Phillip skipped the last rung at the bottom of the ladder and dropped down the last few feet, landing in a silent crouch beside his partner. He caught David's eye for only a moment before turning to look down the corridor before them.
'Corridor' was probably an exaggeration- the passage ahead of them was a dimly lit tunnel hewn from solid netherrack, the only sources of light being a soulfire lantern hung every hundred feet or so. It was fairly large, with a roof reaching two or three feet above their heads and wide enough for eight or ten men to walk side by side. The tunnel stretched off into the distance, in the direction of what Phillip knew to be the lava lake. In between the lanterns were vast patches of pitch-darkness, and it was silent aside for their breaths and the thrum of Phillip's heart in his chest.
David glanced at him, then waved him along as he started to walk. Phillip hung back for just a moment longer to look back up the ladder, catching the barest glimpse of Boo far above them before he fell into step with David.
Neither of them spoke as they crept down the tunnel. Phillip's hand hovered over the hilt of his sword, and he knew that David was only one odd sound away from drawing his axe. Phillip wanted to say something, if only to break the oppressive silence that settled over them, but he didn't want to give them away to any potential sentries. So, he stayed quiet.
The path ahead of them began to bend around a corner, and David took the opportunity to whisper, "It's getting hot."
"It is," Phillip whispered back. The air had been almost cool where they first descended, but it was gradually getting warmer the further they went. "We must be going under the lake."
David was quiet for a moment. "Think this is the path they take to the fortress?"
"Probably," Phillip muttered. "So Boo showed us this… why? To give us a safer way over?"
"He has to know you can fly," David pointed out. "And call me crazy, but I actually prefer that over creeping through a dark tunnel under tons of molten rock."
"Hmm." They were nearing the bend in the tunnel now, and the pair fell silent again, both of them tense as they began to come around the corner.
What they found around the bend was another roughly hundred feet of tunnel before it widened into a larger, dim cavern, with a low roof and the same soulfire lanterns as a light source. The two of them slowed automatically, but, even in the dim lighting there was no sign of movement. One benefit, Phillip mused as he drew his wings in close, of having dark feathers was that they made it that much easier to hide.
As they neared the widening point, David crouched down by the wall and beckoned for Phillip to join him. "Clear the room, I'll keep an eye on our backs," he whispered. Phillip nodded, then rose to his feet again and ventured out into the cavern.
Like the tunnel, this space had obviously been dug out by hand, as evidenced by the jagged crags of rock jutting out from every wall and support pillar. The ceiling wasn't much higher than that of the tunnel, meaning that he might be able to navigate by air if it came to it, but it would be difficult. Phillip didn't consider himself claustrophobic, but any valkyrie would be uncomfortable in such a dark, enclosed space.
The cavern was uneven and winding, and Phillip found a couple of small pockets that seemed to serve as storerooms, connected to the main cavern via thin tunnels. These storerooms were stocked with crates of salted meat, cloth, rope, and empty glass bottles. This was more than just a passage. Somebody lived here.
Having made his way around the entire cavern, Phillip retreated back to the tunnel to give David the all-clear, and together they crossed the room to where the next tunnel began. It was here, barely ten feet into the passage, that Phillip caught the first snatch of voices.
A quick glance at David confirmed that he heard them too. It sounded as if a conversation were going on further down the tunnel, with at least three participants and possibly more. All they could hear were the echoes, but Phillip was fairly sure that the voices were piglin in nature. Not a surprise. This was the Nether, after all.
There was little to be done but keep going, and so they continued until they spotted the fork at the end of the tunnel - another tunnel that ran perpendicular across the end of their own.
Phillip waited until it was in clear view before he nudged his companion and nodded to it. "It splits," he whispered.
"We're not splitting up," David whispered back.
"No." Phillip shook his head. Especially not now that they knew people were down here. "Just be careful." They crept onward, David casting a wary glance behind him from time to time.
The voices grew louder the further they went, and Phillip dropped into a crouch as he reached the corner, leaning carefully around the wall to the right.
Not far down that direction was another larger room, this one containing a large, rectangular table chipped straight out of the netherrack. Seated around this table were a number of piglins, with plates and tankards before them. They were having an animated discussion, which seemed of little consequence according to the few words that Phillip was able to pick out.
