Chapter 20: Malgun, Failed Champion
Steve didn't know how badly he missed solid, non-flooded land until the marsh had finally gone away and the group had reached a new oakwood forest, providing relief for their tired, freezing bodies as water no longer stood in their way. Though the winter breeze gave them no further relief, Steve, Malgun, and Constiere all shared a collective mental sigh as the marshland was finally put past behind them, no longer threatening to submerge their bodies within a chilly, watery grave. Herobrine was as unreadable as usual, but given the other's comments about his enjoyment of the cold, it was safe to bet that he might've been relieved at the fact that they didn't have to worry about it for now, at least. After traveling a few miles away from the sunken city, the group was met with the sudden appearance of Andvari once again, who teleported into their group with a slight apology and a slightly blood-covered body, much to the disturbed reaction of Steve. The group continued on as normal afterward, with Herobrine briefing the other on what he had missed in his absence.
Keeping his gaze focused on the sky, Steve allowed his thoughts to wander as he watched the early hours of the morning begin to set in, slowly shifting the hues up above.
Too much had happened in the past couple of hours for him to be able to process things correctly, and his head was threatening to spin violently because of it. Maybe the stress was finally catching up to him, maybe it wasn't, but whatever the case was, all he wanted to do was let his dreams sort things out as Squash guided him after the others. If they were going to take a while to get to the next location, the least he could do was make sure he was well-rested enough for any possible encounters on the way there. It had been a solid minute since they last saw another champion, and he was beginning to get a bit antsy about it.
His thoughts shifted over to the kingdom that they were supposed to be highly concerned about. How were preparations going over there? Were the silverfish doing all they could in order to halt those proceedings? How far would they get before it was too late, and the kingdom finally made their announcement about the dragon? Has the announcement already been made? What would they do if it had been? Would they speed up their progress, or give up entirely? What would they do about it? Could they do anything about it?
…
Yeah, the stress definitely was getting to him.
The miner let out a quiet sigh as his eyes lazily watched the clouds shift overhead, silently counting the fading stars as the rhythm of Squash's movements almost lulled him to sleep.
…
There was nothing that he could do, in his mind, to change things or have any real effect on the whole dragon conundrum, so why should he even worry about it?
…
The answer was simple. It was because failure not only meant that whatever surrounded the whole situation would come to fruition, but also his own village would be highly upset with him if he'd let the opportunity to slay the dragon himself slip through his fingers.
…
Who was he kidding? He wasn't going to have an actual chance at the dragon. He didn't want to kill the dragon. Herobrine was too dedicated to that nightmare creature, and that alone made him want to shift his plans in order to avoid having to fight the beast. Why was he even protecting it? Does killing it have something to do with his powers as a whole? Does he have any connection with the creature? Was it a pet, an ally, or what? Why was it such a big deal to the guy?
As his thoughts wandered, Steve looked back down to find the group somewhat a bit more ahead of him, attempting to preemptively find ample cover for Malgun. Realizing that the reason why his eyes suddenly felt rather heavy was that he'd allowed them to shut, he shook his head a bit in order to wake up more, slightly wishing that they were back at Maemond so that he could dunk his head underneath the freezing water in order to properly awaken. Directing Squash to pick up her pace so that they could catch up, Steve attempted to further shake off his drowsiness, finding his attempts to be rather unsuccessful. After catching up with the others, as Squash went back to her usual trot, he found himself dozing off once again to the rhythm of her footsteps, his eyes growing unusually heavy as his focus on the world around him began to fade in and out.
How long had it been since he last slept? Like, actually slept? Did that little power nap back at the city throw off his rhythm that badly?
The sound of fingers snapping barely caught his attention, but as the sound finally registered within his brain, his gaze went back into focus, finding a gloved, clawed hand in his face as he became more aware of the world around him.
Constiere looked at him with a worried gaze.
"Hey, you aren't sick, are you? That fast?"
Looking down at him with a smile, Steve shook his head.
"No, I don't think so. I'm just...really, really tired, for some reason."
Raising a brow, the boy gave him a smirk.
"You? Tired? You're not even walking!"
"I know. That's what makes it kinda weird."
"You aren't afflicted with something that Agnes perhaps cursed you with, correct?" Herobrine came into their conversation, gaze focused solely on Steve. He had slowed his pace in order to move from his leading position to where they currently were.
Steve looked into the other's eyes, finding himself disappointed with the fact that the harsh white glow was there, once again. He couldn't "see" what the other was truly feeling.
Shaking his head and shrugging, Steve cast his gaze up toward the sky once again.
"Nah...I think. Pretty sure all she threw at me were regular ol' fireballs, and whatever."
Letting out a small hum, Herobrine followed his gaze as he watched the shifting sky as well, finding focus in the distinct, deep orange hue of the morning sky.
