Night was falling on the world. As the light receded and the monsters began to emerge, Alex and Steve watched the Endermen at work.
"What do suppose they're trying to do?" Alex asks, looking down at the numerous lanky black figures gliding across the landscape, rearranging seemingly meaningless parts of the terrain. With the tragedy that occurred with the last member of their party to look at the Endermen, Brian had begun trying to find ways to safely monitor them. After a series of trial and error, the two wanderers now looked down from the mountain using eyepieces jury-rigged from Ender pearls, the mysterious objects they sometimes found in the hearts of the dead creatures. They worked as makeshift telescopes, as well as seemingly making it safe to observe them from a distance.
"No one knows" Steve replied. "Their patterns are erratic. Sometimes they move around random bits, sometimes they practically excavate. They might be looking for something, they might be trying to build something; hell, maybe it doesn't have meaning. It might just be they're hobby when they aren't out murdering something. Who knows if it's a mystery we'll ever answer."
"You've been here longer than the rest of us." Alex looked over at Steve. "Did they show up at a particular point, or have you maybe seen other behavior?"
Steve hesitated, without looking over. "I don't know. A lot of strange things happen here. It might... just be something irrelevant, or something we really don't want to know."
Alex considered pressing, as Steve didn't really answer his question, but he decided to drop it. "Come on, we'd better go back to the camp"
The camp was less of a camp, more of a fortress. The vast stone walls dominated the landscape, serving as a beacon to any other humans that arrived in the world. With the constant assault of monsters, the three survivors built the structure as a safe haven for any who come. Inside, farms and housing ensured long-term survival. A sign over the iron door stated "All human survivors are welcome. Hit the button to alert the guards, and you will be allowed inside".
As Alex climbed over the final mountain, he considered the strange world they occupied; no one remembers how they got there, and they have little idea what kind of strange rules govern this world. Through ingenuity and teamwork, they exploited the natural resources, slowly but surely gaining dominance over the small area they inhabited.
His thoughts were interrupted by Steve stopping him with his arm, urgently whispering at him to keep still. Alex was confused, unsure of what would concern Steve so much, who was typically calm in the face of danger. As he scanned the landscape, his eyes fell upon something he had not seen since his first night.
A spider jockey.
The massive spider slowly crawled across the ground, with a pale, bony archer standing on its back. Brian said the skeletons appeared to have tamed the spiders, though it is thankfully a rare occurrence. The skeleton slowly looked around, its empty eye sockets eventually settling on the the two survivors.
"BOOK IT!" Steve screamed. The two immediately took off, and the jockey pursued. It reached out one skeletal hand, shadows condensing around it. Within a second, the shadow formed a dark, gleaming arrow. The skeleton stood up straight, took aim, and fired.
The arrow landed inches from Alex's foot, providing a rush of adrenaline, surging him forward. He knew, of course, he couldn't outrun the spider. After the skeleton fired, the 6-foot long monstrosity darted across the ground, quickly closing distance. As Alex turned to see how close the jockey was, he saw the spider lunge, its bony forehead aimed squarely at him. He was knocked the the ground, with the mount quickly moving up to him. The spider spread its jaws, releasing a horrifying screech, and the skeleton prepared another arrow.
As it took aim at his head, suddenly, another arrow sped passed his vision. In a stroke of luck, the arrow pierced the skeleton's skull and went clean through, killing it instantly. Alex looked up, seeing Brian standing on the castle walls, holding his powerful bow. Looking forward, the spider reared up, preparing for a deadly strike. Steve appeared at Alex's side, valiant and focused. He unsheathed his sword, a brilliant blade constructed of pure diamond. He brought the sword down on the spider, splitting its head in two.
Alex was breathless. The entire event had taken place in less than half a minute, and the adrenaline buzz was still rushing through him. He turned to Steve, beginning to thank him, but Steve cut him off. "No time now; get inside!". They turned, and rushed into the safety of their stronghold.
Inside, they ate by the fire, sipping mushroom stew and munching on bread. Alex knew that he had left the camp unprepared, but the other survivors were not angry with him; Alex was the most recent arrival, and attacks like this were and unfortunate fact of life in this world. At home, they finally found relative peace. They settled into bed, knowing the next day was another day of work, discovery, and peril. They had long known this, and come to expect it. Because they were there, to their knowledge, permanently, and humans are nothing if not adaptable. Little did they know, of course, there was a different force influencing the world of Minecraft. At least, two of them didn't know.
Chapter 2: Zombies
The day came, and the three survivors prepared for the day's work. Alex could tell immediately that something was bothering Brian; the way he moved, his expression, they indicated something was on his mind. He knew the question he didn't want to answer was inevitably coming, so he quietly braced himself.
After a few minutes, Brian looked up. "I suppose it's worth asking" he said towards Steve and Alex "since I had to save you two last night... why were you late? You're normally good about getting back before the dark comes. What were you doing?"
Alex hesitated, because he knew Brian wouldn't like the answer. Steve stepped in over the silence. "We were over the second hill" he said with a level stare. "Watching the Endermen"
Brian stopped cold. His icy gaze surveyed over the other two. Barely containing himself, he said "You what? You were watching the Endermen? After all that happened?!"
Alex stammered "W-well we were safe about it. We had your eye thing. They couldn't have gone after us!"
"That's not the point! Dammit, Steve!" Brian slammed his fist on the crafting table, sending small objects flying. "Those eyepieces were an experiment! We don't even know how well they work! You KNOW how I fell about this! I-" He stopped suddenly. He put his fist on the table again, bending down to hide his face. After a few moments, he straightened back up, with a definite sadness in his eyes. "I can't let it happen. Not again."
Alex avoided Brian's eyes. He didn't want to think about it. Out of all of them, they all knew that Eliza's death had affected Brian the worst. Closing his eyes, he could still see it; the horrid creatures, mouths agape, powerful arms ripping her to pieces. Brian could barely work for days.
Looking up, he could see Steve was less visibly affected by the memories, though he could see their leader's expression soften slightly. "We all regret what happened that night" he said in a quiet, nonetheless firm voice. "But running away from them is no answer. The more we learn about them, the better we fight them. Think of it that way, Brian. For her."
The words visibly affected Brian. A few seconds later, he composed himself and looked Steve in the eye. "Alright. Just... still be careful."
Steve nodded. Alex looked over what had just happened, then resumed his preparations.
In this mysterious world, not all days were dangerous thrill rides like the last one. A fair share of fights was still likely, but most days were just simple survival. The rest of the day was one of those days. They mined. They farmed. They stood watch at the guard tower. The day was ground in routine. Monotonous, but nonetheless comfortable routine.
The following night, however, was anything but ordinary.
The sun had set shortly before, and Alex was at the end of his guard duty shift, shortly before the point where the gates are normally sealed. He looked over the landscape, and spotted a lone zombie coming from behind a nearby hill. Alex dismissed it at first, as numerous monsters normally roamed the area at night, but it's behavior soon caught his attention. This zombie wasn't wandering; it was moving towards the camp. It's dead eyes were fixated on the bright lights from behind the walls, and it shambled steadily forward.
