The Minecraft Story: The Beginning: Chapter 19

The walk back to Fort Deepslate was almost as exhausting as the battle itself. The knights were extremely fatigued from the siege of Zamafar and the battle with the pigmen.

It was a depressing site. Their pace had slowed to a walk and their eyes stared at the ground. No doubt they were thinking about the appearance of these new, horrifying foes, followed by the realization that they would likely be the ones that would have to defeat them. They were the Miter Knights. The most elite legion in the Army of Notch. The responsibility to kill these pigmen is going to fall on them. And in their first encounter, seventy-four knights were killed, most of whom being their best shieldmen. Now, only about one hundred and fifty knights remained.

Marcus trudged along the grass, it wasn't too much further to the fort. The General had joined back with them about three-quarters a way to the fort. Although, he doubted it was because of a new found bravery or the care for his knights. It was likely because a General returning to base before his knights would make him look bad.

Franz finally had enough energy to speak and he approached Marcus, "Are you okay?" He asked in a raspy voice.

"No," Macus bluntly replied. Too much had happened in just the past two hours, Marcus just wanted to disappear. He wanted to run away from this war that he'd barely fought. He wanted to go home.

Franz sighed, "I'm sorry about-" Marcus cut him off.

"Sorry about what," Marcus asked abrasively, "Sorry for encouraging me to join, sorry for killing all those innocent people, sorry for murdering our own?"

Franz gave Marcus an ugly look and said, "Those people were not innocent, they were heretics. They're Notch hating animals who want to destroy-"

"Shut up!" Marcus yelled, attracting some attention. He quieted his voice down a bit, "Did you see them? The look in their eyes as we slaughtered them?" Franz opened his mouth to speak, but Marcus cut him off again. "Actually, you wouldn't have. You're an archer. You've always attacked from the back, never having to face them up close." Marcus looked down at his feet. "They were terrified of us. They looked at us as we did at those monsters in Morzen. I thought we were heroes coming to liberate them of their destructive beliefs, but we're nothing more than exterminators."

"You saw one village in the woods," Franz retorted. "They're scared because we are the Army of Notch. We fight for the divine, the all mighty, and the truth. That's what they're scared of."

Marcus disagreed, "I think you're wrong. Thomas told me all about the heretics, if I could even call them that anymore. He said most of them do believe in Notch, and"

Franz cut him off, "And you believe him?" Franz gritted his teeth, "He's a heretic slave, lying to you to get your guard down, so that he can try to run away."

Marcus replied in a soft voice, "I believe him, especially after Zamafar."

Franz replied in a stern voice, "He's going to get you killed."

Marcus simply replied, "He's saving me from all of you."

"That's enough of this talk," Franz said bluntly, "And enough of this war for you. I'm not going to let my baby brother be poisoned by some dirty heretic or be ripped apart by those pigmen." He fell to a whisper, "Once we're at the fort, we'll say you were severely injured at the battle. You still have blood all over you, I think they might buy it."

Marcus looked down at his armor, it was soaked in the blood of his comrades, the pigmen, and the villagers. "No," He said, "I'm not leaving. I'm going to stay and fight, but not for the General. I'm going to fight how Notch would want me to, for the right cause. I'm going to save people from Herobrine and his monsters."

"That is what we're fighting for," Franz said as he walked ahead, leaving Marcus to himself. He noticed that some knights had heard him mention Herobrine, and the other knights began talking. Eventually, he heard some mention that they thought they saw Herobrine's eyes behind the mass of pigmen.

So I didn't imagine it. He thought. The others saw Herobrine too. I can use that to rally the other knights. A change needs to be made, and if the higher ups won't do it, I will.

As they made it out of the woods, he could see Fort Deepslate again.