk to you." Herobrine tensed. It wasn't difficult for him to imagine what the highlord could want to talk to him about, but he could hardly refuse without potentially losing the man's promised aid. So, he turned to where Alex and Evangeline were watching him with varying degrees of concern.
"I'll join you shortly," He said, waving them away. "Go on." The two women exchanged a glance, but obeyed, filing silently out of the tent and leaving Herobrine alone with the highlord.
Vex'n didn't speak for a moment, studying Herobrine with one beady eye. "I know who you are." He said at last. Herobrine shifted his weight uncomfortably.
"I would be more surprised if you did not, your lordship." He said quietly. Vex'n grunted.
"My men told me that you claim to be in the queen's service." He said. "That true?" Herobrine dipped his chin in a nod.
"I have served her faithfully for the past forty years. I have no interest in the throne, not now or ever again."
"Right…" Vex'n studied him for a few moments longer. "My father was a boy when you were deposed." He finally said. "He, and his father and mother, lived on the outskirts of the capitol." He paused for a beat, then went on. "My grandfather was killed in your great slaughter. My grandmother raised my father alone." Herobrine's gaze fell to the floor, guilt and shame tearing through his chest.
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry is not going to cut it." Vex'n snapped, slamming his palm against the desk and causing Herobrine to flinch. "You tore apart countless families, slaughtered them like cattle. If not for the valkyrie you have with you, I would have had you driven from camp the moment I laid eye on you." Herobrine nodded, not lifting his gaze from the ground.
"I know that my words can never be enough," He said quietly. "That my actions can never be atoned for."
"You're d###ed right they can't."
"But," Herobrine pressed onward, "If you allow me, I will do everything I can to keep this generation of families safe." He lifted his eyes to meet Vex'n's, struggling not to falter beneath the contempt that burned in his host's icy gaze.
"You are a powerful man," Vex'n said. "I know that. And I consider myself to be a clever one. I will help you, as I promised. But-" His eye narrowed slightly. "If I ever find you near my home again, I will have you driven away with swords and arrows."
"I understand." Herobrine bowed his head. "Thank you, your lordship." Vex'n grunted.
"Get out of my sight," He ordered. Herobrine obeyed.