Alex considered for a moment, then turned to the numerous levers by his post. Were Steve was survivalist and fighter and Brian was the archer and engineer, Alex was the designer. He created innovative traps to subdue coming monsters before they reached the gates, which where then turned to Brian for redstone design. He pulled one of the levers, causing a small patch of dirt near the zombie to retract, revealing a dispenser device. The machine fired a single arrow, and the piece of dirt was replaced. The arrow stuck into the zombie's side, slowing it, but not stopping it. Alex reached under the rail of the guard post, grabbing the standard issue guard bow. He wasn't nearly as proficient as Brian with this device, but he could easily hit the target at this range. A single arrow flew, and the zombie fell. He stood tall, looking down proudly at his work.
The feeling was short-lived.
He looked up to see another zombie emerge from behind the same hill. Then another. Then another. Then a group of two, then four, then seven. A swarm of shambling undead flesh appeared, all fixated on the fort, all steadily advancing.
"STEVE! BRIAN!" he shouted into the camp. Within seconds, the other two were at the scene, apparently ascertaining the urgency of the situation from Alex's tone.
"What's the issue, Alex?" Steve asked. Without delay, Alex led them up, and showed them the scene
gathering outside.
"Oh, that's what's going on" Brian said quietly. "That... might be a problem." He pulled out his personal bow, throwing another to Steve.
"With this many, they could break down our doors! There's gotta be two hundred out there!" Panic was slowly seeping into Alex's voice.
Brian pulled back his bow, aimed for a second, and fired. The arrow launched into the crowd, impaling a zombie in the skull, dropping it to the ground "One hundred ninety-nine" he said.
"On a more serious note" Steve said, clearly trying to calm down Alex "You have some heavy ordinance on that trap wall of yours, right?"
"Yeah..."
"Do it. And no crappy arrow-shooters, or anything. Bring out the big guns."
Alex nodded nervously, and turned to his lever wall and pulled one. Out on the plains, the ground opened up underneath the zombies. Dozens fell into a pit of lava, incinerating instantly.
"Nice show, kid, but I don't think that's what he meant" Brian said taking aim again.
"I know you installed TNT cannons in the walls" Steve said. "Do they work?"
"I... think" Alex said nervously. "I haven't tried them yet. And... there's no guarantee it won't blow a hole in our wall."
"No time like the present, Alex! Go now! Do it!"
Alex turned to the wall. There was a single lever, mounted on red, that he knew would trigger the cannons. He grabbed the lever, composed his courage, and pulled it.
The effect was not immediate. All three of the survivors braced themselves, waiting for an explosion. They heard none. Alex, however, knew what was going on. Soon, they heard the hiss. A quiet hiss, not unlike the deadly creeper. Alex tackled the other two, screaming "GET DOWN!"
The explosion was deafening. Multiple cubic meters of dynamite cannon holes all over the walls detonated, propelling explosive shots forward. The shots landed evenly all over the plain, just as Alex designed them, and then detonated. Shot after shot blew up, liquefying the undead monsters. When the sound and smoke finally cleared, the three survivors looked up.
No zombies remained.
What did remain was a completely ruined landscape. Craters littered the area. Trees were blown to bits. Steve knew this would happen when he called the shot. It was the price of survival.
They looked up to see that the sun was rising. The ordeal must have taken up the entire night. "Well... back to work!" Brian said briskly. They all shared a laugh. They stood, gathered themselves, and set off.
Afterwords, the work continued. Alex and Steve tended to the farms, located right by the entrance to the mine. They stooped over, gathering wheat, planting seeds, when Alex heard a sound. It came from the mine, nearly inaudible at first, then growing. He turned to Steve, and saw that he heard it too.
The sound grew louder, soon becoming discernible as Brian shouting "GUYS GUYS GUYS GUYS GUYS GUYS GUYS!" They opened the door the the mine just as Brian reached the the top of the stairs, breathless from running the whole way. "Guys you... *gasp* need to see this... the mine... the... dungeon..."
"Calm down, Brian" Steve said. "Catch your breath." Brian waited for a minute, hands on his knees breathing heavily. After a short period, he stood.
"The attack last night guys. I found the source. I know where it came from. And I think the Endermen started it.
Chapter 3: Dungeon
"The Endermen? They caused that zombie attack? Is that even possible?"
Brian turned over to Alex "I didn't think so, either. You just... you have to see it.
Steve pondered for a moment, then nodded. "OK, Brian" he said quietly. "Take us there"
Brian led them down into the colony strip mine. The area was designed like a massive staircase, leading deep into the earth. At regular intervals at the lower levels, small shafts branched off, mining stone and prospecting for valuable materials. It was not an uncommon occurrence for a miner to run into unexpected danger, so they always carried their weapons while on a shift. The area underground was littered with massive caves and the mysterious dungeons, the random rooms that appeared underground and created monsters from thin air.
As they descended, Alex wondered what Brian was going to show them. It had to be a dungeon, didn't it? He could think of no other reason that zombies would appear at such a terrifying rate. The only flaw in that theory is that dungeons were almost always completely buried, and zombies aren't known for their excavating abilities.
They arrived at the spot Brian led them to, and Alex came to the realization: it wasn't zombies that could excavate.
It was Endermen.
Sure enough, Brian led them to a dungeon. The distinctive moss-covered walls, and mysterious cage in the center; it was nothing out of the ordinary.
What was out of the ordinary was the ceiling.
Or rather, the lack thereof. It simply wasn't there. There was a massive hole above the dungeon, wide enough to easily climb up, and it lead all the way to the surface. The zombies were able to climb out and assault the colony, only stopping when sunlight spilled into the chamber.
Steve glanced up to the surface. "That mountain..." he said "that side faces away from our area. They dug out this hole where we couldn't see them. They did this... to attack us."
"The only problem is... why?" Brian asked. "We almost never see monsters even take notice of each other. Why would they start working together now?"
"I still... I'm still not sure" Steve said after hesitation. "Let's climb up there. Maybe we'll find more"
They found a foothold on the side of the cave, and started climbing. The stone almost felt smooth; the Endermen could move pieces of material in a seemingly effortless way, and it barely left a mark. They reached the surface to find a new surprise waiting for them: the sun was setting
"What? How... how is that..." Steve was at a sudden loss for words. Brian and Alex were both visibly disturbed by this; this was a side of their leader that they had never seen before. Steve was sometimes uncertain, but never confused. Other than the inconsistent passage of time, something deeper about the issue troubled him.
"Alright Steve, what the hell?" Brian asked, suddenly angry. "I've said nothing for this long, but I can't take it anymore. What the hell is going on?" He moved closer, bringing his full imposing height into effect. "We both know that you know something about this that you aren't telling us. We see you hesitate, when you omit. What do do you know that you aren't telling us?"
Steve turned, fixating his deadly stare straight Brian. He visibly withered, if only slightly, but held his ground. "You remember Eliza's crazy stories? The far realm? The whole idea that someone else is here, just in hiding?"
Brian's eyes narrowed. "I hope you have a REALLY good reason for bringing her up"
"I think he does" Alex suddenly added. Brian whipped around, and his eyes widened. In front of him was a large gate, constructed of obsidian. It was unfinished; large chunks were missing, and it didn't form the full loop, but the objective was unmistakable.
There was a portal in construction.
They all knew where the portal led. It led to a place of fire and death. It lead to a place of lava seas and ghostly guardians.
It led to the Nether.
Chapter 4: Discovery
"No..." Brian said, slowly shaking his head "No, no, no, this can't happen. That place should be sealed off forever"
"I've never been there..." Alex considered. "Is it really that ba-"
"If there is a true Hell, this is it." Steve said. "The lava seas stretch on for miles, and the scream of a Ghast will haunt your dreams."
