Chapter 46: Within the Depths
Herobrine and Steve returned to the latter's house before the others had the chance to return, leaving them with the opportunity to properly prepare Steve's belongings once again. Though his possessions had gotten a bit disorderly within his pack, Steve, with a bit of relief as he did so, organized his supplies as best he could, though he was no match to Andvari in terms of making his stuff look presentable. A couple of more bandages were placed within for good measure, but with Herobrine's earlier comments in mind, he held back on placing any potions from his personal supply within. Some unlit torches were added as well from his storage chest, though with the added time they had left after putting everything else in the bag, Steve decided to get to work on creating more torches with some leftover sturdy sticks and branches he had found outside not too long before he'd gotten involved in his championship.
Sitting upon his couch with a wood-carving knife he had made himself in his hand, Steve worked away at a small pile of firm sticks and halved tree branches that he'd placed by his feet, focusing solely on getting them outfitted for potential long-term use within a different realm. Though he didn't even know if they would hold up long enough, he, regardless, decided on trying to keep them as thick as possible so that they'd possibly last longer, if they even managed to survive at all. Herobrine kept himself occupied standing in front of the fireplace across from him, staring at the old sword that was currently placed lovingly upon the mantle.
"...Is this blade one you've had for a while? Its edges are rather dulled." Herobrine asked, reaching out a hand to draw a finger against the edge of the sword, amused as it failed to even cut the fabric of his glove.
Steve glanced up briefly, looking at his old sword before nodding.
"...I made that one, yeah. I think it was…what, four years ago when I made it? I was fifteen when I crafted it together."
"...I assumed that you had to be young. This craftsmanship is so poor, I'm questioning which one of us truly has the worse natural eyesight. Was it dark when you forged this blade?"
Steve looked back up in order to glare at Herobrine.
"...First of all, I didn't forge it-"
"-It would've possibly looked better if you did-"
"-You are terrible, you know that?" Steve said with a bit of snark. "First of all, I crafted it with the stone I had on hand because I'd just picked up mining around that time. Second, I crafted it at night, while getting chased around by mobs because I also had just become a mob-slayer back then. It got me through the job until I quit, and that was like, four years later! It's a good sword!"
As Steve fought back, Herobrine turned toward him with intrigue.
"...You were fifteen when you started your profession? They sent out a child to deal with the undead?" He asked with a bit of disbelief in his voice.
Looking at Herobrine's confused, yet concerned expression, Steve shrugged at him.
"...They needed the help they could get, and I offered. Humans don't exactly have total control of the mobs, you know." The miner looked back down at the in-progress torch he was working on. "...Besides, at least I was earning money, I guess. What were you doing at fifteen?"
Silence had followed his question as the sounds of his knife against wood became almost uncomfortably louder to his ears. Glancing back up to Herobrine, Steve somewhat felt his heart sink as he found that the other had somewhat turned away from him, staring almost blankly at the ground in front of him. Conflicted emotions were barely visible in his eyes, causing Steve to immediately regret asking the question in the first place.
"Never mind. I-"
"-I was raising my army around that time. I was fighting to gain my title as king after I'd abandoned my crown as a prince." Herobrine glanced over to Steve without turning his head. "...It didn't earn me any money, but it sure earned me deep, everlasting hatred of my existence from others."
Keeping the other's gaze for a few tense seconds or so, Steve quietly nodded his head as he went back to looking at his almost-finished torch. As Steve found himself struggling to think of a way to possibly move the conversation on, Herobrine let out a brief chuckle, somewhat confusing him.
"At least you seemed to be the more responsible one at that age." He said somewhat quietly, drawing Steve's attention once again.
A small smile appeared on Steve's face, soon turning into a bit of a smirk.
"...Well, what do you expect? I may be the older twin, you know. Maybe it was an early instinct."
A startling laugh escaped Herobrine's mouth before he went to cover it, holding back his laughter as Steve shot a glare at him.
"...I almost forgot." Herobrine said, turning back fully toward Steve with a bit of a teasing expression. "I spoke with Mojang when you ran off. Turns out that I'm the older one."
Surprise mixed with disappointment flashed across Steve's gaze before he looked and pointed at Herobrine with an accusatory glare.
"You're making that up, Mo didn't say anything."
"Ohh, but he did!" Herobrine said, drawing closer to Steve as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "He said, directly to me, that while he was forming our appearances, by just a few seconds, I was worked on first. I'm older, truly."
A sigh of defeat escaped Steve as his expression dropped as well, amusing Herobrine as the miner slouched over to hold his head in his hands and glance disappointedly at the ground in front of him after setting his work down.
"...Even Almun said I wasn't older. I thought I had a chance!" He whined a bit, drawing some more laughter from Herobrine.
"...At least look at it from a different point of view, Steven. It means that you have somewhat of an excuse for your childish behavior."
As Steve shot another glare in his direction, Herobrine turned away, glancing over at the front door as he slowly calmed his laughter.
"...They're approaching. I assume that you'll need a bit more time with the torches?"
Resuming his current task, Steve shot a slightly sheepish look up at the other.
"...Maybe."
Herobrine waved him off.
"Make only a couple more. I can set down flames where we need them."
Nodding at the other's instructions, Steve went back to finishing the torch he currently had, making sure that the coal he had grabbed from a bag that was set beside him was perfectly fine before attaching a bit onto the tip of his new torch.
Once the mob generals had made their way back into the building, Herobrine made his way toward the center of the room, gesturing over for them to place themselves near Steve. Constiere leaned against the dining table, Malgun situated himself upon the couch, and Andvari stood near the small kitchen.
"...I'm informing you all of our slightly adjusted plan of action. Steven and I have decided on directing our efforts toward attuning a pearl first before searching for the End portal. For that, we need to go to the Nether, of course."
Constiere, Malgun, and Andvari all looked in between themselves for a moment before glancing back upward toward Herobrine curiously.
"...We're doing what?" Constiere asked, drawing a quick sigh from Herobrine's lips in response.
"...We're heading back into the Nether. We need to collect blaze powder, and the only place we can retrieve it is within that realm."
Beginning to pace, Herobrine folded his hands behind his back.
"My…our brother was kind enough to repair the portal within the mines that we had destroyed. It's smaller, but also a bit…unstable. We can only keep it activated for a short while, and we'll be needing to put it out when it's not in use. After we retrieve the powder, we'll properly attune a pearl, and hopefully, it will aid us in locating a usable End portal." He explained further, stopping his pacing as he waited for a response.
The three fell into thought as both Herobrine and Steve waited for their input, which finally came in the form of Andvari bringing a claw up to his chin, closing his eyes, and letting out a small hum of deep thought.
"...Do you know how long this might take? Do you have an idea of how much powder we even need?" The enderman asked cautiously, looking up at Herobrine for a proper answer.
Herobrine thought quietly to himself for a moment before looking down and shaking his head.