"...When did you last sleep properly?'
Steve let out a small laugh.
"You think I sleep properly, Brine?"
"Answer the question, Steven."
Shrugging again, Steve allowed his eyes to lazily wander as they followed the clouds.
"...To be honest, I took a small nap back in Maemond by accident, and I think that's what's screwing me up quite a bit."
Herobrine thought to himself for a moment as he nodded his head slightly at the other's response. After a moment or two, the demigod looked at him with interest.
"When's the last time you ate, then?"
The other's actual concern almost threw him off-balance, but the more he thought about his question, the more he realized that he didn't have a solid answer for it.
When had he eaten last? The last actual meal he could remember was the one he shared with Minos back in Litefall, and that seemed like ages ago. The last thing he remembered eating was that apple that Herobrine had given to him in order to stave off the husk infection he had received. As he traveled alongside the others, given the fact that they didn't eat, he had completely forgotten that he was human, and he had to eat. Not seeing them take a snack or stop for a drink had led to him doing the same, completely forgetting the fact that he would literally die if he went as long as they had without food.
Blankly staring ahead, Steve answered the other quietly.
"...Good question."
Herobrine raised a brow at him.
"...You...haven't eaten, and haven't slept properly…?"
"You don't really give me the chance to."
Thinking to himself for a moment, Herobrine let out a small hum.
"...How long do you think you can hold out for?"
Steve gave a half-shrug.
"I've gone this long, I think I can manage a while longer."
"Are you sure?"
"Pretty positive."
Herobrine's sudden insistence on evaluating his health managed to wake him up.
Was this another change from the other? Was it only temporary? Whatever the case was, if the other was being nice to him, he was happy enough.
"Thanks for checking on me though, Brine. I really appreciate it."
Though the other didn't seem to be entirely used to the nickname still, the demigod slowly nodded after a moment of silence.
"...I just want to make sure that we don't have to stop if you were to collapse in total exhaustion."
With a roll of the eyes that the other couldn't see, Steve nodded his head.
"Yeah, I get that."
As the group continued on, Steve found his gaze trailing back up to the sky, allowing the beautiful colors of the morning to overwhelm his senses. It wasn't freezing cold water, but it would do. The trees overhead, subtly, became slightly more spaced out as the leaves they provided began to allow a clearer view of the sky, much to the annoyance of the mobs below them. Without much warning, Herobrine abruptly stopped in his tracks, holding out his arm for the others to do the same.
Without turning his head in order to address the others, he began to speak.
"I've been trying to test myself to see how my powers have been getting along, and since we took care of that portal in Maemond, I've realized that my senses have improved a bit. There are five of us here right now, but I'm afraid that it seems that a sixth, seventh, and eighth are attempting to trail behind us, all separated. They all give off their own individual pulses of energy, as well."
The rest of the group looked at each other in confusion for a moment, before all three of the mob generals' eyes lit up in realization. Steve was left in tired confusion as he was excluded.
Constiere broke the momentary silence.
"Wait, so you think that they're-"
Andvari added on.
"That you-"
"All of the guys that are following us are gods, you mean?" Malgun pieced together the others' scrambled thoughts.
"Precisely. I'm guessing that Lady Agnes sent out a distress call or something, somehow. Perhaps she was just that suspicious of Steven." Lowering his arm, Herobrine began to walk once again, quickening his pace slightly.
"So we're blaming bright-eyes for this one?" Constiere cast a smirk over to the miner, who simply let out a slight groan at the situation.
"We're not blaming anybody. We're going to keep moving, and hope that we don't get cornered." Andvari leaned down in order to speak to the other.
Rolling his eyes, Constiere cast a look behind him.
"If they aren't gonna make a move now, they aren't gonna make a move. Maybe it's more of a tracking thing, or whatever."
"And they need three people to do that?" Andvari raised a brow at the other's words.
"Possibly. If Lord Herobrine decides to go in a certain direction apart from the one we're traveling in now, the person closest to him alerts the others of the direction change and keeps an eye on him. No matter where he goes, someone's bound to continue feeling at least a small trace of his signature, maybe." Constiere answered the other, watching as his expression fell into deep thought.
"...It still boggles me to wonder why three divines are needed to track one, though." The enderman said quietly, bringing a claw up to his chin.
"He's more used to the magical imbalance of the world. They might not be as adjusted." Malgun jumped into the conversation, his hold upon his cloak tightening as the area around them grew lighter with the rising sun.
Nodding, Andvari cast his gaze behind him momentarily.
"Whatever the case is, not knowing who's following us and where they are is getting me rather concerned."
Constiere looked back once again as he followed his gaze, nodding slowly with a worried expression on his face.
"Yeah...they could turn up any moment and ruin our day…"
Letting out a small sigh, Malgun looked toward the others.