They all paused for a moment to consider. Suddenly, and unpleasant thought occurred to Alex. "We've strip mined most of this area, haven't we? We've seen most of the caves. And by extension, drained a lot of the lava..."
"...which means we have most of the obsidian in the area." Brian glanced nervously at the rest of the group "You don't think..."
Steve instantly understood. "We need to go back to the camp. Now."
* * *
The three survivors sprinted across the landscape. Within minutes, they were within viewing distance of the camp. As they approached, they saw dark figures approaching the wall. All three stopped, taking cover in one of the craters from the previous day. "Eyepieces! Now!" Brian hissed. They all took their Ender Pearl eyepieces from their packs, strapped them on, and peeked over the edge of the crater to observe what was going on.
Near the wall, two black, lanky Endermen gracefully walked toward the wall. The first one extended its hands forward, and it's fingers slowly slid into the stone walls as if it wasn't even there. A moment later, it pulled it's hands back, holding a large chunk of the wall. The second one repeated the process, creating a small doorway.
"Come ON" Brian whispered. "There are only two of them! We can deal with this!"
"Wait... who's that?" asked Alex, pointing near the wall
As they looked again, a third figure emerged. This one was no Enderman; he was unmistakeably human, but his features were shrouded in darkness. He seemed average height and athletic in build, but anything else was indistinguishable. As he approached the hole in the wall, the two Endermen took a step back, clearing a path for him. He stepped into the fort, with the Endermen following behind him. A few minutes later, they emerged from the hole in the wall. The two Endermen were holding large chunks of what could only be obsidian.
"Well, at least we know who's making that portal now" Brian said with resignation. The Endermen and the mysterious figure walked off, disappearing behind a mountain.
Steve stood for a moment, considering. "We need to see what this is all about. Brian, I need you to stay here to fix the wall and keep away any intruders. I'll go the way they left and see if I can follow them. Alex, you go around the other side of the mountain and see if you find them. Do you have all your equipment?"
Alex checked his belt. Iron sword, ender monocle, and an extra piece of his own design. "Yeah, I have everything"
Steve nodded with quiet determination. "Alright. Let's get going."
Alex set off, circling around the side of the mountain. The sun was still a good way from rising, but the few torches that had been scattered around the surrounding area gave him enough light to see. He had no specific destination in mind, so he continued to go around the mountain, searching for any signs of movement.
After a few minutes, he saw one. A slight stirring in the shadows caught his eye. He drew his sword, but kept his eyes low, aware of the possibility that there might be an Enderman, and scanned with his peripherals. He moved closer to the disturbance, and there was a sudden sound of movement in front of him. Out of instinct, he stepped back and looked forward to find the source. The area was dark, but just enough light came from afar to show the dark outline of an Enderman standing before him.
The creature was not looking at him initially, but it's reaction to Alex's gaze was immediate. It froze stiff, not a muscle moving for several seconds. Alex knew that looking at the Endermen directly was dangerous, but now that he had accidentally layed eyes on it, it would attack as soon as he looked away. The Enderman slowly turned, standing up to its full terrifying height. It opened its gaping mouth, and a faint blue light spilled out. Something else happened, what could only be described as its outline blurring, as if a faint distortion filled the air around it.
Alex knew he had little time to act. Without breaking eye contact, he reached for the sealed container on his belt. He flicked open the top, and a small wave of heat escaped from the insulated capsule. He didn't have very much, as carrying any more would be dangerous, but it would have to do. He swept the container in a quick arc in front of him, releasing the lava he kept inside.
The lava flew out a few feet and landed in a line in front of him, forming a glowing barrier between him and the Enderman. If it stepped any further foreward, it would hit the line. Of course, it would teleport away, but the searing heat would cause serious injury, at least. Alex started working on his plan beyond that when another sound cut off his thoughts. Something else was approaching from the darkness. A shape approached from behind the Enderman. Alex glanced over to the shape, and suddenly tensed up as he realized he had taken his eyes off his adversary. As he looked up, however, he saw something that no one had seen before.
The Enderman had stopped.
It simply stood still. The blurring that surrounded it ceased, and it slowly closed its mouth and stood there, never taking its gaze off of him. Alex stared in disbelief. Why would it do such a thing? He looked over to the mysterious shape in the shadows again, and a chill ran through him. It was a human, watching him from the shadows. Furthermore, it appeared to be the same person that had appeared at their fortress just minutes before. Whoever this person was, the lava that was recently spread on the ground caught its attention. It took slow steps forward, gaze focused on the the small glowing arc on the ground.
As the figure approached closer, Alex could make out more features. It was unmistakeably male, and his build confirmed his belief that he had seen this person before. The stranger moved closer and closer still, eyes still down. Alex made out a teal T-shirt, a medium skin tone, possibly Hispanic, and short, black hair. Seconds later, a flood of terrible recognition came to him.
"Steve? Oh God, Steve, what the hell is going on here?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he moved closer. Eventually standing right above the lava. He got down on one knee, and slowly reached down and touched the bright arc. It caused him no apparent injury; instead, he scooped up a small handful of it, and looked up to Alex. Alex's blood ran cold.
The stranger had white eyes.
Whoever this was, as it was certainly not Steve, smiled slightly. He stood up, lava in hand. He gave Alex a brief, curt nod, and turned around to leave. The Enderman took a few steps back, then turned to leave with the stranger.
Alex stood in confusion for several seconds. Numerous questions raced through his mind. Why had the Enderman stopped? Was it with the stranger? Who was the stranger? Why did he look like Steve? How did he pick up the lava? Why?
He shook of the confusion and resolved to pursue the pair. He ran in the direction they left, keeping carefully aware with his eyes and ears for any sign of them. He was so focused, in fact, that he ran straight into Brian as he came around the mountain.
"Ow! Crap, Alex! Calm down!"
Steve proceeded over to help the two up. They got their bearings, and proceeded to fill Alex in.
"No sign of them" said Steve. "We had a close call with a small band of creepers, but no indication of our... visitors."
"I saw them" Alex interjected. Steve glanced at him quizzically, but a certain realization came over his features.
"You saw him, didn't you?" Steve asked quietly.
"I did" Alex replied, suddenly getting angry. "And I'm tired of this. What's going on, Steve? You know something that we don't. We need to know, or we're all going to die out here."
"Back up for a second" Brian interrupted. "What exactly did you see?" Alex filled them in. Brian only appeared confused, but Steve remained stoic as ever.
"He's back" said Steve. "I never thought he would, but he's back. And if he is, he's after something. Not sure what, yet, but it's certainly something big. And if he gets to what he's looking for, nothing will stop him."
"Who is 'he', Steve?" Alex demanded. "Who. Is. This. Person?"
Steve looked up. "He was here before Brian arrived. Eliza called him Rayner. I once called him brother. But he calls himself the Herobrine."
Chapter 5: Nether
"Herobrine? He calls himself... Herobrine?" Brian gave Steve a level gaze, his eyes only narrowing with the new revelation.
"And he's your brother, as well?" Alex asked. "What exactly happened?"
Steve rested his hands on his sword, took a deep breath, and continued his story. "Rayner and I were brothers. Identical twins, but in appearence only. I was always the quiet one, the efficient one. Rayner was smart, almost unbelievably so. When he wanted something, he found a way to get it. But he was also impatient. It enraged him when people wouldn't go with his ideas. You could say he had all the qualities of a superior leader except patience and humility." Alex percepted the faintest smirk on Steve's face. "We arrived in this world at the same time, near the same place. We survived together. After several weeks, we found Eliza. They got along fine enough, but I could tell she was always suspicious of him."