"...The only place that will have a decent number of blazes reliably present is a fortress. We'll need to locate one of those, and who knows how long that might take us alone. It'll be a given that we need to collect a lot of rods, however. We can afford one explorative trip, but not two."
"Me and General Malgun are gonna have a rough time searching around, sir." Constiere spoke up, looking at Herobrine with a slightly apologetic expression. "I can't go into the basalt deltas. I can barely handle the Nether wastes as-is."
Steve glanced up from his work toward Constiere curiously.
"...The what?" He asked quietly.
Constiere glanced back toward Steve with a small grin.
"Basically, they're super hot and dangerous. The basalt deltas especially. I've accidentally been set off in them once or twice. Can't remember."
"Once. The second time was a close call." Andvari corrected.
Constiere snapped his fingers and pointed to the enderman, smiling.
"That's it! Exploded once, got dragged away as it was about to happen again. Still, the basalt deltas are basically made up of a bunch of sharp hills and lava pools. Kinda nightmarish, y'know."
Feeling a slight drop in his stomach at the mention of Constiere "setting off" once or twice, Steve found himself only able to nod as he went back to focus on making more torches.
"Hm. Basalt deltas are bad enough, alright." Malgun said, looking over at Constiere as he spoke. "...The crimson forests are also gonna be a problem."
Herobrine cleared his throat, gaining the others' attention once again as Malgun finished.
"To avoid any complications, me, Steven, and Andvari will go in first. We'll make sure our landing location is suitable before bringing you two in..." Herobrine's words trailed off as he became entrapped within his own thoughts, leaving the others in brief silence before looking toward the two with a bit of a serious expression upon his face. "...No. If either of you end up having an incident unexpectedly despite our levels of caution, I might not have the full capacity to heal your wounds, let alone revive you. I'm having you both stand guard by the portal within the Overworld."
Sounds of protest rose up briefly before Herobrine quickly silenced them with a quick cutting gesture of the hand.
"Steven's friend is no longer an issue concerning him directly getting in our way, but that means he'll return to the mines soon enough. How soon exactly, we don't know, so, I need you both to protect the portal from his access. Any other creature's access, as well."
Taking in the order carefully, Constiere and Malgun gave each other quick, worried glances before bowing slightly to Herobrine at roughly the same time.
"Yes sir." Malgun said firmly.
"...Yes sir. I wanted to help out, though…" Constiere said, his words becoming a small whine as he finished.
"You'll help out much more if you remain in good health." Herobrine said, drawing closer to the other and moving to place a small hand upon his shoulder.
"...I apologize." Constiere gave him a quick nod, his expression slowly becoming more determined as he gave him a small salute. "No one will draw near us, sir."
Nodding at the boy's words, Herobrine directed his attention back toward Andvari and Steve with his serious expression returning quickly.
"We'll have to work fast, but we'll also have to hope for luck. Finding a fortress is no easy feat, let alone getting into one." Looking down at Steve's growing pile of newly-finished torches, Herobrine pointed toward them. "...We need to use those as we navigate through whichever fortress we stumble upon, as well."
Giving a small nod to the other, Steve finished another torch and set it down in his somewhat organized pile of torches.
"Working on it."
Herobrine glanced back toward the others.
"Any questions?"
Constiere and Malgun shook their heads as Andvari looked at Herobrine with a somewhat curious expression.
"...How will we cover ground once we're there? Traveling in a single group, or splitting off?"
Herobrine contemplated the enderman's words for a moment before letting out a small hum in response.
"...For Steven's sake, we'll stay together."
A slight scoff came from Constiere as the boy pointed to the miner with his thumb in a joking manner.
"Yeah, I hope you guys stick together, because imagine bright-eyes trying to navigate himself through the Nether alone."
Herobrine shook his head with a small, teasing smile.
"I won't inflict that kind of torture upon us, trust me."
Half of an offended "Hey!" left Steve's lips before he cut himself off, waving the two off dismissively as he briefly paused his careful work on another torch.
"I have decent navigation skills. You all just wouldn't know it." Steve grumbled a bit, earning a bit of a snicker from Constiere as he finished.
"Whatever you say, bright–eyes!" Constiere said, glancing back at Steve with a teasing smile.
Turning to face the front door again, Herobrine pointed at it firmly.
"We'll head out once Steve is finished with the torches that we need. Once we're in the Nether, we have to keep our eyes open for any signs of a large, enormous structure, as well as any Nethren creatures."
"...What kind of creatures, exactly?" Steve asked cautiously.
"...You'll find out soon enough, Steven." Herobrine answered.
With a quiet groan of disappointment at the other's answer, Steve went back to directing all of his energy into finishing the last set of supplies they needed in order to get through the Nether safely enough.
The group made their way to the finished portal placed within the underground ravine, taking a quick moment or two to double-check their surroundings before starting with their current objective. As Constiere and Malgun took their positions, with Constiere staying closer to the portal and Malgun positioning himself near the tunnel that led to the ravine, Andvari drew closer to Steve and Herobrine as they approached the new portal. Standing in front of it, Herobrine glanced over to Steve.
"Do you have your supplies ready? Anything you might have forgotten, Steven?" Herobrine asked quietly, turning toward Steve as he spoke.
Steve thought for a second before slowly shaking his head.
"I made enough torches, I think. Brought some extra supplies to make more if we really need it."
Nodding at the miner's response, Herobrine then focused his attention back upon the portal in front of them, summoning a bit of fire to rest on the ends of his fingertips.
"Listen up." He started with a slightly louder tone of voice. "Once me, Steven, and Andvari are safely on the other side, I will deactivate the portal. Do not be alarmed when it suddenly happens. My brother recommended that we do this, so to avoid any extra hassle, we'll be doing it."
Constiere and Malgun nodded at Herobrine's words, prompting the other to aim his flame at the portal before sending it off. Not too soon after, the portal lit, displaying a wall of magic that beckoned them to pass through with a noticeable pull the closer they placed themselves to it. Though said pull was not strong enough to actually move them forward, it, nevertheless, was present.
Herobrine turned back toward the others, giving them a serious expression.
"If a mob approaches the area, tell them to stand down and keep an eye out elsewhere. If a human approaches…you know well enough how to deal with the problem."
Before the two could firmly nod in response, Steve stepped forward, letting out a slightly nervous chuckle.
"Please be kind if someone from the village comes around? They wouldn't need anything more than a scare or two to convince them to run away, I think."
At the sound of his protest, Constiere gave the miner a small, mischievous smile.
"Alright. We'll be sure to give them a scare."
Not exactly liking the other's tone of voice all too much, Steve let out a small sigh.
"...Please just scare them away. Especially if it's Pickett."
Constiere shrugged at the added emphasis, moving to plop himself down next to the portal.
"I know, I get it. No killing. If he gets anywhere past the middle of this platform though, he's screwed. Just saying." Constiere said, pointing to the part of the hanging platform in question.