"We'll probably have to stop as well since there aren't any mountains in this area, and these trees aren't helping. I'm sorry that my presence is placing us in jeopardy. I'd stay behind, but-"
"Sir, it's totally fine! Now that we've taken out another portal, we should be fine, right?" Constiere looked toward Herobrine expectantly, watching as the other continued leading the group not too far ahead.
"...I've only managed to tap into my base abilities, nothing more. That's what I'm most aware of, at least." Herobrine answered the other.
Pausing, Herobrine thought to himself before shaking his head and letting out a quick sigh.
"I don't think that we'll be able to get back all my abilities before we have another confrontation, but getting rid of the portals in Brickston and Merry Glade should be enough. We just need enough balance for me to be able to defend us for long enough until this whole thing blows over, and we finally do what we've set out to do."
A silent question rose up within Steve's mind, though he dared not to ask it out loud.
'Which is?...'
What did they wish to do beyond their initial agreement? Was protecting that dragon somehow not it?
"You do not need to apologize, general. The fault lies not with us."
Finding the rest of the group to be in agreement, Steve looked back momentarily. Sure, they've been doing pretty well when it came to confronting gods one-by-one, but what would three at a time be like? Herobrine hadn't started to train him in the art of fighting like a divine yet; he wouldn't stand a chance against one in active combat, let alone the other two. He didn't even want to think about the possibility of Herobrine being overpowered and subdued, as well. What would they do without him? Die?
Wanting to put enough distance between them and the unknown divines, Steve gave a quick pat to Squash, signaling for her to pick up the pace a bit.
"So...What are we doing right now? Are we going to stop for sure?" Steve asked quietly, watching as Herobrine fell into a moment of deep consideration.
After a few long seconds, he finally received an answer.
"Stopping would allow them to catch up, and I don't believe I have the complete capability yet to truly, fully mask my own pulse. I've been alright so far because of the interference, but now that things are getting back to normal, I believe that the reason why they've been able to find us includes the lesser amount of interference here."
Looking around briefly, the other seemed to silently debate with himself before letting out a quick sigh of defeat.
"...I don't want them to find you and attempt to kill you in order to get to me. They're not too far away, but I believe that I'm the only one they want, anyway. I want you all to separate and continue going toward our next location, while I attempt to lead them away."
"Separate? Not in a whole group?" Constiere asked.
"Groups of two. I can't have you all be in one place, but I can't have you all going in different directions without someone to inform me if anything has happened to you. If one were to fall, the other would have a chance to get away, as horrid as that sounds."
Herobrine looked up at Andvari with a commanding gaze.
"Go with Constiere. If you two were to encounter trouble, you'd be able to teleport him away easily enough. In addition to that, he's more...how do I put it-"
"-Annoyingly impulsive?" Andvari finished with a smirk as the boy in question let out an offended "Hey!"
"I was going to say 'eager,' but that'll do."
Looking over at Malgun, Herobrine shared his gaze with him as well.
"You, I'm generally less concerned about, but it's Steven that needs to be monitored. Find cover, and guard him, I don't mind if you pause and choose to hide. They're already aware of his presence and would be more inclined to act upon whatever orders they were given if they were to find him. I trust you to make good decisions."
With a nod, Malgun began to walk in the other direction, motioning Steve to follow him.
"We'll meet back shortly. I'll find you all after I'm certain that we've lost them."
Beginning to run off, Herobrine was soon completely out of sight, leaving the others to follow his orders.
As Steve began to trail after Malgun, a sudden realization came to him as his eyes lit up slightly.
This was the chance he was given in order to get into Malgun's thought process. This was his chance to make an impression. Thankful for the opportunity, Steve straightened himself out as he followed after the other with a bit more optimism, slightly happy about the situation they were in despite the underlying danger of it all. He was only hoping that Malgun would be open enough to start talking.
Moving quickly between the thinning trees, Malgun looked around quickly as the miner looked at him with curiosity, briefly attempting to follow his gaze before abruptly giving up as he allowed the other to lead. After a few minutes, the skeleton had appeared to find what he was looking for, silently motioning for Steve to follow him as he went toward what appeared to be an opening in the ground.
"Neither of us have a magical signature strong enough for those fools to find us here. Come quickly."
Giving a quick nod, Steve did as the other asked, directing the ravager beneath him to approach the cave before them slowly, just in case there was a drop to be expected. Finding none, he allowed the mob general alongside him to enter the space first before following closely after, looking around instinctively before realizing how foolish the action was.
As they got further away from the entrance, Steve kept his gaze focused upon the other, determined to somehow start a decent conversation.
"So...how long do you think we have to wait here?"
Silence followed his question for a few moments, slightly dampening his enthusiasm.
"...He's usually quick with these sorts of situations, so not too long, hopefully." Malgun answered finally, looking back at Steve with a neutral gaze.