"One day, something happened. The three of us found... some sort of abondoned structure. Underground. Rayner was very attracted to it, and seemed to want nothing else but explore the place. At some point, we got separated. Some kind of... pulse went out. Knocked all of us unconscious. When I woke up, I was on the surface. I found him after a short while. He was talking the strangest sort of nonsense. About portals, the dragon, and limitless power. He told me we could seek it together, the three of us. All I wanted to do was get him to the camp to get him better. Of course, this only made him mad."
"Eventually, I struck him, just trying to snap him out of it. He flew into a rage the likes of which I have never seen. He hit me back, squarely in the chest. Something must have happened, because he hit me with unimaginable force, driving me back several meters. I fell down, and he stood over me, his expression turning cold. He said to me 'You have no idea what I've seen. I've glimpsed power you could never imagine, and now I know how to get it. This world has chosen me as the Herobrine. You will not stop me'. As he said this, his eyes changed, turning pure white. The last thing I heard him say was 'This is not over. You will see me again'. Then he simply turned and left. I haven't seen him since. Until tonight."
Brian looked on quizzically. "So he is... the Herobrine? What does that even mean?"
Alex spoke up before Steve could. "Well, he at least seems to have some sort of control over the world. The endermen seem to obey him. He was able to touch lava without hurting himself, and he probably had something to with our rather odd time situation."
Steve nodded. "I think you're right. He said something about being the world's guardian, of the center and the end. Whatever that means."
"What I say it means," said Brian, holstering his bow "is we'd better get moving. You said he mentioned a portal, right? Well, we just so happened to have stumbled across one of those lovely devices in progress today. Three guesses at who's associated with it?"
Steve nodded. "Sun's starting to come up anyway. Let's get moving."
* * *
They were able to navigate their way with reasonable success. The exit from the dungeon had been just behind a mountain near their base, and the portal was nearby. They rounded the mountain, and saw the massive opening in the ground that they had exited just hours before, though it felt like days. They passed through a small patch of forest, but before exiting it, the portal came into view.
Steve calmly held out his hand, ordering everyone to slow to a stop. "There he is" he whispered. "He's looking at the portal."
Alex looked over Steve's shoulder. Sure enough, he stood there, looking at the portal. The endermen that accompanied him to the base stood beside him, holding large chunks of obsidian. He looked at the two creatures and nodded. On his command, they held up the dark pieces of material they held, and they began to shimmer and shift, changing shape to accommodate the portal. Eventually, they both held pieces that fit perfectly, and they placed them into the portal, completing the arcing gate.
Steve looked over to the other two, and quietly unsheathed his sword. "We'll need to come up behind him. Our only chance is to take him by surprise". Brian and Alex nodded, taking out their weapons. Abruptly, one of the enderman near the portal stood straight, then disappeared. It was simply gone in a puff of smoke.
Before the group had time to react, the enderman reappeared just a few feet in front of them. What's more, several more appeared, quickly surrounding them. The three froze where they stood, but after a few seconds, the endermen standing in front of them stepped back. Herobrine stood there in front of them.
He smirked. "Sure, it would just be that easy, right? Sneak up behind him! There's no way he'll find out!" He turned and took a few steps away, and looked over his shoulder. "You really don't learn, do you, Steven? Things have changed. New... possibilities have been opened."
"Rayner" Steve said, taking a step forward. "This has to stop"
"Why should it?" He suddenly demanded. There was an air of anger in his voice, and the area around them felt slightly colder. He stopped himself, and calmed down. "You've actually helped me, did you know that? Even in this state, in tune as I am, I can not create from nothing. What with my little..." he indicated at the portal behind him "project here, I am still in need of a way to open it." He fixed his gaze on Alex. "Your little friend here changed that." He raised his hand, and he still held the small handful of lava that he had taken earlier.
Steve was evidently out of things to say, simply fixing his gaze on his brother, so the latter continued. "Follow us if you must. There's nothing you can do about it. I will reach my goal." His white eyes appeared to flash briefly. "And when I find it... well, you won't be a problem, at least."
He stepped towards the portal, looked at the lava in his hand for a moment, and threw it in. The effect was immediate. The lava hissed and disappeared, but brilliant blue flame sprang up from it. The flame, rather than rising, instead traveled up the side of the gate, swirling around the full loop. The entire inside of the portal was now wreathed in flame, and it continued to swirl and grow inward. Eventually, the entire interior of the portal was a wall of fire, and it changed composition. The flame turned a mysterious purple color, giving off little floating motes of an unknown material. It also appeared more like a gas, but still resided inside the portal.
Herobrine was clearly fascinated. He stood with a dignified demeanor, but his eyes showed raw excitement. He put his hand into the portal material. It swirled around his hand, but remained intact. Slowly, he stepped into the purple veil. It now swirled around his entire body, faster and faster. His shape began to distort. More and more it distorted, then he suddenly vanished, and the veil settled. The endermen disappeared too, in a puff of smoke similar to the material of the veil.
Alex stood in disbelief. This was the first time he had seen a portal in action. He turned to Alex and Brian, who were also looking around.
"We're going to do it, aren't we?" Brian asked after a moment. "We're actually stupid enough to go after them? We know what's on the other side..."
"I don't think the Nether is Rayner's goal." Steve interjected. "I think there's just something he needs there."
"Any ideas what?" Alex asked.
"No idea. But I don't want him to find it. He's dangerous enough already."
Alex nodded. Without another word, they started walking towards the portal. They stopped just a step before entering.
"Together?" Brian asked.
"I wouldn't have it any other way" said Steve, with a slight smile on his face.
The three of them stepped into the mysterious veil. Alex could immediately feel the gaseous material swirling around him, moving faster and faster. His view of the world became distorted, until all he could see was a purple haze. And, just like that, all three of them vanished behind the veil.
Well, it's kinda late in my part of the world, so I'll probably start work on this again in about 20 hours after all my crap tomorrow. Stay tuned :cool.gif:
epic story iv subscribed can u make a server with all this
Thanks for the sub, though I'm not sure how/why I would make a server with this stuff in it 0_o. I try to keep the feel of the story a bit away from the blockiness of Minecraft, plus a server would need custom mods to be like the story.
Anyway, would anyone be interested in making a banner for this? It would be fairly simple; like I said above, it wouldn't feature too much blockiness, maybe just a name and some Endermen eyes or something. I don't have anything to give back, but I would bro-love you forever :biggrin.gif:
HELLA. AWESOME. MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE
Thanks for the sub, though I'm not sure how/why I would make a server with this stuff in it 0_o. I try to keep the feel of the story a bit away from the blockiness of Minecraft, plus a server would need custom mods to be like the story.
Anyway, would anyone be interested in making a banner for this? It would be fairly simple; like I said above, it wouldn't feature too much blockiness, maybe just a name and some Endermen eyes or something. I don't have anything to give back, but I would bro-love you forever :biggrin.gif:
Well, I've had lots-o' crap to do lately. Within the next few days, I should fix up the end of chapter 2 (I was tired when I wrote it) and write chapter 3, which will reveal the endermen's first project and possibly more about their nature. See you then, and thanks for the support :biggrin.gif:
aidybee, on 28 September 2011 - 10:56 AM, said:
epic story iv subscribed can u make a server with all this
Thanks for the sub, though I'm not sure how/why I would make a server with this stuff in it 0_o. I try to keep the feel of the story a bit away from the blockiness of Minecraft, plus a server would need custom mods to be like the story.