"Steven, I assure you, Pickett will be fine enough. If he chooses not to listen to any warnings, that's entirely on him. Now, let's be sure to get through this portal before it has any chance to fail on us. Standing around here arguing won't do anything apart from hurting us in the long run." Herobrine butted in, gesturing to the portal as Steve glanced over at him.
With a small sigh, Steve nodded, placing himself more in front of the open gateway as he stared at the swirling magic that was there.
As the sight of purple danced around in his vision, he felt his stomach grow a bit queasy with anticipation and anxiousness for whenever he finally decided to step through. Though he had faith that he'd be fine enough, he was not looking forward to the near breathlessness that would come with stepping into the Nether once again, especially if he hadn't built up a tolerance to the feeling yet. He wasn't looking forward to the heat and lack of air, but he was especially not looking forward to actually venturing through the apparently dangerous landscapes that were fully waiting for him.
A pair of footsteps drew closer, and as he turned to meet their owner, he was met with a small smile from Andvari.
"...I'll make my way through first, so if we land in a truly unfortunate spot, you'll at least have something to catch you when you push through."
Walking forward and disappearing through the portal, Andvari left Steve to ponder his words for a few seconds before panic soon flooded the miner's expression.
"Wait, catch me?!" Steve turned to Herobrine, eyes widened with deep concern for his own well-being.
Herobrine shrugged at him.
"The landscape of the Nether is strange. Sometimes building a portal will lead you to strange locations, that is all."
"Like where, Brine?!"
"...High places overlooking steep drops, in the air while floating above a sea of lava, places such as those."
Before Steve could even consider stepping away from the portal, Herobrine quickly grabbed his wrist, pulling him forward as he began to lead him through the open gateway ahead.
"Should this portal lead to any such location, I will save you if you fall. If we both end up falling, Andvari will save us. Do not be afraid."
Noticing a softer look forming on the other's face, Steve slowly nodded in response, allowing the other to lead him through the portal frame as the feeling of being teleported began to surround them.
Soon enough, the same suffocating sensation he felt upon his first visit came to overwhelm him once again, confirming his suspicion that he hadn't built up any tolerance to it at all yet. Almost as soon as it became apparent that he was struggling immensely, Herobrine rushed to his aid, pulling the two of them more onto solid ground, throwing his cape over both of their heads, and creating a heatless space for him to get accustomed to the realm in.
"...I guess that one visit wasn't enough to truly help you. Sorry." Herobrine quietly apologized as he brought Steve closer to the ground until they both were able to sit.
Once Steve had regained more control over his breathing, a small chuckle left his lips in response, though he immediately regretted that action as he lost some of his steady breathing once again.
"I...I guessed that this would…happen…" He offered his older brother a smile, though Herobrine only continued to look at him with worry.
"...I'm a bit worried about how this translates to your ability to deal with stronger forms of magic. Even if it's delayed a bit, do you suppose that you'll struggle when it comes time for you to confront the dragon?"
Realization flooded Steve's vision, but as soon as his panic began to return to him, Herobrine immediately began to backpedal on his words.
"Forget it. Forget it. Don't think about it. Stop thinking about it. Steven, just…" He spoke quietly and quickly, attempting to distract Steve as best he could, though he was currently failing at his current task. "We'll deal with that as it comes, just…calm down!"
Steve wasn't as panicked as Herobrine thought he was, but hearing the other worry about his well-being made him calmer anyways. As soon as his breathing became steady once again, he looked up at Herobrine, gave him a thankful smile, and carefully removed the other's cape from over their heads.
"...How'd you figure out that all of that helps?" Steve asked quietly, looking at the other curiously as Herobrine responded with a small shrug.
"...First thing that came to mind. I didn't have this luxury when I was younger, and I know how terrible it feels when you have no means of protecting yourself. I went through it the hard way."
Standing up, Herobrine offered a hand to Steve, who took it as his gaze soon shifted around to their current surroundings.
They'd landed in what seemed to be a similar location to their previous entry point, much to Steve's general confusion. Though there were no massive mushrooms in sight, he found an abundance of what seemed to be waterfalls made of lava coming in from the ceiling above them, trickling down into pools in some places, and traveling down toward a larger sea in others. He initially felt a bit of worry as he thought that they had found themselves on a small island, but as soon as he turned around to look past the portal behind them, he was met with more land that led to a small, raised area that they would surely have to climb soon enough.
Curiously, Steve glanced back toward Herobrine.
"...Are we in the basalt deltas, or whatever Constiere was talking about?"
Herobrine shook his head.
"You aren't choking on falling ash, so thankfully, no. We're in the Nether wastes."
As Steve continued to take in their current surroundings, Andvari, who'd been waiting patiently for them, approached, drawing closer to Herobrine in particular.
"...Where should we head off to first?"
Herobrine lowered his head a bit in thought, forming a fireball in his hand as he did so. Looking back up at Andvari, he aimed the fireball at the portal.
"...Would it be foolish to simply wander? We have to find a fortress somehow, but they're usually hidden away for protection. There are reasons why they're hard enough to find."
Hurling the fireball at the portal, Herobrine broke through the wall of magic and quickly deactivated the portal, causing Steve to jump as he did so. Andvari let out a hum of thought as he considered the other's words.
"...I know we agreed to do otherwise, but it may truly come down to us having to separate. Once we reach an area that's difficult for war to flourish in, we'll have to split up and look around, don't you think?"
Herobrine slowly nodded in response to Andvari.
"...Perhaps it's a good idea. In the meantime, if we spot any endermen, we can simply…you know."
Steve raised a brow at Herobrine curiously.
"Endermen are in here too?"
Andvari nodded his head before Herobrine could do the same.
"It's an intriguing place for endermen. It has a strong magical influence, and since humans don't come by all too often, it's safer than the Overworld, so to speak."
"They also find refuge in some of the forests here." Herobrine added on. "We'll be able to find more endermen here than in the Overworld, if we're lucky enough. It's harder to get to them, but we'll see more, at the very least."
As Herobrine began to walk past the portal with Andvari in tow, Steve let out a small "Woah…" as he thought over the others' words, glancing around to see if he could actually spot any endermen in question.
"Do they feel better here, at least? If more of them come to live here?"
Herobrine shrugged at his words, briefly gesturing for Andvari to answer the miner's question.
"...Well, in terms of safety, yes. In terms of being lucid and aware of their actions…well, I do suppose that the Nether brings some clarity to their vision."
"It's away from the End, but just as the End is well-connected to the rest of the realms, so is the Nether, in a way. It's been abused more by the Overworld of course, so it still sees some damage, in that regard." Herobrine stated. "The Nether isn't as of risk of collapsing as the End is, however. Less direct influence from the Aether does that, I suppose."
"...The Aether doesn't mess with the Nether? Shouldn't it, though?" Steve asked quietly.