Phillip looked the other way, and found that it faded into darkness, the only light being a single soul lantern at the very end of the tunnel. He cast one last glance at the dining piglins, beckoned David with him, and started to creep down to the left.
They came to a stop before they reached the circle of light that the hanging lantern provided. They were, after all, directly down the hall from the piglins.
"Dead end," David whispered. Phillip nodded. He could see that much. However, there was obviously something else there- rows of what looked like bars that walled off the outermost parts of the tunnel. A prison?
"I'm going to check it out," Phillip whispered back, and he started to move, but David seized him by the arm.
"Phillip, dead end," he stressed. "If they see us, we're trapped down here."
"How many are there? Eight? Ten?" Phillip squinted down the hall over his shoulder. "Not the worst odds I've ever had." David snorted, but he fixed him with a hard look before releasing him with a light shove.
"Go on, then." He turned back to watch the piglins. Phillip rolled his eyes before creeping into the circle of light.
They were bars alright. Golden ones, warped and battered from whatever prisoner they had once contained. Actually… Phillip reached out to grip at the cold metal, peering through in an attempt to study the cell beyond. It was so dark, but he thought he could see something draped against the far wall. A body?
Violet eyes flew open in the darkness, and Phillip lurched back in fright as an enderman shrieked and lunged at the bars.
Phillip hit the ground with a grunt, scrambling back a black, clawed hand shot through the bars to scrabble at the floor after him. The enderman released another hideous shriek, echoed immediately from the right, and Phillip's chin whipped around to see two more pairs of eyes gleaming from the darkness. Now he could make out the gangly forms of two other captives - each with a gaping hole in the center of his chest. The difference between them and Boo, however, was that each of these endermen had a tiny, green orb resting in the center of the hollow.
"Phil," David hissed, loud enough to be heard over the cries of the captive endermen. "If our cover's not blown now, it's about to be." Phillip scrambled to his feet, looking back to find several dark silhouettes charging down the tunnel.
"Nether." Phillip ripped his sword free from its sheath. With this little light and the lack of space, trying to fly to safety wouldn't be an option. They were going to have to fight their way out.
Evangeline bit into the last of the flesh on her golden apple as she crossed the kitchen, her thick, woolen skirts flowing around her ankles as she tossed the core into a basket. Turning to the stove, she stooped down beside it to gather up an armful of thick branches, and she shifted on her knees to face the open stove. She carefully maneuvered the armful of firewood into the compartment before shifting back, and she reached for the firestarter. Before she could even attempt to use it, however, the kindling burst into flame before her eyes.
"Eva." The voice made her turn, and Evangeline glanced up to find her husband standing in the doorway.
Evangeline sighed, shutting the door to the stove and bracing a hand on it in order to get to her feet. "I was trying to let you sleep," she said.
"I don't need it." Herobrine stepped into the kitchen, reaching for the package of pork that she had set on the counter. "Here."
"No, no." Evangeline moved to intercept him. "I'm feeling better. Let me do this." Herobrine's brows knitted, and she elaborated. "Let me prove to myself that I can do this."
Herobrine frowned at her for a moment, critical, before relenting. "Alright," he said. "I'll stay out of your way."
"Good." Evangeline pointed to the kitchen table. "Go sit down." Herobrine hesitated. "Go."
"Alright." Herobrine lifted his hands in surrender, taking a step back. "Alright, I'm going." He turned away, and Evangeline waited until he had sunk down in a chair before she returned to her work.
Evangeline wasn't lying. She did feel better today- a little less cold, less frail. She had still dressed herself in her warmest things when she awoke, and gone straight to the kitchen to start a fire and eat a golden apple. Better to be safe than sorry.
Herobrine, on the other hand, looked as if he'd barely closed his eyes. There were dark shadows on his face, and when she had drifted awake in his arms about an hour before he looked as if he had just dropped off. Now, his vacant gaze was focused on the far window, his face absent as if he were lost in thought. Evangeline had a hunch that he was struggling with the gravity of the situation as much as she was.
She collected a package of butter from the icebox, and cut off a pat and dropped it into her pan. She cracked in two eggs for each of them once it had melted, followed by four strips of cured pork. The window to the east was open, admitting a cool breeze that brought with it the scents of grass and dew, and the early morning sun cast dappled rays through the leaves of the tree outside and all over their kitchen counter. It was a perfect spring day, and it kindled just a little bit of hope in the middle of her chest.