Nodding in response, Steve cast a glance back toward the entrance of the cave.
"Yeah, I just want to get this all over with so we can keep moving, you know?"
Malgun nodded, looking around in order to scope out their surroundings.
The cave was big enough to hold them comfortably, with only one tunnel present that led deeper beneath the earth. Given the sight of the stone around them, Steve guessed for himself that the area was rich with ores and filled with resources for anybody to extract for themselves. Wanting to get a conversational flow going, Steve looked at the other eagerly, pointing at the walls as he directed Squash to get a bit closer to them.
"Hey, you know anything about caves?"
After some silence, Malgun answered him.
"...Perhaps."
"Well, did you know that walls like these mean that the caves here are richer in coal? Wait, what kind of cave experience do you have?" Realizing how dumb the question that came out of his mouth might've sounded to the mob, Steve let out a nervous laugh as he continued. "W-well, beyond being someone who has to stay in caves a lot, I mean. Not in the mining sense, but a regular...type, y'know?"
With a bit of a glare, Malgun looked directly at him, the last remaining eye that he had within its socket filled with interrogative intent.
"What are you doing?"
Steve looked at him in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"What are you trying to pull here, with this idle conversation?"
With a nervous glance to the side, Steve found himself with the realization that the other was onto him. He figured it was best to just come clean about his intentions.
"...I just...want things to be less awkward. I don't know you too well yet, and...well, it's uncomfortable. For me, at least. I wanna know you better."
With a nod, Malgun looked off to the side for a moment before directing his attention back onto Steve.
"What do you want to know, exactly?"
Steve shrugged.
"I dunno. Enough for me to know at least something about you. We're gonna be here a while, might as well make it interesting and really get to know each other." He said as he slowly dismounted Squash, taking her reins within his hands as he nervously fumbled around with them.
Thinking to himself for a moment, Malgun looked down at the other with a stern gaze.
"I'll only tell you things that you'll be comfortable with me asking you as well. Equal exchange."
With a smile, Steve nodded at the offer.
"I'm perfectly fine with that!"
With a more relaxed expression, Malgun crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"...First things first, let's start off simple. Where do you come from?"
"Highland Village, I thought we went over this already?"
Malgun glared at him.
"Do you want to get to know each other better, or not?"
Holding his hands up defensively, Steve gave a nervous chuckle.
"I...I didn't mean anything by that. I was just...confused."
Relaxing his gaze once again, Malgun cast his focus over toward the cave entrance.
"...I'm from a village that doesn't exist anymore. Tealstone."
With a bit of a surprised expression, Steve looked up at the other.
"I've heard of that place before!"
Malgun raised a brow at him.
"Where?"
"My friend back at my village, a blacksmith. He came from there, as well."
With an interested expression, Malgun pressed forward.
"What's his name? I might've known him, the village only got destroyed recently."
"Almun, that's his name. I've mentioned it before, haven't I?"
As Steve waited for the other's response, he was surprised to find that the other's expression turned into one of silent, utter shock at his words.
"...Please tell me you aren't on bad terms with him…" Steve spoke up hesitantly, waving his hand in front of the other's face in order to bring him back to reality.
Finding himself still standing in silence, Steve let out a sigh as he began to snap his fingers in front of the other's face, succeeding in gaining his attention after a few, long seconds of pure astonishment. Shaking his head as he became aware of his surroundings once again, Malgun looked down at him with as best a neutral expression as he could muster, somehow failing to hide his clear interest behind his gaze.
"How...how is he?"
With a bit of a suspicious expression, Steve crossed his arms in front of his chest as he let go of Squash's reins in order to lean against the nearby cavern wall.
"Fine, actually. He's really good at his craft, and we're kinda a hotspot for tools and stuff thanks to him. Why do you ask?"
"...Do you have any examples of his work?"
Surprised that the other was this interested in his friend's work, hesitantly, he unsheathed his blade, handing it slowly over to the other.
"The armour I'm wearing is made by him as well, but he made that sword for me, there. It's pretty good, I think. Really well-made. I'd be super dead without it." As Steve finished, he let out a small, nervous laugh.
Turning the blade around in his hands, Malgun stared at the weapon for longer than Steve had thought he would, before letting out a small chuckle to himself.
"...He's always had a gift and some real attention to detail, so I'm glad it ended up working out for him."
Handing the weapon back over to the miner, as Steve sheathed it, Malgun watched the other cross his arms in front of his chest with a raised brow.
"So you do know him." Steve asked in a slight interrogative manner.
"Almun Allistaire, yes, I know him. I used to, anyway."
"How much?"
"Next question. I'll let you ask."
"I'll ask again, how much did you know about him? How close were you two?"
With a shrug, Malgun looked around the darkened cave.
"I'd say that we were pretty close, but we weren't as close as we should've been, coming from a smaller village. How close are you to him?"