"...I suppose, but where divine souls come to the Aether, within this realm lies all others. Actually, if I recall, some divine souls have managed to slip in here, only to endure severe torment and to have their powers used for evil. That's why the Aether tries to avoid all contact, at the very least." Herobrine said with a bit of a grin on his face.
"...The Nether is used for that?" Steve asked.
As the three began to climb the raised area behind the portal, Herobrine gave Steve an affirming hum.
"The afterlife is a nasty thing to navigate. Without the aid of the higher divines, it's difficult to manage things without error. Divine beings are prone to egregious mistakes, especially."
Finding themselves at the top, the three were met with the sight of more red stone, as well as the new appearance of what seemed to be a dark desert made from black sand, much to Steve's general intrigue. Before he could ask any questions about it, however, Herobrine snapped his fingers, gaining the miner's attention as he then directed his focus toward the ground.
"I believe that it's time to see if our torch plan will be viable in any way. Steven, leave a torch here."
Nodding, Steve went to pull his bag from his back, looking briefly around before finding a torch and bringing it out slowly. As it left his bag, he let out a sigh of relief as it didn't immediately burst into flames, leaving him some time to close his pack, place it on his back once again, and crouch down in order to try and stick the torch into the rocky ground. After being met with some resistance, he went to move some of the rocks away in hopes of finding some softer ground, only to find more rock in his vision that became harder to move the further he dug down. With a small sigh of frustration, he simply resorted to placing the torch into the small hole he made, supporting it with the rocks he had moved away. Finding that the torch still hadn't ignited itself, he stood back up and stepped away from it, allowing Herobrine to come close, crouch down, and light it himself. The torch came to life, surprisingly burning as it was intended to do without any signs of the fire beginning to spread downward. The only major difference was that the flame was stronger than what Steve was used to, though he wasn't sure if that was because of the Nether itself or Herobrine's flame on its own.
Letting out a small hum of intrigue, Herobrine looked at Steve with a smile.
"...Looks like it works after all, strangely enough. Good suggestion, Steven."
Sheepishly, Steve returned the smile, happy that he received any praise whatsoever.
"Hey, at least I didn't make all those torches for nothing!"
As Herobrine stood back up, he went to stand by Steve's side, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he soon directed his gaze toward the dark sands that laid ahead of them instead of the torch down by their feet.
"Back to our earlier conversation...well, speaking of souls, we found them."
Confusion appeared on Steve's face as he turned toward Herobrine.
"...Where? Are you able to see souls, or something?"
Herobrine shook his head.
"...Look. Ahead lies a soul sand valley." He pointed forward. "Often, the souls of the dead are trapped within. The sand itself has special properties, attaching itself to life and keeping it contained for convenience."
Herobrine turned to meet Steve's gaze.
"...Do you remember when you assisted that underground village? When we were met with the soul lanterns?"
Steve thought back for a moment before nodding gently.
"Soul lanterns are formed using some soul sand. Said soul sand merely draws in souls, but when lit, the souls become weak and burn like fuel, leaving the sand with no other choice but to continue feeding on souls in order to fill itself, creating an endless cycle of consumption." Herobrine explained, looking to see if Steve understood him well enough.
The miner took in the other's words for a moment before looking over with a slightly worried smile.
"So…should we avoid it? The valley, I mean."
Herobrine shrugged.
"...It'll try to drain your soul, but all that does is make it hard to move through the sand. If you keep moving, it shouldn't be a problem."
"...And if I stop?"
"...How brightly do you think a divine soul burns?"
As Steve felt his heart drop at the suggestion, Herobrine let out a small laugh, beginning to lead them forward. Andvari moved to place a comforting hand upon Steve's shoulder, giving him a brief pat before moving on. Looking back to find Steve still a bit unnerved by his comment, Herobrine offered him a small smile in return.
"Remember, you're with both me and Andvari. You'll be cared for well enough, Steven."
"...This place is horrible." Steve said in response, earning another laugh from Herobrine.
"According to your perception, that is. To me, it's home. I assure you, once you get used to it, the Nether becomes the most reassuring, comforting place you'll ever have the pleasure of knowing. If you end up developing anything similar to my abilities, that is."
Steve narrowed his gaze at the other.
"Y'know, that'd be nice. Too bad I don't know what I can do right now. I can't even do the thing where I can feel magic pulses, or whatever. It sucks!" The miner complained.
Andvari drew closer to Steve's side once again.
"I don't believe that you'll have to be all too concerned about that, Steve. The divines apparently take a while to properly develop even when they're in the proper environment, so don't be too surprised if you end up experiencing the same dilemma."
"He's correct. Don't expect a miracle in only a few days, Steven. Be aware of the fact that you'll develop and gain your powers slowly, and you'll master them even slower." Herobrine added on, drawing a groan from Steve in response.
"...Is there a school for this sort of thing, or whatever?"
"...In the Aether, but we're kind of on poor terms with them at the moment. Besides, I'm not letting you anywhere near it regardless. It'll stunt your growth even further." Herobrine answered firmly.
Before Steve could protest and try to change the other's mind in any way, a strange, warbled sound echoed throughout the area, causing him to freeze up and glance around wildly.
"...What the heck was that?!" Steve asked in a hushed, frantic whisper, drawing closer to Herobrine for protection.
"Calm yourself, it's only a ghast." Herobrine answered, entirely unbothered.
"A what?!"
As Steve continued to look around for the source of the noise, another call came, confusing the miner even further as Herobrine began looking for it as well.
"...It kinda…sounds like a cat…a demonic one, but…" Steve said quietly.
Suddenly, a high-pitched scream came to their ears, causing Steve to flinch badly at the sound. Before he could even process what was going on, Herobrine drew his sword and moved away from the miner in a flash, knocking back something that he didn't have a good opportunity to see properly. Seconds later, the sound of a massive explosion came to his ears, and as Steve went to see where it had come from, his eyes were met with the sight of a distant, flaming crater just several yards away from where Herobrine had jumped off to.
Herobrine was currently turned to the side, glaring at something that was just out of view from where Steve was standing. Walking a bit closer to try and see what the other was looking at, Steve was stopped by the feeling of deep dread suddenly rising up within him.
"Do you not know who you're firing at?! Cease!" Herobrine called out in anger.
Herobrine was met with another warble in response, causing him to sheath his sword as he kept his eyes focused on the distant creature. As soon as the sword was put away, he gestured for Steve to draw closer, which the miner hesitantly complied with. Herobrine pointed forward toward the roof of the Nether, and as Steve followed his direction, he was met with the sight of a massive, white, almost ghostly figure floating in the air, facing down toward them with what appeared to be entirely closed eyes. Steve felt nothing but fear as he looked at the distant monster, examining its long, flowing tendrils and scarred body. Small, growling sounds came from its mouth, but besides that, it kept "looking" at them without making any further move apart from idle floating.
"...This is a ghast, Steven. At the sight of any human figure whatsoever, it shoots massive fireballs in their direction. Should you find yourself in its warpath, I hope that you at least have the strength to parry its attacks."