Anyway, would anyone be interested in making a banner for this? It would be fairly simple; like I said above, it wouldn't feature too much blockiness, maybe just a name and some Endermen eyes or something. I don't have anything to give back, but I would bro-love you forever
Sir_Rye, on 09 July 2011 - 05:10 AM, said:
Geez, you thought people bitched and moaned a lot about 1.6?.I predict that, upon the release of 1.8, these forums will become a bitchstorm the likes of which the internet has never witnessed. Mark my words.
HOOWEE, WOULDJA LOOKIT THAT
0
Not really, you would just need to construct the stronghold and cannons, although I don't think you would really need the cannons in the first place, nice story!
Well, I've had lots-o' crap to do lately. Within the next few days, I should fix up the end of chapter 2 (I was tired when I wrote it) and write chapter 3, which will reveal the endermen's first project and possibly more about their nature. See you then, and thanks for the support :biggrin.gif:
Great now i cant stop thinking of half-life 2 and G-MAN
Bump sex for a filler chapter :tongue.gif: okay, not really, but the next chapter will be a bit more impromptu like this one (i.e. 60% planned) and maybe one more like that, followed by one with a more definite direction and then an epic conclusion. Between school, homework, gaming, personal stuff, internship, and band I barely have time to work on this, but hey; it's here. Take it or leave it
Chapter One: Night
"What do suppose they're trying to do?" Alex asks, looking down at the numerous lanky black figures gliding across the landscape, rearranging seemingly meaningless parts of the terrain. With the tragedy that occurred with the last member of their party to look at the Endermen, Brian had begun trying to find ways to safely monitor them. After a series of trial and error, the two wanderers now looked down from the mountain using eyepieces jury-rigged from Ender pearls, the mysterious objects they sometimes found in the hearts of the dead creatures. They worked as makeshift telescopes, as well as seemingly making it safe to observe them from a distance.
"No one knows" Steve replied. "Their patterns are erratic. Sometimes they move around random bits, sometimes they practically excavate. They might be looking for something, they might be trying to build something; hell, maybe it doesn't have meaning. It might just be they're hobby when they aren't out murdering something. Who knows if it's a mystery we'll ever answer."
"You've been here longer than the rest of us." Alex looked over at Steve. "Did they show up at a particular point, or have you maybe seen other behavior?"
Steve hesitated, without looking over. "I don't know. A lot of strange things happen here. It might... just be something irrelevant, or something we really don't want to know."
Alex considered pressing, as Steve didn't really answer his question, but he decided to drop it. "Come on, we'd better go back to the camp"
The camp was less of a camp, more of a fortress. The vast stone walls dominated the landscape, serving as a beacon to any other humans that arrived in the world. With the constant assault of monsters, the three survivors built the structure as a safe haven for any who come. Inside, farms and housing ensured long-term survival. A sign over the iron door stated "All human survivors are welcome. Hit the button to alert the guards, and you will be allowed inside".
As Alex climbed over the final mountain, he considered the strange world they occupied; no one remembers how they got there, and they have little idea what kind of strange rules govern this world. Through ingenuity and teamwork, they exploited the natural resources, slowly but surely gaining dominance over the small area they inhabited.
His thoughts were interrupted by Steve stopping him with his arm, urgently whispering at him to keep still. Alex was confused, unsure of what would concern Steve so much, who was typically calm in the face of danger. As he scanned the landscape, his eyes fell upon something he had not seen since his first night.
A spider jockey.
The massive spider slowly crawled across the ground, with a pale, bony archer standing on its back. Brian said the skeletons appeared to have tamed the spiders, though it is thankfully a rare occurrence. The skeleton slowly looked around, its empty eye sockets eventually settling on the the two survivors.
"BOOK IT!" Steve screamed. The two immediately took off, and the jockey pursued. It reached out one skeletal hand, shadows condensing around it. Within a second, the shadow formed a dark, gleaming arrow. The skeleton stood up straight, took aim, and fired.
The arrow landed inches from Alex's foot, providing a rush of adrenaline, surging him forward. He knew, of course, he couldn't outrun the spider. After the skeleton fired, the 6-foot long monstrosity darted across the ground, quickly closing distance. As Alex turned to see how close the jockey was, he saw the spider lunge, its bony forehead aimed squarely at him. He was knocked the the ground, with the mount quickly moving up to him. The spider spread its jaws, releasing a horrifying screech, and the skeleton prepared another arrow.
As it took aim at his head, suddenly, another arrow sped passed his vision. In a stroke of luck, the arrow pierced the skeleton's skull and went clean through, killing it instantly. Alex looked up, seeing Brian standing on the castle walls, holding his powerful bow. Looking forward, the spider reared up, preparing for a deadly strike. Steve appeared at Alex's side, valiant and focused. He unsheathed his sword, a brilliant blade constructed of pure diamond. He brought the sword down on the spider, splitting its head in two.
Alex was breathless. The entire event had taken place in less than half a minute, and the adrenaline buzz was still rushing through him. He turned to Steve, beginning to thank him, but Steve cut him off. "No time now; get inside!". They turned, and rushed into the safety of their stronghold.
Inside, they ate by the fire, sipping mushroom stew and munching on bread. Alex knew that he had left the camp unprepared, but the other survivors were not angry with him; Alex was the most recent arrival, and attacks like this were and unfortunate fact of life in this world. At home, they finally found relative peace. They settled into bed, knowing the next day was another day of work, discovery, and peril. They had long known this, and come to expect it. Because they were there, to their knowledge, permanently, and humans are nothing if not adaptable. Little did they know, of course, there was a different force influencing the world of Minecraft. At least, two of them didn't know.
Chapter 2: Zombies
After a few minutes, Brian looked up. "I suppose it's worth asking" he said towards Steve and Alex "since I had to save you two last night... why were you late? You're normally good about getting back before the dark comes. What were you doing?"
Alex hesitated, because he knew Brian wouldn't like the answer. Steve stepped in over the silence. "We were over the second hill" he said with a level stare. "Watching the Endermen"
Brian stopped cold. His icy gaze surveyed over the other two. Barely containing himself, he said "You what? You were watching the Endermen? After all that happened?!"
Alex stammered "W-well we were safe about it. We had your eye thing. They couldn't have gone after us!"
"That's not the point! Dammit, Steve!" Brian slammed his fist on the crafting table, sending small objects flying. "Those eyepieces were an experiment! We don't even know how well they work! You KNOW how I fell about this! I-" He stopped suddenly. He put his fist on the table again, bending down to hide his face. After a few moments, he straightened back up, with a definite sadness in his eyes. "I can't let it happen. Not again."
Alex avoided Brian's eyes. He didn't want to think about it. Out of all of them, they all knew that Eliza's death had affected Brian the worst. Closing his eyes, he could still see it; the horrid creatures, mouths agape, powerful arms ripping her to pieces. Brian could barely work for days.
Looking up, he could see Steve was less visibly affected by the memories, though he could see their leader's expression soften slightly. "We all regret what happened that night" he said in a quiet, nonetheless firm voice. "But running away from them is no answer. The more we learn about them, the better we fight them. Think of it that way, Brian. For her."
The words visibly affected Brian. A few seconds later, he composed himself and looked Steve in the eye. "Alright. Just... still be careful."