She took a step to the left to reach for a saltshaker and her bad leg flared with pain, causing her to falter heavily and grasp for the counter to catch herself.
"Eve!" Herobrine had teleported to her side in an instant.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," she assured him as she got her leg under her again. "I'm fine." Herobrine rested his hand on her waist regardless, hovering close as she took the saltshaker and turned back to the stove.
"You should have your cane," he muttered. Evangeline held back a retort.
"Maybe," was all she said. She continued to poke at their breakfast as it cooked. As he watched,Herobrine slid his arms around her waist, careful not to press on her injured wing as he drew her back flush against his chest. Evangeline hummed softly, and she reached up with her free hand to touch his folded ones as he pressed his cheek to hers.
"I don't mean to coddle you," he murmured, his words reverberating pleasantly through his chest. "I just don't want you to get hurt."
"I know." She patted his hand absently. "And I know I'm weak right now. I still don't particularly enjoy being treated like a piece of glass."
"I don't blame you." Herobrine turned his head to press a kiss to her cheek, and Evangeline scrunched up her face in a giggle as his stubble scratched against her skin. "You were always meant to protect, not to be protected," he went on. "But you can't fault me for wanting to." Evangeline hummed noncommittally. Then she turned, lifting her wings enough to move as she shifted around to face him.
"I suppose not," she said. "But I'd appreciate it if you let me have a turn every now and then."
"Very well." Herobrine cupped the back of her neck in his palm and lowered his head to kiss her. Evangeline shut her eyes as she leaned into the kiss, and she rested her palm against his chest, letting him rock her gently back and forth.
After a moment, their lips parted just long enough for her to murmur, "Breakfast's going to burn." Herobrine released a breathless chuckle, lowering his hand from her neck.
"I suppose I should let you go, then," he breathed. Evangeline smirked at him, then turned as he released her to direct her attention back to the stove.
David grunted as a meaty fist smashed against his jaw, and he staggered back before throwing one in retaliation. His opponent spat out a mouthful of blood and lunged, thick fingers grasping for his throat. David seized one wrist with his left hand and threw another punch with his right, and this time the piglin was sent staggering back by the force of the blow. David lurched off the wall and seized his opponent by the shoulders, rearing back and headbutting the piglin in the snout before dropping him to crumple to the ground.
David staggered back, searching through the darkness for his abandoned axe. Five down, three to go, and he was highly doubtful that these piglins were the only ones in their underground lair.
As they had suspected, the piglins had preferred to attack first and ask questions later, and Phillip and David had been forced to fight back to avoid being chopped up into pieces by swords and battle axes. They were vastly outnumbered, but between their professional training and the cover of darkness they had been able to survive thus far with only a couple of scrapes and bruises.
"Dave!" Phillip shouted, and David whipped around just in time to bring up his axe and block the blade coming down on his skull. He shoved it off and swung, and the piglin shrieked as David's axe crunched through his ribs. On his left, Phillip darted behind his foe and slit his throat, and David smashed the blunt side of his axe into the final piglin's head.
David lowered his axe, breathing heavily. "All good?" Phillip asked. David gave him a thumbs-up.
The movement from the ground caught his attention too late, and David didn't realize that one of his foes wasn't down until a low, ominous tone echoed out through the winding tunnels.
Phillip jammed his sword through the piglin's torso, and the call petered off as a goat horn clattered to the ground. "And now our cover is blown," he hissed. "We need to get out of here."
"Couldn't agree more." David cast a fleeting glance back at the prison before he took off down the hallway. They could deal with the captive endermen later.
They weren't badly hurt, at least, David wasn't, but they were definitely tired out from their battle and that horn was definitely a distress call. If they didn't get out of here before reinforcements arrived, this could go really bad really fast.
They had only just reached their turn when Phillip skidded to a stop and seized David by the arm. "Wait." They both stilled in their tracks, and in the quiet David could clearly hear the sounds of many hooves racing through the tunnels.