"...Parry?!" Steve asked in a harsh whisper.
"...Hit the fireballs back. You will never get close enough to combat it otherwise."
As Steve thought about the other's advice carefully, another sense of dread and nausea filled his system as the ghast soon began to float away. When the creature finally disappeared out of sight, a sigh of relief escaped Steve's mouth as Herobrine began to walk away.
"Come now. The ghasts will be the least of our problems here."
"...The least?" Steve questioned worriedly.
Herobrine gave him a curt nod.
"Everything here is vicious. Apart from a select few, most monsters here will make an attempt on your life before you even realize it. Stay close to me, and don't engage in combat without my input."
Nodding slowly as he glanced around them, Steve returned to the other's side, keeping a hand near his sword as a certain fear began to rise up within him.
Even breathing in the Nether was dangerous. What was he honestly expecting when he stepped through the portal, a walk through the park?
Eventually, the three found themselves within a slightly more closed-up part of the Nether wastes, reminding Steve that they were more in a cave than an actual open space with a visible sky. As the roof of the space got within Andvari's reach, the enderman looked down at Herobrine with a small smile.
"Shall we start looking around this area? Is this a good place to split up?"
Herobrine glanced around them for a moment before nodding slowly.
"...I believe so. Not many battles can occur in places like this, and it's not easily accessible, making it a safer place to set up a proper base."
Giving Herobrine a small bow, Andvari stepped away.
"Then I will be off. Let's agree to meet back here when we're finished, if we cannot find anything."
Herobrine nodded, gesturing toward Steve in order to gain his attention.
"Steven, place a torch down here, right at our feet."
Quickly, Steve did as the other said, firmly planting one of his torches down as Herobrine went to light it. Looking back up toward Andvari, Herobrine then pointed to the enderman's right side, off toward what seemed to be more of a large tunnel.
"Search through that area up ahead. Steven and I will go in the other direction on this side." Herobrine pointed off to his left. "If you find any endermen, take care of them, cautiously. It wouldn't hurt to collect some pearls while we're here."
Andvari responded with another quick nod.
"Will do."
The enderman quickly teleported away from the two, appearing closer to the distant tunnel as he began to walk through it. Standing up once again, Herobrine began to walk away toward the left.
"...We'll be entering a more open space I believe, so remain vigilant." He instructed Steve, who nodded quickly in response.
Following after the other, Steve watched as their surroundings slowly became filled with more lava, gravel, and surprisingly enough, glowstone. He was also a bit stunned to find that they weren't the only moving creatures present anymore. Not too far away from them, Steve found what seemed to be pigs, walking on two feet, standing around, much to his bewilderment. However, their bodies appeared to be almost entirely rotted, covered in both dead flesh and blood as most, if not all, of their skeletons were visible even from where they currently were walking. Within most of their hands were what seemed to be swords made from gold, dragging around on the ground behind them as they seemed to struggle a bit with carrying the weight.
Steve went to lightly tap against Herobrine's shoulder, but was met with a quick hand as his brother raised it to immediately silence him.
"...Zombified piglins. As long as we don't draw near and enrage them, we'll be fine."
Looking back at said zombified piglins, Steve's curiosity didn't exactly waver at the quick explanation.
"They're not hostile?"
"Oh, they are hostile, but only if you try to disturb them. They attack in packs, so if you intend on only fighting one, you'll be heavily disappointed."
Putting more distance in between himself and the distant piglins by moving to Herobrine's other side, Steve nodded in understanding.
"Got it. Don't mess with the…uh, weird pigs."
The two eventually stumbled onto a small hill that overlooked more of the Nether wastes, but Steve's attention was immediately drawn to what seemed to be a massive amount of green off to their right, hidden slightly by another hill off to the side. Without even acknowledging it, Herobrine began to lead them down the hill, keeping his gaze focused upon the rest of the area ahead of them.
Letting Herobrine walk further in front of him, Steve decided to take a relatively small detour off to the right, trying to examine the sudden influx of green for himself.
To his surprise, he found that the green belonged to what seemed to be another Nethren mushroom forest, this time being enclosed within a large cavern area, keeping it contained and away from the open space in front of it. Grass seemed to grow plentifully, and, though he was able to hear some distant mobs before, it seemed like none were present within the forest; at least, none that he could actually see or hear at the moment. Small, purple particles flew plentifully within the area, creating a somewhat colored haze that seemed to be more intense and heavy near the ground. The little oasis was quiet, peaceful even, bringing him a sense of comfort as his vision was suddenly blessed by actual, living plant life instead of pure red. As he looked up to examine the massive mushrooms up ahead, he was a bit surprised to find some vines flowing down from them, with some actually appearing to be reaching upward toward them as well.
A look of realization flashed across his eyes as he focused on these vines in particular.
They were the same vines that had trapped the underground villagers in the sickened village that he'd stumbled upon. The same, twisted vines that had burned his hands. The same kind of vines that Herobrine had explicitly warned him about.
Had he stumbled upon the specific Nethren biome that they were native to? If this was where they flourished, how dangerous were they now?
Finding some curiosity coming upon him, along with a strange feeling that he hadn't been aware of prior, Steve found himself intrigued enough to decide on examining the cave for himself. He slowly entered the vibrant forest, his eyes glancing around in silent awe as small particles flew around him, some falling straight from the large fungi that hung above him as he passed underneath.
He got about a couple of feet into the forest before a hand roughly grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him back toward the entrance. Utterly caught off guard, he quickly found his feet failing to support his unbalanced weight as he fell to the netherrack that he just stepped away from. Before he could even question who'd grabbed him, two hands firmly placed themselves onto his shoulders and began shaking him around wildly.
"Steven! Are you crazy?!"
Herobrine had spoken to him in such a startling way, he flinched closer into the ground out of protective instinct. The other was angered, sure, but he was also somewhat shaken at the fact that he'd gone into the forest ahead.
"...Brine, I've never been here before. Please tell me I didn't just walk into a death trap." He answered quietly.
Herobrine let out a frustrated sigh.
"...We need to put more distance in between us and the forest. It's not even safe here."
Bringing Steve hastily along with him, Herobrine stood up, drawing the other further away from the forest as Steve kept his eyes firmly upon it. Once enough distance was comfortably placed in between them and the forest, Herobrine looked Steve directly in the eyes with a serious expression.
"...We call these areas part of the warped forest. You may have found the soul sand to be the most distressing part of the Nether, but I assure you, this place is more deserving of your fear." Herobrine took a glance toward the forest in question. "The mushrooms produce a deadly spore that enters the system and targets the brain. Those particles that are floating around are said spores. After your brain is consumed, your body is next, and the forest takes in your corpse as sustenance. They often grow to be this size from a single mushroom. No living creature dares walk within."
As horror hit Steve like a punch to the face, Herobrine cast a saddened gaze down toward the ground beneath him.