"I'd say pretty close, too. I'm one of his main suppliers for materials, and he's one of mine, so our business relationship is pretty tight-knit. Beyond that, his friendship is one that I treasure the most, so...yeah, I'd say we're great friends. He's always looking out for me, and I try to always have his back, too."
With a slow nod, Malgun looked back at him with a bit of an inquisitive gaze.
"...I'm curious, how did he respond to you becoming a champion, or whatever?"
Steve looked at him with a slightly saddened gaze in response.
"...I mean, we all had no choice but to accept it, but...he didn't like it."
Nodding solemnly, Malgun allowed his posture to relax slightly.
"...He didn't like it when I went out, either."
Steve looked up at him with shock.
"What did you just-"
"It wasn't as intensely pushed as it apparently is today, but Tealstone needed a champion, and they offered the title to anyone who could prove themselves, and I wanted it badly."
Standing up from the wall, Steve went to move directly in front of the other.
"Another champion?..."
Looking the other up and down, a look of realization flashed across his features before sadness overtook him.
"...You...it killed you, didn't it?"
With a shrug, Malgun met his gaze.
"...Somewhat. I didn't venture, but I merely went on a manhunt."
"...For what?"
"For who, you mean. Tealstone wanted a champion with the highest regard, and in their eyes, the only way to reach that was to kill a blight upon all men. The dragon didn't exist to them with their knowledge of things, but the divines did."
"They sent you all to kill a god?" Steve looked at him with confusion.
"They told all eligible men to hunt down the worst of them all, one who directed his hate for the weak onto humankind. Said he intended to destroy the world as we knew it, and that it was our job to take care of him."
Realization came to the miner.
"...You don't mean that they really expected you to kill-"
"-Herobrine? Of course. We were all gullible at some point, weren't we?"
Moving to pace around the cave, Malgun thought to himself for a moment before stopping in his tracks as he approached the entrance. Standing near the edge of the entrance where the light only slightly began to come in, the skeleton stared out toward the world beyond.
"...Whoever was able to fight was told that if they were to locate him and slay him, they'd achieve honor and fame beyond their wildest imagination. I, personally, was only interested in the 'honor' part of that offer, really. My family was built on the foundation of criminals, and we lived in shame for their ancient crimes. It's not anything you'd be able to understand."
Turning toward the other, Malgun resumed his neutral gaze.
"Go on, ask me."
Steve raised a brow.
"...Ask you what?"
"Ask me how I met him. Ask me how I died."
With a softer gaze, Malgun waited for the other's response. In return, Steve gave him a slightly worried glance.
"I...I can't answer that question myself, since-"
"Then ask another question. Ask me of my story, and I'll ask you of yours."
Steve nodded, hesitantly.
"What happened? What happened to you?"
With a distant gaze, Malgun stared back into the darkness of the cave, approaching the other slowly.
"I was the first person in my village to ever even manage to find him. In a quiet, empty forest, I found him alongside Andvari, a fresh corpse at his feet and blood on his hands. Immediately, I challenged him."
"...And?"
"And...he refused."
Moving to lean against the cavern wall, Malgun moved to cross his arms in front of his chest.
"He left without much else to say, and from that point on, I became dedicated to finding him. If I were to find him, and kill him, I...my family would be better off. I had to do it. Every day I spent time training myself to face him, and every night, I went out searching. Eventually, I found him again, and he accepted my challenge, but it…"
Letting out a chuckle as his words trailed off, Malgun looked off to the side once again.
"...It wasn't even funny how quickly he kicked my ass. It was embarrassing. Here was what appeared to be a literal child, and he, without so much as blinking, had me on the ground with a sword pointed toward my throat in less than a second. I was embarrassed, and I had pretty much accepted my death then and there, but...he let me go. Let me get up and walk off. Told me to work on my footing, and just...went on his way."
Curiously, Steve went to move closer to him, leaning against the wall right beside him.
"...And you didn't quit, did you?"
Malgun chuckled.
"Of course not. That defeat only encouraged me to keep training. I started out with a sword, but I broadened my weaponry in order to have a better shot at fighting him at a distance. I trained and trained, but word got out that he was in the area, so I had to do my business in secret. Otherwise, people would bug me for info, you know?"
Looking up toward the cavern ceiling, Malgun let out a sigh.
"Patrols started to go out one day, and I tagged along to see what they were doing. While they were more entertained with gossiping and whatever, I saw him again, in the distance. I approached him on my own in order to challenge him to a rematch, but he did...well, one of the weirdest things I've ever seen him do, honestly."
"What did he do?"
"...Invited me to join his picnic, actually. I kept asking to fight him, but I gave up eventually, and sat down. He told me, point-blank to my face, that I would fail over and over again unless I managed to find a holy weapon, or get my blade blessed by the gods. Right then and there, he told me his weakness, and I hadn't felt that shocked before in my life. He also...gave me a warning about my village."
