It was the third day before the fortress came into view.
"There we are," Phillip breathed, evening out his feathers as they were hit with the updraft from the lava. "We made excellent time."
"Come on, Phil, did you ever doubt me?" David grinned up at him from where he hung in his arms. "They call me 'the human compass' for a reason."
"First of all, nobody calls you that." Phillip angled around to draw them into a slow circle, scanning the towers and bridges of the fortress for any signs of life. "Second, you're half-piglin, Dave."
"Ahh, semantics." David rolled his eyes. "'The half-human half-piglin compass' just doesn't roll off the tongue."
"It's still more accurate," Phillip insisted. "Didn't you study literature?"
"I did, but you'll also recall that I quit in favor of slicing people in half with a giant axe."
Their trip through the Nether this time around had been far less eventful than the last one. The two of them had set off early in the morning two days prior, flown all day with a break to eat in the middle, then found a secluded spot to sleep. Repeating this process twice over, along with getting somewhat turned around a couple of times, had allowed them to reach their destination in under three days. The trip could be made in less time than that, of course- Meryl had gotten a wounded Evangeline home in less than 24 hours. But even when one rested and slept properly, the journey through the air didn't take all that long.
It wasn't until Phillip had done a full scan of the fortress that he began to descend, coming up short above the outermost bridge and releasing Dave before dropping to the bricks beside him.
"Well." Dave straightened up, resting his hands on his hips. "This place has lost none of its charm."
"Hmm." Phillip stretched out his wings before folding them against his back. He was in very good shape, but, even still, flying for three consecutive days while carrying 200+ pounds of extra weight took its toll. "See anything while we were flying overhead?"
"Nope." David went ahead and drew his battle axe, gripping it in both hands as he began to cross the bridge. "Come on." Phillip nodded and his hand on the hilt of his sword as he followed.
The fortress was utterly silent as they navigated the bridges and towers, the only audible sounds being their footsteps and the churning of the lava far below them. Phillip's ears were pricked for any sign of danger, his eyes flickering uneasily around at their surroundings. This place seemed to be completely abandoned, but it still gave him a very bad feeling.
"Hey, Phil," David spoke up quietly as they reached the top of a set of stairs. "Doesn't this kind of remind you of the last time we were so far out?" Phillip glanced up at him, offering a tight smile.
"I haven't been able to stop thinking about that since we set out," he admitted. David hummed, looking off at the horizon.
"Yeah, I can't blame you." He glanced over his shoulder. "If we run into any ghasts, it's every man for himself, got it?"
Phillip snorted. "As if you would get anywhere without me."
"Oh, please. Give me ten minutes and I'd be riding one of those things." David waved him off. "It's you I'm worried about, old man."
"This 'old man' has carried you for three days straight, so I suggest you watch your tone."
"Whoa, easy there, grandpa. I wouldn't want you to strain a hip."
The two of them continued to banter softly as they crossed the length of the fortress. There was no sign of the wither skeletons that had once inhabited it, not even the fine, black dust that they had crumbled into. The hot winds that rose from the lava lake had undoubtedly scattered it long ago. As they reached the far end, the fortress dropped into a lower section, accessible down a dark, enclosed stairwell.
The two fell silent as they reached the bottom of the staircase, and David poked his head around the corner to clear it before beckoning for Phillip to follow. The atmosphere was even more unnerving than it had been above, and Phillip could swear that his heart was beating loud enough for David to hear it.
At the bottom of the second staircase was where they found the garden.
Phillip crouched down next to the bulbous, muddy pink plants, a small frown on his face. "What is this?" He muttered.
"Nether wart." David pinched off a bulb, giving it a sniff before popping it in his mouth. "It's food," he explained at the funny look he was given, "But its more common use is for brewing potions. It's a binding agent, most potions need it to properly brew." Phillip frowned, poking at one of the rounded leaves.
"Must be pretty hardy to still be alive after a year," he muttered.
"Oh, no." David shook his head. "No, this stuff requires regular care. Trimmed and misted with water every few days, at the very least." Phillip stared at him.
"So, what you're saying is that someone's been here in the last few days to care for it."
David rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I guess so, yeah." Phillip straightened up and wiped his hands off on his robes, only to freeze in place at a sound that echoed down the corridors.
Voices.
"Come on," Phillip hissed, springing into action. "Let's go, stay close. And keep quiet."
Evangeline woke up in the middle of the night.
Her first impulse was to check on her husband, but when she turned her head she found him fast asleep, his breathing soft and peaceful. She breathed out, shutting her eyes again, but sleep had already slipped between her fingers. Maybe Herobrine had made a sound in his sleep, or maybe she'd had an odd dream that she'd immediately lost… either way, she was now wide awake.
There was an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach. Evangeline pushed herself up, carefully working her way out of her husband's grasp and slipping out of the room.
She wandered into the kitchen, leaning on the counter beside the sink and gazing out the window at the crescent moon. The sky was clear and dusted with glittering stars, and she sighed, picking out her favorite constellations. Against her will, she was drawn back into memories of when she had been a cadet in her 40s and 50s, sneaking out of her bunk and joining Meryl in looping and diving amongst the clouds. The feeling of the cool, night air rushing through her feathers, the thrill of being out past her curfew- it was exhilarating.
Her throat closed up unexpectedly, and Evangeline tore her gaze from the skies, swallowing hard. She needed to think about something else.
It had been four days now since Tekno and Commander Zenith had left on their expedition to the Nether. Evangeline wondered how close they were. Knowing the way would certainly help, as would Commander Zenith's ability to fly. Even so, it had taken a number of weeks for her to reach Null's fortress along with Herobrine and Alex.
Alex. She would be twenty-four now, wouldn't she? Evangeline hadn't seen her since the young mapmaker had attended hers and Herobrine's wedding. Perhaps, when Zenith returned, Evangeline could talk to him about arranging a meeting.
Evangeline took a deep breath, trying to relieve the pressure she felt in her chest. Some nights were worse than others, and it seemed that this was to be one of the bad ones.
She loved Herobrine very much, with all her heart, she was happy here. And yet, her ruined wing was an ever-present reminder, even in her happiest moments, that she would never fly again. There was no way known to man or valkyrie for such a grevious wound to be treated, be restored from the bite of the wither that had been inflicted on her. She knew that the grief would ease in time, but, even so… for the rest of her eternal life, she was flightless. Grounded. For a valkyrie, there were few fates so bittersweet.
She knew she should be happy to be alive at all, happy that Meryl had gotten to her in time, that her wing was the only casualty. It still hurt. Physically, as every touch irritated the fragile skin and bones, and her heart ached to think that she would never roll and swoop and dive among the clouds ever again.
Evangeline tucked her arms around herself, letting out a shuddering breath. Why was she so cold?
"Eva?" A quiet voice from behind her had her whipping around, startled, to find Herobrine standing in the doorway. "What are you doing up?" He asked, his voice groggy. "Are you alright?" Evangeline opened her mouth to tell him yes, she was fine, and to apologize for waking him up, but something caught in her throat and she covered her mouth with her hand as she started to cough.
"Evangeline?" Herobrine stepped closer, extending a hand in concern as she coughed. Evangeline pinned her eyes shut, turning around blindly to lean over the sink as a bitter liquid filled her throat.
Herobrine had his hands on her shoulders by the time she was able to breathe again, her lungs and throat aching as she stared down into the basin of the sink. The white marble was splattered with blood, shimmering a deep, inky crimson in the moonlight.
"Eva, you're freezing," Herobrine breathed, and she became suddenly aware of how uncomfortably hot his hands felt against her bare skin. "What's wrong?"
"I'un-" Evangeline coughed again, this time only to clear her throat. "I-I don't… kn-know." She tucked her arms against her chest, feeling faint. "I don't…"
"We need to get you to a doctor." Herobrine wrapped an arm around her waist as her balance faltered. "Can you walk?"
Evangeline sagged against him, her hand finding his sleeve to hold onto. "I-I don't know." Her teeth were chattering now. Herobrine set his jaw, and he hoisted her into his arms.
"Alright," he muttered, guiding her arms around his neck. "Just hold on." Evangeline shut her eyes and turned her face into his shirt.