"...No living creature...except for the endermen. They know no better, so the warped forests become their home within this realm. They're...somewhat immune, I believe."
Steve's horror soon fell away into slight intrigue.
"...Wait, so...it's the best place to find endermen in the Nether, but we can't…" Steve trailed off for a moment, thinking intently to himself before his eyes lit up in both realization and confusion. "...Hey wait a minute, we're immortal! We can just-"
"-Being immune to death doesn't mean being immune to brain-eating spores, Steven. There are fates worse than death, believe it or not." Herobrine said in a frustrated manner. "I...I had an experience with the spores once. I remember little of it, but...Andvari remembers all of it, and he told me what happened."
"...What happened?" Steve asked quietly.
"...To anyone, it appeared as if I had become immensely drunk at first. After only a few minutes, I couldn't move my own body, couldn't leave that horrid place; Andvari had to drag me away once he realized what was going on. I'm simply lucky that my body had the ability to repair what had possibly been lost."
Looking at the other with a bit of pity, Steve found himself only growing more fearful of the warped forest. Herobrine gave him a stern expression.
"...My body was only able to repair that sort of injury because it was used to doing it. As you know, your abilities are nonexistent apart from your very, very basic healing ability. Should you fall victim to an extremely serious injury here, I'm uncertain if you'll be able to pull through."
Steve rose a brow at the other.
"...I could actually die here?"
Herobrine shrugged at him.
"...Not permanently, but until someone pulls out your body from the forest, you won't be able to heal well enough to regain consciousness or a stable pulse."
Steve looked down in a bit of shame, finding himself even more appreciative of the fact that Herobrine had noticed that he was gone in time.
"...I saw the vines in there. I wanted to check them out a bit."
"...Steven, those vines burned your hands once. A dead vine burned you. These vines are what dissolve corpses for the forest to consume. You could've been seriously injured."
Stepping even further away from the forest, Steve let out a small hum.
"...I also thought that the cave could lead to a shortcut…maybe…" He finished quietly, earning a look of amusement from Herobrine.
"To your doom, sure. Steven, please remain close to me from now on. If you wish to know about something, ask me first."
Herobrine gestured for the miner to draw near him, earning a small look of surprise from the other.
"...Really? You won't hold anything back?"
Herobrine thought to himself for a moment before shaking his head.
"I spent a good portion of my life here. I can give you general, reliable information if you so desire. Ask about anything having to do with me and my personal history, and I might be more reluctant to answer."
"...But you'll still answer, maybe?"
"...I'll think about it."
The two stepped away from the deadly warped forest cave, with Herobrine looking Steve over a couple more times to make sure he was okay before continuing on.
Finding themselves back in the more open area of the Nether wastes, they continued to search around, hoping to find any signs of a Nether fortress. Steve, in particular, was looking for anything that looked strikingly out-of-place from the mash of reds and oranges that were currently around them, since he wasn't exactly sure of how the fortress was supposed to even look like in general.
Wanting to be more of use, Steve decided to break the silence that had formed in-between him and his brother, looking up at Herobrine curiously.
"...So...how do they look? The fortresses, I mean. How'd you find one in the first place?"
Herobrine left him in silence for a few seconds or two, thinking carefully to himself before letting out a small sigh.
"I thought I told you that it was harder for me to answer any more…well, personal questions."
"I didn't even realize that the question was really that personal. Brine, I can't read minds! I don't know which questions would hit closer to home, and which wouldn't, sorry."
Taking in the other's words for a moment, Herobrine let out another quiet sigh, moving to cross his arms in front of his chest as he did so.
"...I was led to one in my youth by a blaze. I lived in one for quite a while, as it was my refuge from the Overworld, as well as from the Aether. It dug into the sand of a soul sand valley and was buried by the sins of those who laid there...basically, it was my home." Herobrine paused for a few seconds. "...A fortress such the one I resided in is typically built using Nether bricks, a dark purple creation made from the same ground material we're walking upon at this very moment."
Taking in the other's quiet tone of reminiscence, Steve gently nodded, letting out a quiet hum.
"...Are we going to the one you grew up in? Are we trying to find it?"
Herobrine paused in his tracks, leaving the other in silence before shaking his head.
"...I know the creatures who reside there, so no. I don't know how far it even lies from where we entered, so I'm trying to take us to another."
Slowly, Herobrine turned to face him with a serious expression.
"...There are only some fortresses that I remember being informed about in the past. I remember hearing about a few that were rather hostile to my own, often launching attacks that would miserably fail. Quite a few fortresses are buried within the Nether wastes, but some are also situated within crimson forests. If we travel and stay within either biome, we should have more luck with locating one."
Worry appeared on Steve's features.
"W-wait...please tell me that a crimson forest is at least-"
"-Safer to enter? Of course. The spores aren't toxic to breathe in." Herobrine slightly grinned at Steve. "...Just don't breathe in too much. Also, don't eat any of the mushrooms unless you prefer having your organs turn against you."
Noting the information, Steve continued to focus his eyes upon his surroundings as he kept up a pace with Herobrine.
As they crossed hills of netherrack and avoided abrupt appearances of deep holes within the ground that led to hidden lava pools, the air around them soon became filled with the sight of floating, red particles, which Steve instinctively brought up his shirt and covered his mouth and nose for. Oversized, red mushrooms soon came into view as the ground beneath them became a bit softer, more squishy, as they continued forward. Though they were still a bit farther away, Steve found himself staring curiously at them.
"...Is that a crimson forest?" He asked, pointing a finger up ahead.
Herobrine nodded.
"Yes. One forest of many. Hopefully, our search won't be all too time-consuming."
The two continued walking forward, watching as the area around them became more alive and filled with actual flora instead of hard rocks. Pure awe overcame Steve's expression in particular once again as he found the crimson forest that was forming around them absolutely stunning.
The ground they were walking on was growing rather sparse as the forest seemed to be placed right in the middle of what seemed to be a lava swamp, breaking up pieces of land with only thin strips left behind to safely travel on. Careful eyes soon fell to the ground beneath him as Steve navigated himself through the area as best he could, becoming rather amazed at the fact that Herobrine didn't seem to need to do the same. Though his gaze shifted between the other and the ground, his ears soon caught on to the sounds of distant oinking, leading to a sense of intrigue rising up within him once again.
"...Are those more zombie piglins? Why are they out here?" Steve asked quietly, glancing around as he tried to find the source of all the oinks and squeals.
Herobrine stopped in his tracks, taking a moment to listen carefully as well (and also nearly cause Steve to crash into him). Realization flashed across his eyes as worry soon followed.
With a bit of a struggle, Herobrine quickly searched himself for something unknown to Steve before simply letting out a frustrated sigh and removing something from his neck.
To Steve's utter shock, Herobrine was soon holding the necklace he had hidden underneath his clothes out to him with one outstretched arm.
"...Have this visible at all times. It's partially made of gold, so I do believe that it'll at least help."