"...What kind of warning?" Steve asked softly.
"That if they knew that I wanted to fight him, they'd kill me. They were looking for a reason, he said, to rid the world of my family, and wanted to betray me. I didn't believe him, and excused myself from the picnic, but...well, that was the day I learned how closely he does his research when he gets the actual chance."
Giving the other a sympathetic, saddened gaze, Steve put the pieces together as the other's words were processed within his head.
"...They were the ones who killed you?"
"Yes. I came back after that evening to challenge Herobrine once again, but after another embarrassing match, I was met with someone who had seen me interact with him. They told the other villagers, and soon enough, the next night, as I went off to search for Herobrine for another pointless rematch, they ambushed me, asked me for any information I had, then killed me when I didn't answer."
"...And you woke up to Herobrine?"
"I woke up to the underside of a bridge with half my body lost to decay and water, but my mind was intact and utterly confused. Despite that, I...for some stupid reason, I got up, searched around for the nearest weapon, found a broken sword, tied it with fabric I tore from my body, and went off to find him again."
With a confused expression, Steve looked up at the other.
"I...Constiere told me that Herobrine revived him personally, I thought that it'd be the same case with you?..."
"No, the strange magic of this world brought me from the dead. However, he did give me the ability to speak again, so there's that. Constiere was...a whole different sort of situation."
Looking down and meeting the miner's gaze, Malgun continued.
"Me coming back solely to fight him impressed him enough to offer me a deal. He offered me freedom and power, and I...blindly, I took it. To this day, I don't know why he granted me the mercy, but I still thank him for it, and it has worked out so far."
"...That's twice that I've heard about him going around recruiting humans…" Steve muttered to himself.
"He told me to keep going, and encouraged me to keep fighting, all the way back to our first meeting. From the beginning, however, the only person that ever told me to stop and reconsider things was Almun. He didn't like the pressure that was being placed on everybody to succeed or else, and he sure as hell didn't like me going out to find Herobrine, but I had no choice. It was the only way my family was going to bring ourselves out from the trash heap of history, our only chance, as far as I knew. When could I ever get a chance like that again?"
Steve nodded, finding the other's story vaguely relatable.
"Yeah, Almun...he...he couldn't do anything directly about my appointment, but he suited me up and gave me what I needed to protect myself well. He...he cared, sir. He really did. It hurt him to see me go, I think." The miner said quietly.
Malgun slowly nodded.
"...If anything, it hurt him to find me gone. He probably knew what would happen, and kept warning me about it, but I didn't listen. I didn't listen to Herobrine, either. I never listened to anybody but myself, and that's always bound to take you in the wrong direction. Almun must've learned from my situation and wanted you not to face the same. At least, not without a fighting chance."
Malgun glared at him.
"I learned from my mistakes and drove myself to achieve true strength under pure leadership. I know that you're prone to doing what you feel is right, but when I tell you that Lord Herobrine has your best interests in mind, I mean it. Whatever he tells you to do, do it, because if he wants you to stay alive, he'll do anything to ensure it. If he wants to teach you a lesson, he'll do it."
Looking away again, Malgun let out another sigh.
"...Tealstone tore itself apart after I died. The pressure of finding Herobrine and their own mistrust of each other led to their pure ruin. It's at least nice to hear that Almun didn't fall into that trap, and instead made a name for himself."
Without looking at him, Malgun continued to speak.
"...So, now that I've told you my story, tell me yours."
Shrugging, Steve looked up toward him.
"...There's not really much to tell. I was born...somewhere, but I ended up in a place called Crystalia, with no idea where my birth parents were, or who they even are. I got placed into their adoption services, got adopted, and lived there for the first nine years of my life. I grew up in the Woodcutter district, but moved up into the Brick district when I was about...say, five?"
Briefly checking to see if Malgun was still interested and paying attention, Steve then continued.
"At age nine, my parents told me that I had to go on a trip, so they sent me away on the only traveling ship the city had toward the mainland here, and I haven't been back since. When I got here, I was guided over to Highland, and I stayed with a family I never met before until I turned fifteen, and was given the option to build my own house. I said yes, and with the other villagers, we built my house in an area that they said would lie within the city borders once they got the supplies. When it came time for me to find a job to support myself, I found out that they had a cave that they needed miners to work in, so I signed up because my adoptive dad had been a miner, and I was familiar with the work. During that time, mobs started showing up more, and because I was able-bodied, I picked up mob-slaying, as well. It's been that way until a short while ago, when I dropped the mob-slaying, and up until now, when I got appointed to be a champion."
With a small laugh, Steve attempted to read the other's barely-present expression.
"See? Not that interesting."