"This way," David hissed, and he took off towards the room where the piglins had been dining. Luckily for them, there was another passage shooting off from it, which they wasted no time in taking. This tunnel was narrow and pitch-black, lacking any of the soulfire lanterns, and the two of them were forced to slow for fear of running straight into a wall.
They could hear heavy footsteps thundering down adjoining corridors as the piglins hunted, followed by a number of enraged cries as they most likely came across their fallen friends. David and Phillip kept moving, their ears pricked for any indication that their pursuers were getting close.
David could swear that the darkness was choking him. Every breath felt heavy in his throat, like a pair of invisible hands had wrapped around his neck and squeezed. More likely it was just the lack of oxygen from being so far underground, and the smoke from the lava boiling above them. Either way the experience wasn't a good one. He couldn't see his hands in front of his face, and he was getting increasingly uncertain whether his eyes were open or closed.
Just when he was beginning to think that they would be stumbling around in the darkness forever, the outlines of the walls surrounding them began to appear, and David just about sighed aloud with relief as they continued towards the bluish light.
They emerged into another one of those small, makeshift chambers, this one with a higher ceiling and well-lit by soulfire lanterns. In the corner closest to them was a stack of wooden crates, and David wandered over to check out their contents.
"Careful," Phillip whispered. David grunted and dug his fingers into the crack of the lid, prying it off and revealing dozens of twinkling ender pearls.
"Oh, Nether," Phillip breathed. David nodded mutely, and he plucked one from the pile, holding it up to see the way it shimmered in the light. Then he tossed it across the room, and he nearly lost his balance as he was ripped through space to where it fell. "Don't waste it!" Phillip hissed incredulously.
"Why not?" David whispered back. "Looks like they have plenty." Phillip glowered at him, but turned back to the crates.
"If each of these has the same number, then there must be hundreds of them," he muttered. David nodded.
"Think these have something to do with those not-so-happy endermen we found?"
"And Boo? Yes." Phillip frowned into the crate. "Well, that's one clue, I suppose." David scanned the rest of the room as he nodded, soon picking out what appeared to be a large indent in the floor. Grabbing one of the lanterns, David ambled over to check it out, crouching down and lifting up his light to get a better look.
Laying in the hollow was a corpse.
David recoiled slightly, catching Phillip's attention, and the latter hissed a breath through his teeth as he got close. "Oh, Nether. What?" David stared at the prone form, grey, unmarked and completely hairless. It lacked a nose and ears, possessing only a mouth and eyes that were shut. Tentatively, David reached down, and when he touched it the corpse's skin was cold as ice.
"It's Null," he blurted out. "I saw him after Eve was shot. It's Null."
"Are you sure?" Phillip pressed, and at David's nod he went on. "Well, what is he doing down here? It's been nearly a year since his death!"
"Well, his followers were mostly piglins, right?" David pointed out. "Maybe this lot is some more of them."
"Yes, but what do they have to gain by preserving their master's corpse?"
"Great question." David set aside his lantern, and he straightened up, shouldering his battle axe once more. "Probably not anything good, not for us. Stand back." He raised his axe high, and Phillip backed up several feet as he brought it down onto the center of Null's chest.
The blade shattered on impact. David shouted in pain as an ear-splitting crack echoed through the chamber, Phillip clapping his hands over his ears in an attempt at defense against the noise. David peeled his eyes open once the echos had begun to fade, and he looked down to find blood running down his leg from where a shard of gold had punctured it. What remained of his axe was cracked and brittle, and there was a bluish-black sheen across the metal.
David coughed, then tossed his ruined axe aside. "That didn't work." Null's corpse remained unmoving, as smooth and unmarked as it'd always been.
"Are you alright?" Phillip asked urgently. "We need to go. I'm sure they heard that."
"Probably," David agreed as he plucked the shard out of his leg. "Yeah, I'm fine." He glanced back to the front of the room, to the mouth of the tunnel opposite of the one they had came from. Instead of going there, however, he headed back for the crates and grabbed an ender pearl in each hand.
"What are you doing?" Phillip hissed.
"Grabbing some for the road." David beckoned. "Come here." Phillip relented, jogging over and turning around to allow David access to his backpack.
Only once they had filled up their bags did they take off down the tunnel again, disappearing back into the darkness and leaving their pursuers behind.
I will take down the april fools chapter later lol