Immediately, Steve stepped away from the other, holding his hands out in refusal.
"Brine, I can't take that! Isn't it-"
"-We're on piglin hunting grounds. Above all else, their population treasures gold like it's their lifeblood. If they catch you here without any, they'll attempt to murder you like any other mortal being, but you wear something that contains it, they'll try to preserve your existence to at least get the chance to negotiate it off of you. If any come toward you, let me do the talking."
Without waiting for an answer, Herobrine reached out with his free hand, grabbing one of Steve's and placing the necklace firmly within it. Before Steve could firmly put together any form of verbal protest, Herobrine quickly turned away and began walking once again.
The miner found himself staring at the pendant that was now sitting in his hands, almost entirely disbelieving of the fact that he was even holding it at all.
How precious was this keepsake to the other? How did he even decide on letting Steve see the thing any closer than he already had? How was he even able to give Steve the responsibility of keeping it safe without considering the possible ramifications of that decision?
Glancing around to the lava pools around him, Steve let out a sigh before quickly placing the necklace around his neck, feeling deeply anxious. He felt as if it were to spend any further moment away from a proper host, it would fall out of his hands or disappear entirely. Keeping it out in front of his clothing as instructed, Steve continued walking after Herobrine, briefly wondering if there were more side effects to the mushroom spores than what he was previously told given how easily Herobrine made his decision. Remembering that there were indeed spores floating around, Steve pulled his shirt back up over his mouth.
The sounds of oinking only got more numerous the further they went into the forest, drawing a bit of nervousness from Steve and some intrigue from Herobrine as his eyes began to search past the sight of the crimson fungi around them. They were slowly being forced to weave through the stalks as more mushrooms appeared the deeper they went in.
"...There may be a bastion around here, actually. Not a proper fortress, but still." Herobrine said somewhat quietly.
"A what?" Steve asked with curiosity in his voice.
"Bastion. The Nether is no stranger to conflict. It has housed its fair share of wars and skirmishes, and those bastions are remnants of those ancient days. The piglins often use them as repurposed bases, nowadays. If what I'm hearing around us is accurate, then we might just be near one. There are too many piglin noises to suggest that what we're hearing is merely just a smaller hunting party."
"Can we just avoid it, please? I don't want to go looking around for trouble, and I'm sure that you don't either!" Steve asked the other with a pleading look in his eyes.
Herobrine let out a small sigh, somewhat rolling his eyes in response.
"You think I'm trying to make things harder for us? I'm simply trying to see where it might be so that we can properly avoid it."
"You're not joking, right?"
Herobrine narrowed his gaze at Steve.
"Why would I? I don't know if you're aware of this, but I'd like to stray clear of the piglins as well. Their undead brethren are much, much easier to deal with than their living population. If they're out here hunting, then they'll be especially obnoxious."
Continuing to search around for any physical signs of a bastion, Herobrine continued forward as Steve looked at him with a bit of intrigue.
"...Can't you just…use your influence to drive them away?"
Herobrine shook his head as he glanced back at Steve.
"...Not all of the mobs within this realm recognize my authority. To a select few species, I'm merely nothing more than a human with the ability to use magic." Herobrine looked away in annoyance and frustration. "...To put it simply, I'm not the king they serve."
Steve looked at the other in shock.
"...You have no influence over the piglins?"
"They're a steady group of mobs with separate tribes and lifestyles. Each one serves only their chosen elder and no other, like humans. I can slay as many as I so wish, but every new group I encounter will only have another leader they follow blindly. It'll take too long to gain universal command over every single group, and even then, they'll still ignore my influence to take things into their own hands."
Herobrine looked back to Steve.
"...I hate to remind you of this, but we're both still developing gods. I, of course, am much farther ahead than you are, but even so, my power has little influence over the more powerful, sentient beings here."
Though he didn't find himself particularly fond of his brother's small jab at him, Steve was more occupied with the sudden revelation that they were in a bit more danger than what he previously was aware of.
As the sounds of high-pitched oinking were soon accompanied by the sounds of strange, lower-pitched squeals around them, Steve drew closer to Herobrine for protection, though he was beginning to lightly doubt that the other had any ability to actually protect him well at all. He walked directly by his side, paying close mind to the ground beneath him again just in case he needed to move.
"...Are there any other life-threatening monsters you don't have any control over that you'd like to tell me about?"
Herobrine shrugged.
"...The ghasts are hard to reach, but they listen once they hear me. The wither skeletons, however, tend to fight my-"
"-The wither what?!" Steve asked fearfully.
Herobrine let out a small, annoyed sigh.
"Let me finish, please. The wither skeletons," He glared at Steve. "...Are more resistant to my influence than the piglins. They're simply taller skeletons formed from the burdened souls that fail to pass on and get stuck in the Nether, but not stuck enough in the soul sand. They serve only one king, and that king is the Wither."
Worried about the mention of the fearful beast, Steve gave Herobrine a slightly confused expression.
"Aren't…aren't there like, multiple Withers?"
Herobrine thought to himself for a moment before letting out another sigh.
"...There was one Wither that resided in the Nether and ruled as its king. It acquired the gift of thought and sentience, somehow, and asserted its power over the realm. Despite it having been long defeated, the wither skeletons still act as if its reign still presides over them. That dedication prevents me from holding power over them, so if you manage to spot darkened bones anywhere, please be cautious."
Noting the warning, Steve kept his eyes even more peeled for their surroundings, finding himself anticipating some sort of conflict, though he knew well enough that regardless of how much he prepared himself within his mind, he still wouldn't be ready.
The distant sounds of low-pitched squeals had drawn closer to them without them even getting the chance to realize it. Before either brother could even remotely place a hand near any of their weapons, a large creature abruptly appeared in front of them, briefly crashing into a large mushroom that had been in its way before focusing its sights upon the two brothers in front of it.
To Steve, the creature seemed to be a massive, mutated pig with large, intimidating tusks sticking out from its snout. Its hazy, white eyes glanced toward them with clear rage as it breathed heavily, seemingly gearing up to continue charging at them with more murderous intent. As Herobrine drew his blade in anticipation for a fight, Steve briefly considered doing the same, before a large patch of deep, flowing red upon the creature's body drew his attention. What seemed to be a crudely crafted arrow was buried deep within the creature's flesh, seemingly being the cause of its shallow breathing apart from its own exhaustion. Pity formed in Steve's gaze as he looked between the wound and the pig's slightly burdened face, any fear that had risen within him diminishing slowly.
"...It's hurt." Steve said quietly, pointing out slightly to direct Herobrine's attention to the arrow within the pig's body.
"...It's being hunted. Hoglins are what piglins sustain themselves off of. It's injured, therefore it's already doomed." As Herobrine finished his explanation, he glanced back toward Steve, only to find added distress in the other's eyes, along with deep sympathy.
A bit stunned at the display of pure emotion, Herobrine lowered his sword a bit and eased his stance.