As the other left him in silence, Steve found that, surprisingly, he wasn't as uncomfortable with the absence of sound as he would've been earlier. With a quieter voice, Malgun spoke up once again.
"...How many people have you befriended, since you came to that village?"
Steve shrugged.
"...Not many. I mean, I kept to myself mostly since I was a kid, completely out of my element and pretty far away from home, but...I managed myself well. Found a friend in Almun, eventually. Found another friend first in the only other miner we have right now, a guy named Pickett. My only other close friend is a merchant named Selwyn, who came and went and brought me the only real, firsthand knowledge of the outside world I ever really had until this point."
"...What sparked your love of adventuring?"
Steve shrugged.
"Since Herobrine has some knowledge about Crystalia, I dunno if you've heard or if he's ever told you, but it wasn't exactly the most...open city. No one was allowed past the walls, everything was separated neatly according to blood and class, and for ages, I wanted to know what was out there. I read tales and stories about distant lands and far-off kingdoms, but never was I given the opportunity to search for them myself. I guess that kind of started it all, but...after coming to Highland, me getting and doing work kept me busy, and kept me from actually going out and doing stuff. After a while, I put it completely out of my mind as my village became my first and only priority. It was really my friend Selwyn, who told me about the journeys she was able to take, that reignited my passion for the unknown. I realized that those places that I used to read about so eagerly really existed, and I wanted so badly to see them, but I just...never had the time. This situation would've been a blessing in disguise, really, if I was only traveling and not risking my life to...do whatever."
Malgun nodded.
"What are you going to do, once this is all over?"
The miner shrugged again, hesitantly.
"Probably go back to what I was doing, mining and all. My village still needs me, you know."
"...You won't take the time to venture at your own pace?"
"I...I want to, but…"
Steve found himself unable to finish his sentence, leading to Malgun looking over to him with what appeared to be slight suspicion, if he could even call it that.
"...Do you think that your village won't approve?"
The skeleton's words reached his ears, but he was having a bit of a hard time processing them.
Why would he be afraid of his village not approving of him taking another journey? He'd still be their champion, and whatnot. Why even worry about such a thing? Was it that if he died on the road, they wouldn't have a champion anymore? Was it that if he suddenly disappeared, he feared that they'd hate him for essentially abandoning them, even if he didn't intend to? What was the issue he had?
Why wasn't he considering what he wanted? Why was he hesitating to answer the other? Why couldn't he do what he personally wanted, after doing everything that everybody else wanted?
"...I don't know."
Slowly moving to take his pack off his back, Steve carefully began digging around its contents.
"...Might as well eat now, while we're stopped, I guess."
Sliding down to sit against the wall he was leaning against, Steve pulled out a wrapped piece of bread, beginning to eat it slowly as he allowed the atmosphere of the cave to take him and his attention.
Hearing the other do the same, Steve looked over as Malgun faced directly forward, expression neutral.
"...If there's something that you need in order to appeal to us, it's dedication. And you have that, you know." He said, quietly.
Steve let out a small laugh.
"How?"
"...You're dedicated to your village, and your friends. You're dedicated to your passions, and you're dedicated to getting a job done. You're dedicated to connecting with others, even if they don't necessarily wish to connect with you. You're dedicated to life, and that's truly admirable."
Silence followed his words for a moment, allowing the sounds of Steve's quiet chewing to fill the space between them, momentarily.
"...Herobrine is dedicated to this world, you know."
Steve looked at the other, curiously.
"...Really? You think that? He sure hates a lot of things in it, if that's the case."
"I know. It's given him pure hell, but it's given him things that nothing else ever has, and for that, he's expressed his gratitude. The divines don't know that, and they assume that everything he's ever done was done solely with hostility. They don't know why he's so set on his mission, exactly. They've long since considered him a dead man, and that his actions here, right now, are just a part of his desperate swan song until one of them finally gets lucky enough to erase him."
Malgun chuckled to himself.
"He took me in as a part of his team because of my dedication to my goals, and I fully admire him for his dedication to his. If you want to talk to him, convince him of your worth by showing your dedication, somehow."
An expression of surprise crossed Steve's features as he raised a brow at the other's words.
"You...you're helping me?"
Malgun shrugged.
"I remember you saying that you 'cared' for the people around you, even though the people around you right now have a collective body count in untold numbers. You want so badly to get in our heads, and honestly, I'm interested in what you're planning. The fact that you and Constiere keep whispering to each other all the time has me quite intrigued, as well. Nothing's ever plain or boring with him."
Steve let out a nervous chuckle.
"...You hear us that often?"
"Not well, but I have to warn you, now that Lord Herobrine is getting back on his feet, he'll be able to hear you better, so you'll have to get more creative with your planning process."
"...But you don't even know what I want to d-"
"-You want to befriend our master. That much is obvious. The nickname alone tipped me off."