Steve nodded. Alex looked over what had just happened, then resumed his preparations.
In this mysterious world, not all days were dangerous thrill rides like the last one. A fair share of fights was still likely, but most days were just simple survival. The rest of the day was one of those days. They mined. They farmed. They stood watch at the guard tower. The day was ground in routine. Monotonous, but nonetheless comfortable routine.
The following night, however, was anything but ordinary.
The sun had set shortly before, and Alex was at the end of his guard duty shift, shortly before the point where the gates are normally sealed. He looked over the landscape, and spotted a lone zombie coming from behind a nearby hill. Alex dismissed it at first, as numerous monsters normally roamed the area at night, but it's behavior soon caught his attention. This zombie wasn't wandering; it was moving towards the camp. It's dead eyes were fixated on the bright lights from behind the walls, and it shambled steadily forward.
Alex considered for a moment, then turned to the numerous levers by his post. Were Steve was survivalist and fighter and Brian was the archer and engineer, Alex was the designer. He created innovative traps to subdue coming monsters before they reached the gates, which where then turned to Brian for redstone design. He pulled one of the levers, causing a small patch of dirt near the zombie to retract, revealing a dispenser device. The machine fired a single arrow, and the piece of dirt was replaced. The arrow stuck into the zombie's side, slowing it, but not stopping it. Alex reached under the rail of the guard post, grabbing the standard issue guard bow. He wasn't nearly as proficient as Brian with this device, but he could easily hit the target at this range. A single arrow flew, and the zombie fell. He stood tall, looking down proudly at his work.
The feeling was short-lived.
He looked up to see another zombie emerge from behind the same hill. Then another. Then another. Then a group of two, then four, then seven. A swarm of shambling undead flesh appeared, all fixated on the fort, all steadily advancing.
"STEVE! BRIAN!" he shouted into the camp. Within seconds, the other two were at the scene, apparently ascertaining the urgency of the situation from Alex's tone.
"What's the issue, Alex?" Steve asked. Without delay, Alex led them up, and showed them the scene
gathering outside.
"Oh, that's what's going on" Brian said quietly. "That... might be a problem." He pulled out his personal bow, throwing another to Steve.
"With this many, they could break down our doors! There's gotta be two hundred out there!" Panic was slowly seeping into Alex's voice.
Brian pulled back his bow, aimed for a second, and fired. The arrow launched into the crowd, impaling a zombie in the skull, dropping it to the ground "One hundred ninety-nine" he said.
"On a more serious note" Steve said, clearly trying to calm down Alex "You have some heavy ordinance on that trap wall of yours, right?"
"Yeah..."
"Do it. And no crappy arrow-shooters, or anything. Bring out the big guns."
Alex nodded nervously, and turned to his lever wall and pulled one. Out on the plains, the ground opened up underneath the zombies. Dozens fell into a pit of lava, incinerating instantly.
"Nice show, kid, but I don't think that's what he meant" Brian said taking aim again.
"I know you installed TNT cannons in the walls" Steve said. "Do they work?"
"I... think" Alex said nervously. "I haven't tried them yet. And... there's no guarantee it won't blow a hole in our wall."
"No time like the present, Alex! Go now! Do it!"
Alex turned to the wall. There was a single lever, mounted on red, that he knew would trigger the cannons. He grabbed the lever, composed his courage, and pulled it.
The effect was not immediate. All three of the survivors braced themselves, waiting for an explosion. They heard none. Alex, however, knew what was going on. Soon, they heard the hiss. A quiet hiss, not unlike the deadly creeper. Alex tackled the other two, screaming "GET DOWN!"
The explosion was deafening. Multiple cubic meters of dynamite cannon holes all over the walls detonated, propelling explosive shots forward. The shots landed evenly all over the plain, just as Alex designed them, and then detonated. Shot after shot blew up, liquefying the undead monsters. When the sound and smoke finally cleared, the three survivors looked up.
No zombies remained.
What did remain was a completely ruined landscape. Craters littered the area. Trees were blown to bits. Steve knew this would happen when he called the shot. It was the price of survival.
They looked up to see that the sun was rising. The ordeal must have taken up the entire night. "Well... back to work!" Brian said briskly. They all shared a laugh. They stood, gathered themselves, and set off.
Afterwords, the work continued. Alex and Steve tended to the farms, located right by the entrance to the mine. They stooped over, gathering wheat, planting seeds, when Alex heard a sound. It came from the mine, nearly inaudible at first, then growing. He turned to Steve, and saw that he heard it too.
The sound grew louder, soon becoming discernible as Brian shouting "GUYS GUYS GUYS GUYS GUYS GUYS GUYS!" They opened the door the the mine just as Brian reached the the top of the stairs, breathless from running the whole way. "Guys you... *gasp* need to see this... the mine... the... dungeon..."
"Calm down, Brian" Steve said. "Catch your breath." Brian waited for a minute, hands on his knees breathing heavily. After a short period, he stood.
"The attack last night guys. I found the source. I know where it came from. And I think the Endermen started it.
Chapter 3: Dungeon
Brian turned over to Alex "I didn't think so, either. You just... you have to see it.
Steve pondered for a moment, then nodded. "OK, Brian" he said quietly. "Take us there"
Brian led them down into the colony strip mine. The area was designed like a massive staircase, leading deep into the earth. At regular intervals at the lower levels, small shafts branched off, mining stone and prospecting for valuable materials. It was not an uncommon occurrence for a miner to run into unexpected danger, so they always carried their weapons while on a shift. The area underground was littered with massive caves and the mysterious dungeons, the random rooms that appeared underground and created monsters from thin air.
As they descended, Alex wondered what Brian was going to show them. It had to be a dungeon, didn't it? He could think of no other reason that zombies would appear at such a terrifying rate. The only flaw in that theory is that dungeons were almost always completely buried, and zombies aren't known for their excavating abilities.
They arrived at the spot Brian led them to, and Alex came to the realization: it wasn't zombies that could excavate.
It was Endermen.
Sure enough, Brian led them to a dungeon. The distinctive moss-covered walls, and mysterious cage in the center; it was nothing out of the ordinary.
What was out of the ordinary was the ceiling.
Or rather, the lack thereof. It simply wasn't there. There was a massive hole above the dungeon, wide enough to easily climb up, and it lead all the way to the surface. The zombies were able to climb out and assault the colony, only stopping when sunlight spilled into the chamber.
Steve glanced up to the surface. "That mountain..." he said "that side faces away from our area. They dug out this hole where we couldn't see them. They did this... to attack us."
"The only problem is... why?" Brian asked. "We almost never see monsters even take notice of each other. Why would they start working together now?"
"I still... I'm still not sure" Steve said after hesitation. "Let's climb up there. Maybe we'll find more"
They found a foothold on the side of the cave, and started climbing. The stone almost felt smooth; the Endermen could move pieces of material in a seemingly effortless way, and it barely left a mark. They reached the surface to find a new surprise waiting for them: the sun was setting
"What? How... how is that..." Steve was at a sudden loss for words. Brian and Alex were both visibly disturbed by this; this was a side of their leader that they had never seen before. Steve was sometimes uncertain, but never confused. Other than the inconsistent passage of time, something deeper about the issue troubled him.
"Alright Steve, what the hell?" Brian asked, suddenly angry. "I've said nothing for this long, but I can't take it anymore. What the hell is going on?" He moved closer, bringing his full imposing height into effect. "We both know that you know something about this that you aren't telling us. We see you hesitate, when you omit. What do do you know that you aren't telling us?"