"...Don't tell me that you're thinking of helping it."
"It's hurt, Brine!" Steve exclaimed. "Even if it's doomed, it…I don't want to see it like that! Maybe it'll have a chance if that arrow-"
Steve was interrupted by Herobrine abruptly moving to sheath his sword, keeping his gaze focused ahead on the hoglin as he did so. Staring back at his sibling expectantly, Herobrine gestured out to the creature in front of them.
"If you wish to care for the beast, then go ahead. Regardless of whether you're able to pull that arrow out or not, the creature is doomed, especially if that wound gets infected. Death will claim it soon."
Briefly reconsidering his own actions, Steve shook his head, moving to draw closer to the distressed creature up ahead.
"I have to try. I can't just-"
The sound of arrows flying around them interrupted his words, though he quickly became aware of the fact that they weren't necessarily the intended targets. A few arrows landed within the hoglin, causing it to let out a sound of agony as it began to run away from the two, much to Steve's concern and surprise.
"Hey, w-!"
Steve was interrupted by Herobrine pulling him off to the side, ducking behind one of the massive mushrooms around them as another set of arrows were shot in their direction.
"...Steven, for someone who is so worried about dealing with injuries in a normal way, you're very eager to gain as many wounds as you possibly can. I believe that mortals aren't accustomed to seeing so many arrow wounds on a single individual, but that could just be my experience."
Briefly peeking around the tree as Herobrine spoke to him, Steve looked around for the hoglin that had run away, to no avail.
"Did you see where the hoglin went? I thought I saw-"
"-Steven! Forget about the hoglin! It's the piglins that you need to be more concerned about, they're the ones who are attacking us right now!" Herobrine placed a hand on his shoulder and briefly shook it, pulling him back behind the safety of the overgrown mushroom.
"Alright! Alright, I'm sorry! I just…I only wanted to help it…" Steve apologized, glancing downward somewhat in shame as Herobrine removed his hand.
Looking at the other's saddened expression, Herobrine left the miner in silence for a moment or two before letting out a small, frustrated sigh.
"...I understand what you wanted to do. It's only in your nature to help. What I'd prefer is that you take more than a second to analyze a situation and see how much you're truly able to help with."
Hearing the sound of squeals and oinks getting closer, Herobrine let another sigh.
"...Let's go and see if we can travel around the crimson forest here instead of having to cut right through it. I'd love to not get shot by any arrows."
Steve looked back up at the other, nodding slowly in agreement.
"...That'd be nice. Really nice, in fact."
'Ello! This fic is a year old now :D I was planning on updating on the actual anniversary, but I was still debating myself on how much stuff I wanted to have in this chapter (ended up deciding on staying in the Nether for a couple of chapters instead of just one), so I ended up posting slightly past my regular schedule time lol. Also, Merry Christmas! I know it's already past the 25th, but I wanted to say it anyway! Hope y'all got some good gifts and some good memories, and above all else, I hope y'all stayed safe! I didn't even know what I wanted this year since all my anticipated games are coming out next year (starting with Pokemon Legends: Arceus lol I'm hyped), but I still got something good!
So! I didn't know where I'd even be a year out from when I decided to start posting this fic, but I'm glad to say that I at least got this much done lol! It's been a pretty long project, but I'm glad that it's gotten to at least this point haha. I'm really glad that all of y'all have come along for the journey so far! It's been really fun writing for you guys!
Back to the fic, we're walking around in the Nether now! It may take me actual ages to locate a Nether fortress, but I promise y'all, it won't take that long here lol. The Nether is absolutely stunning now, but as I've stated before, I wanted to make it even more deadly lmao. I'm already terrified of going there, but that didn't stop me! My fav biomes include the basalt deltas and warped forest btw :P
Now, fun facts!:
1.) From the last chapter, I'd like to add a few details about crying obsidian! It is the physical manifestation of teleportation magic, and one of its actual tangible forms! It has the general consistency of blood when freshly formed, but the longer it's exposed to the outside world, the more it begins to feel and act like syrup! It typically forms in places where magic is highly condensed and contained, and is easily conducted by obsidian! When obsidian breaks, however, or whenever something it's contained in gets broken, it tends to become unstable, making focused teleportation rather impossible. If it covers anything apart from obsidian and the outside shell of a pearl, that thing tends to teleport randomly! Only divines can withstand the rapid teleportation, though they still struggle to fight against it with their own magic.
2.) The warped forest is a single organism that thrives off of luring victims in and using corpses to fuel its growth! Warped fungus spores cause victims to lower their guard and render them helpless, and the oils from warped vines help to break down bodies for the fungi and other vegetation to feed off of! This is why they're completely silent and almost empty. Worst vacation spot ever lmao
3.) Talking about Herobrine's experience with the warped forest, after being "infected" by the spores, he was only conscious of his actions when he was feeling "drunk." After that point, he became utterly delirious as the spores were trying to devour his brain. His body tried to desperately heal itself up and expel the toxins that were introduced into his system, as well. He was goin' through it until Andi finally came around and rescued him. Essentially speaking, he just got really high for a while and didn't fully recover until a few days later.
4.) Warped fungus spores are primarily interested in internal organs, lol.
5.) If a human eats a crimson mushroom, they get like, severe food poisoning (and in serious occasions, organ failure). If a human eats a warped mushroom, they suffer a slow and painful death as the fungus takes root and feeds off of them from the inside (with no known cure bc not many people have ever stepped into a warped forest and lived, let alone find many stray warped mushrooms just lying around). They won't be too aware of things however, as the mushroom causes persistent delirium/somewhat of a constant high. It's a death that you're not even aware of experiencing!
6.) Piglin tribes vary greatly among the population! Some act more peacefully and create their own villages where people can travel freely (so long as they have gold, of course). Others are more war/fighting orientated, participating in different conflicts for control over parts of the Nether. These piglins are the kind that often create bases in bastion remnants lol. They hunt more often, while more peaceful groups take up farming.
7.) The Wither king is a major part of Crystalia's history (that Steve is unaware of cuz they stopped teaching it lol), though not many know about it in modern times (due to the whole city being just…straight up cultish). Long story short, the Wither king struck up a deal with Crystalia's king long ago, agreeing to allow the people of the Crystalian kingdom to mine quartz out of the Nether in exchange for Overworldian goods. However, Crystalia ended up taking much, much more materials than they needed, and after some harsh conversations between the two kings, the Wither king decided to wage war upon Crystalia. This led to not only the Wither king's downfall but also the Crystalian king's demise, as his people realized that he was going to simply abandon them and do nothing about the war. After all this, Crystalia separated itself from the king, became a massive city, and decided to cut all communication with the Nether, burying their only access point beneath the depths of the sea. Too bad it was only round one of Crystalia's history with getting into shenanigans against mobs lmao
That's it for now! See you guys again soon! Also, happy New Year! Hope you all have a good time, and a safe holiday!