With a sheepish expression, Steve bit into his bread once again as he attempted to avoid the other's gaze.
"...Y-yeah, I guess that's pretty obvious…"
"And might I mention, our master is intrigued by you as well? He may have had mercy on me and Constiere, but anybody else who might've tried what you are attempting would've-"
"-Been ripped to shreds? I know. But hey, I got far enough to convince him to let me call him 'Brine,' yeah?"
"Anyways, I want to see how this turns out. It's amusing, and you're dedicated enough to the attempt for me to put some faith in you. Don't disappoint me, and I'll do some quality assurance on your plans so that neither you nor Constiere get yourselves killed."
Extending his hand out, Steve finished his bread as he gave the other a smile.
"And here I thought you were another, totally serious guy. Welcome to the team!"
The feeling of pure bone against his flesh disturbed him to no end, but as the two shook hands, Steve watched as Malgun let out a small sigh at his words.
"I am serious, especially about helping our master with becoming a better, stronger person. I believe that this will help, honestly."
Steve shrugged as he let the other's hand go with a laugh.
"Whatever you say. I'll tell Constiere to let you in on our conversations. You'll probably get a nickname of your own, though, so that's a warning."
"...Nickname?"
"Constiere is dirt-boy. I'm bright-eyes."
With the explanation, the skeleton nodded.
"...It both intrigues me and worries me to think about what you two will settle on in my case."
"It'll fit, don't worry." Steve finished with another laugh, directing his attention toward the entrance of the cave.
Maybe the lack of sleep was worth this moment. He'd been fighting it off the entire time, but as he now found pleasant company in the other, he was willing to fully allow his eyes to grow heavy with the darkness of the cave.
"...Wake me up when Herobrine gets us. I'm beyond tired…"
Malgun nodded.
"Eventually you'll get properly settled into the schedule, but for now, I'll allow it."
Nodding sleepily, Steve closed his eyes, and allowed the morning to take him away to the world of pure, unconscious bliss.
Waking up to find his body moving along to a rhythm he hadn't set stirred him well enough, but as his eyes fluttered open, he found Squash's head in front of him and his body rested somewhat comfortably upon her saddle, being rocked side to side as she trotted along after his companions without his guidance. Whoever had placed him onto the beast, he wanted to thank, but as the realization came to him that they had allowed him to properly rest, a smile overtook his features as he closed his eyes again, thinking about the day's events so far.
Whatever Herobrine had done to lead the other divines away he'd ask about later; now, he'd be celebrating his success in getting Malgun on his side, and getting closer to the other. He'd celebrate coming closer to achieving his ultimate goal of finally befriending Herobrine fully, with no room for doubt about whether or not the other wished to share a friendship with him as well.
Apologies again for the delay! I had to write some papers and stuff, and my editing time got chomped there too T_T We're in the last few weeks of class, so it's getting interesting for me lmao
ANYWAYS here's Malgun's story! As I've stated before in my profile update, I want to focus more on building the squad's bonds before I hit them with the real nonsense lmao. Idk, if I were to split this fic into the typical three-act structure, I'd say that we're now in the second act, possibly? I'd say first act cuts off at around Beast Tamer or Reconnaissance, idk lol my arrangement is straight garbage. Whatever the case is, the second act starts with Steve building better bonds as things get a bit more serious, so yeah! I'm excited!
Malgun is a strange case for me since I've been thinking of a firm, certain explanation for his background, but as I wrote it out, things changed a bit. IDK, I'm thinking of writing a separate fic where we get these closer glimpses into the pasts of these guys, but idk whether to make it a follow-up fic contained in a sequel, or make them each separate, little fics. Andvari's story alone was a part of my first draft ever for a MC fic, and it was already long enough, so uhhh idk how I'm gonna handle this. Whatever, I'm including glimpses of the mob squad's background to help Steve get acquainted with them!
Aight, fun fact time y'all!:
1.) At first, I was sure that Constiere would've been the first additional mob general Herobrine recruited after Andvari, but whaddayaknow, things change, and now, Malgun is the first! Instead of meeting Herobrine near his adulthood, I changed the situation so that he'd meet the lad during his childhood, specifically teenage-ish years.
2.) With helping Malgun, Herobrine allowed him to tap more into the magic of the overworld in order to become more stable, and gave him back his vocal cords after they'd already started to decay a little as a peace offering, lol
3.) Malgun came to respect Herobrine after he initially beat his ass, whether he wanted to accept that or not lmao. Though he attributes searching for the other as something he wanted to do in order to be a champion, it was more like his subconscious told him to find Herobrine in order to find an answer on why he didn't kill him at first.
4.) Rest assured, Malgun loves chaos as much as the others do lol, he's just not as prone to expressing it.
That's it for now! Leave a review if you have any thoughts!