Steve turned, fixating his deadly stare straight Brian. He visibly withered, if only slightly, but held his ground. "You remember Eliza's crazy stories? The far realm? The whole idea that someone else is here, just in hiding?"
Brian's eyes narrowed. "I hope you have a REALLY good reason for bringing her up"
"I think he does" Alex suddenly added. Brian whipped around, and his eyes widened. In front of him was a large gate, constructed of obsidian. It was unfinished; large chunks were missing, and it didn't form the full loop, but the objective was unmistakable.
There was a portal in construction.
They all knew where the portal led. It led to a place of fire and death. It lead to a place of lava seas and ghostly guardians.
It led to the Nether.
Chapter 4: Discovery
"I've never been there..." Alex considered. "Is it really that ba-"
"If there is a true Hell, this is it." Steve said. "The lava seas stretch on for miles, and the scream of a Ghast will haunt your dreams."
They all paused for a moment to consider. Suddenly, and unpleasant thought occurred to Alex. "We've strip mined most of this area, haven't we? We've seen most of the caves. And by extension, drained a lot of the lava..."
"...which means we have most of the obsidian in the area." Brian glanced nervously at the rest of the group "You don't think..."
Steve instantly understood. "We need to go back to the camp. Now."
* * *
The three survivors sprinted across the landscape. Within minutes, they were within viewing distance of the camp. As they approached, they saw dark figures approaching the wall. All three stopped, taking cover in one of the craters from the previous day. "Eyepieces! Now!" Brian hissed. They all took their Ender Pearl eyepieces from their packs, strapped them on, and peeked over the edge of the crater to observe what was going on.
Near the wall, two black, lanky Endermen gracefully walked toward the wall. The first one extended its hands forward, and it's fingers slowly slid into the stone walls as if it wasn't even there. A moment later, it pulled it's hands back, holding a large chunk of the wall. The second one repeated the process, creating a small doorway.
"Come ON" Brian whispered. "There are only two of them! We can deal with this!"
"Wait... who's that?" asked Alex, pointing near the wall
As they looked again, a third figure emerged. This one was no Enderman; he was unmistakeably human, but his features were shrouded in darkness. He seemed average height and athletic in build, but anything else was indistinguishable. As he approached the hole in the wall, the two Endermen took a step back, clearing a path for him. He stepped into the fort, with the Endermen following behind him. A few minutes later, they emerged from the hole in the wall. The two Endermen were holding large chunks of what could only be obsidian.
"Well, at least we know who's making that portal now" Brian said with resignation. The Endermen and the mysterious figure walked off, disappearing behind a mountain.
Steve stood for a moment, considering. "We need to see what this is all about. Brian, I need you to stay here to fix the wall and keep away any intruders. I'll go the way they left and see if I can follow them. Alex, you go around the other side of the mountain and see if you find them. Do you have all your equipment?"
Alex checked his belt. Iron sword, ender monocle, and an extra piece of his own design. "Yeah, I have everything"
Steve nodded with quiet determination. "Alright. Let's get going."
Alex set off, circling around the side of the mountain. The sun was still a good way from rising, but the few torches that had been scattered around the surrounding area gave him enough light to see. He had no specific destination in mind, so he continued to go around the mountain, searching for any signs of movement.
After a few minutes, he saw one. A slight stirring in the shadows caught his eye. He drew his sword, but kept his eyes low, aware of the possibility that there might be an Enderman, and scanned with his peripherals. He moved closer to the disturbance, and there was a sudden sound of movement in front of him. Out of instinct, he stepped back and looked forward to find the source. The area was dark, but just enough light came from afar to show the dark outline of an Enderman standing before him.
The creature was not looking at him initially, but it's reaction to Alex's gaze was immediate. It froze stiff, not a muscle moving for several seconds. Alex knew that looking at the Endermen directly was dangerous, but now that he had accidentally layed eyes on it, it would attack as soon as he looked away. The Enderman slowly turned, standing up to its full terrifying height. It opened its gaping mouth, and a faint blue light spilled out. Something else happened, what could only be described as its outline blurring, as if a faint distortion filled the air around it.
Alex knew he had little time to act. Without breaking eye contact, he reached for the sealed container on his belt. He flicked open the top, and a small wave of heat escaped from the insulated capsule. He didn't have very much, as carrying any more would be dangerous, but it would have to do. He swept the container in a quick arc in front of him, releasing the lava he kept inside.
The lava flew out a few feet and landed in a line in front of him, forming a glowing barrier between him and the Enderman. If it stepped any further foreward, it would hit the line. Of course, it would teleport away, but the searing heat would cause serious injury, at least. Alex started working on his plan beyond that when another sound cut off his thoughts. Something else was approaching from the darkness. A shape approached from behind the Enderman. Alex glanced over to the shape, and suddenly tensed up as he realized he had taken his eyes off his adversary. As he looked up, however, he saw something that no one had seen before.
The Enderman had stopped.
It simply stood still. The blurring that surrounded it ceased, and it slowly closed its mouth and stood there, never taking its gaze off of him. Alex stared in disbelief. Why would it do such a thing? He looked over to the mysterious shape in the shadows again, and a chill ran through him. It was a human, watching him from the shadows. Furthermore, it appeared to be the same person that had appeared at their fortress just minutes before. Whoever this person was, the lava that was recently spread on the ground caught its attention. It took slow steps forward, gaze focused on the the small glowing arc on the ground.
As the figure approached closer, Alex could make out more features. It was unmistakeably male, and his build confirmed his belief that he had seen this person before. The stranger moved closer and closer still, eyes still down. Alex made out a teal T-shirt, a medium skin tone, possibly Hispanic, and short, black hair. Seconds later, a flood of terrible recognition came to him.
"Steve? Oh God, Steve, what the hell is going on here?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he moved closer. Eventually standing right above the lava. He got down on one knee, and slowly reached down and touched the bright arc. It caused him no apparent injury; instead, he scooped up a small handful of it, and looked up to Alex. Alex's blood ran cold.
The stranger had white eyes.
Whoever this was, as it was certainly not Steve, smiled slightly. He stood up, lava in hand. He gave Alex a brief, curt nod, and turned around to leave. The Enderman took a few steps back, then turned to leave with the stranger.
Alex stood in confusion for several seconds. Numerous questions raced through his mind. Why had the Enderman stopped? Was it with the stranger? Who was the stranger? Why did he look like Steve? How did he pick up the lava? Why?
He shook of the confusion and resolved to pursue the pair. He ran in the direction they left, keeping carefully aware with his eyes and ears for any sign of them. He was so focused, in fact, that he ran straight into Brian as he came around the mountain.
"Ow! Crap, Alex! Calm down!"
Steve proceeded over to help the two up. They got their bearings, and proceeded to fill Alex in.
"No sign of them" said Steve. "We had a close call with a small band of creepers, but no indication of our... visitors."
"I saw them" Alex interjected. Steve glanced at him quizzically, but a certain realization came over his features.
"You saw him, didn't you?" Steve asked quietly.
"I did" Alex replied, suddenly getting angry. "And I'm tired of this. What's going on, Steve? You know something that we don't. We need to know, or we're all going to die out here."
"Back up for a second" Brian interrupted. "What exactly did you see?" Alex filled them in. Brian only appeared confused, but Steve remained stoic as ever.
"He's back" said Steve. "I never thought he would, but he's back. And if he is, he's after something. Not sure what, yet, but it's certainly something big. And if he gets to what he's looking for, nothing will stop him."
"Who is 'he', Steve?" Alex demanded. "Who. Is. This. Person?"
Steve looked up. "He was here before Brian arrived. Eliza called him Rayner. I once called him brother. But he calls himself the Herobrine."
Chapter 5: Nether
"And he's your brother, as well?" Alex asked. "What exactly happened?"
Steve rested his hands on his sword, took a deep breath, and continued his story. "Rayner and I were brothers. Identical twins, but in appearence only. I was always the quiet one, the efficient one. Rayner was smart, almost unbelievably so. When he wanted something, he found a way to get it. But he was also impatient. It enraged him when people wouldn't go with his ideas. You could say he had all the qualities of a superior leader except patience and humility." Alex percepted the faintest smirk on Steve's face. "We arrived in this world at the same time, near the same place. We survived together. After several weeks, we found Eliza. They got along fine enough, but I could tell she was always suspicious of him."
"One day, something happened. The three of us found... some sort of abondoned structure. Underground. Rayner was very attracted to it, and seemed to want nothing else but explore the place. At some point, we got separated. Some kind of... pulse went out. Knocked all of us unconscious. When I woke up, I was on the surface. I found him after a short while. He was talking the strangest sort of nonsense. About portals, the dragon, and limitless power. He told me we could seek it together, the three of us. All I wanted to do was get him to the camp to get him better. Of course, this only made him mad."
"Eventually, I struck him, just trying to snap him out of it. He flew into a rage the likes of which I have never seen. He hit me back, squarely in the chest. Something must have happened, because he hit me with unimaginable force, driving me back several meters. I fell down, and he stood over me, his expression turning cold. He said to me 'You have no idea what I've seen. I've glimpsed power you could never imagine, and now I know how to get it. This world has chosen me as the Herobrine. You will not stop me'. As he said this, his eyes changed, turning pure white. The last thing I heard him say was 'This is not over. You will see me again'. Then he simply turned and left. I haven't seen him since. Until tonight."
Brian looked on quizzically. "So he is... the Herobrine? What does that even mean?"
Alex spoke up before Steve could. "Well, he at least seems to have some sort of control over the world. The endermen seem to obey him. He was able to touch lava without hurting himself, and he probably had something to with our rather odd time situation."
Steve nodded. "I think you're right. He said something about being the world's guardian, of the center and the end. Whatever that means."
"What I say it means," said Brian, holstering his bow "is we'd better get moving. You said he mentioned a portal, right? Well, we just so happened to have stumbled across one of those lovely devices in progress today. Three guesses at who's associated with it?"
Steve nodded. "Sun's starting to come up anyway. Let's get moving."
Steve calmly held out his hand, ordering everyone to slow to a stop. "There he is" he whispered. "He's looking at the portal."
Alex looked over Steve's shoulder. Sure enough, he stood there, looking at the portal. The endermen that accompanied him to the base stood beside him, holding large chunks of obsidian. He looked at the two creatures and nodded. On his command, they held up the dark pieces of material they held, and they began to shimmer and shift, changing shape to accommodate the portal. Eventually, they both held pieces that fit perfectly, and they placed them into the portal, completing the arcing gate.
Steve looked over to the other two, and quietly unsheathed his sword. "We'll need to come up behind him. Our only chance is to take him by surprise". Brian and Alex nodded, taking out their weapons. Abruptly, one of the enderman near the portal stood straight, then disappeared. It was simply gone in a puff of smoke.
Before the group had time to react, the enderman reappeared just a few feet in front of them. What's more, several more appeared, quickly surrounding them. The three froze where they stood, but after a few seconds, the endermen standing in front of them stepped back. Herobrine stood there in front of them.
He smirked. "Sure, it would just be that easy, right? Sneak up behind him! There's no way he'll find out!" He turned and took a few steps away, and looked over his shoulder. "You really don't learn, do you, Steven? Things have changed. New... possibilities have been opened."
"Rayner" Steve said, taking a step forward. "This has to stop"
"Why should it?" He suddenly demanded. There was an air of anger in his voice, and the area around them felt slightly colder. He stopped himself, and calmed down. "You've actually helped me, did you know that? Even in this state, in tune as I am, I can not create from nothing. What with my little..." he indicated at the portal behind him "project here, I am still in need of a way to open it." He fixed his gaze on Alex. "Your little friend here changed that." He raised his hand, and he still held the small handful of lava that he had taken earlier.
Steve was evidently out of things to say, simply fixing his gaze on his brother, so the latter continued. "Follow us if you must. There's nothing you can do about it. I will reach my goal." His white eyes appeared to flash briefly. "And when I find it... well, you won't be a problem, at least."
He stepped towards the portal, looked at the lava in his hand for a moment, and threw it in. The effect was immediate. The lava hissed and disappeared, but brilliant blue flame sprang up from it. The flame, rather than rising, instead traveled up the side of the gate, swirling around the full loop. The entire inside of the portal was now wreathed in flame, and it continued to swirl and grow inward. Eventually, the entire interior of the portal was a wall of fire, and it changed composition. The flame turned a mysterious purple color, giving off little floating motes of an unknown material. It also appeared more like a gas, but still resided inside the portal.
Herobrine was clearly fascinated. He stood with a dignified demeanor, but his eyes showed raw excitement. He put his hand into the portal material. It swirled around his hand, but remained intact. Slowly, he stepped into the purple veil. It now swirled around his entire body, faster and faster. His shape began to distort. More and more it distorted, then he suddenly vanished, and the veil settled. The endermen disappeared too, in a puff of smoke similar to the material of the veil.
Alex stood in disbelief. This was the first time he had seen a portal in action. He turned to Alex and Brian, who were also looking around.
"We're going to do it, aren't we?" Brian asked after a moment. "We're actually stupid enough to go after them? We know what's on the other side..."
"I don't think the Nether is Rayner's goal." Steve interjected. "I think there's just something he needs there."
"Any ideas what?" Alex asked.
"No idea. But I don't want him to find it. He's dangerous enough already."
Alex nodded. Without another word, they started walking towards the portal. They stopped just a step before entering.
"Together?" Brian asked.
"I wouldn't have it any other way" said Steve, with a slight smile on his face.
The three of them stepped into the mysterious veil. Alex could immediately feel the gaseous material swirling around him, moving faster and faster. His view of the world became distorted, until all he could see was a purple haze. And, just like that, all three of them vanished behind the veil.
Well, it's kinda late in my part of the world, so I'll probably start work on this again in about 20 hours after all my crap tomorrow. Stay tuned :cool.gif:
Behold Enderbrine
Behold Enderbrine
Thanks for the sub, though I'm not sure how/why I would make a server with this stuff in it 0_o. I try to keep the feel of the story a bit away from the blockiness of Minecraft, plus a server would need custom mods to be like the story.
Anyway, would anyone be interested in making a banner for this? It would be fairly simple; like I said above, it wouldn't feature too much blockiness, maybe just a name and some Endermen eyes or something. I don't have anything to give back, but I would bro-love you forever :biggrin.gif:
Have good grammar. Save us tiem.
hey u shold go on a banner maker
Behold Enderbrine
Not really, you would just need to construct the stronghold and cannons, although I don't think you would really need the cannons in the first place, nice story!
Behold Enderbrine
Great now i cant stop thinking of half-life 2 and G-MAN