Hero's Bane

Chapter 35: Stand Up

Steve carefully hopped off of the stone terraces as he descended, keeping his eyes wide open for any movement or signs of any kind of living creature. The iron sword was held tightly in his hand, ready to swing at the first moment's notice of danger. He held the torch out in front of him as he proceeded and then walked through a thin and narrow gap that stretched deep through the darkness. It was getting slightly more warmer as he paced down the naturally carved hallway and it wasn't long before a dim light ahead of the tunnel captured his attention, it had an unnaturally red glow.

Seeing this sudden light pressed the miner to quicken his pace and he immediately stopped in his tracks as he moved around the bend of rock to see a redstone torch precariously perched on a wall, it's glow dimmed in and out as small drafts of air flowed through the tunnel. "Is this a warning sign?" Steve thought aloud. It could be the boundary that Herobrine wouldn't want the miner to advance, or worse; it could be a trap. He had a feeling that he should be turning back now, he wanted to turn back but he knew he couldn't. The man had his reasons despite the fear gnawing at the back of his mind, he didn't want to enrage Herobrine if it was a warning, but then again he wasn't at all prepared to fight a skilled super being.

The miner carefully approached the torch and cautiously examined his area for any sort of traps, he then pulled it off of the wall but nothing happened. He placed it back then moved forward, perhaps there wasn't any reason for it but to light Herobrine's way. But that would mean Herobrine was somewhere close? Steve shuddered from the thought, he wasn't prepared to face him yet. Shaking off the nervous feeling, he forced himself to continue onward, remembering he told himself that he never had to run from the white-eyed man ever again. He just didn't expect encountering the hero or his possible end so soon.

He walked more and more down narrow passageway and he could finally hear the moans and groans of what he had been looking for, it was just up ahead in a more open and darker cavern. Steve ran until he saw the green figure moving about in the dark, the groans turned into that of a low growl once he got close enough. The zombie raised it's lifeless arms and stumbled towards him at a quick pace, opening it's mouth and revealing dark colored teeth.

The miner braced himself with the iron blade at his side, praying to Notch that he wouldn't screw up like he did with the first zombie he came across in the land. He could of died back then if it weren't for luck and fast reflexes, one swipe from that corpse eater hurt pretty badly and that was only a graze and not the full swing. He carefully waited for the right moment, watching and waiting nervously as the mob grew closer so much closer than he wanted to ever be with a zombie. With the mob now just a foot away Steve brought his iron blade up and over, making a large gash across the undead's stomach with dark blood flying from the wound.

"Gross." He quietly added and grimaced from the foul odor plaguing his nostrils, adding to the nausea he was beginning to feel.

The living dead stumbled backwards then lurched forward with a sudden boost of speed in it's fall towards the miner, reaching the fetid hands out ready to grab onto flesh. Steve immediately backed away and tripped backwards from his rash and hurried move, dropping his torch from the fall but not the blade thankfully. He felt flat on his back and watched as the grounded zombie crawl forwards in desperation, it swiftly grabbed onto his foot with nails digging into the boot.

Steve violently kicked away at the zombie's head, mashing in it's nose and tearing at parts of it's face from the punishing stamps. Unphased from the relentless kicks it moved it's head up against the striking force; ready to bite into his leg. Once again it revealed it's decaying maw filled with putrid colored teeth and now filling the air with it's repugnant rotting breath. "Oh no you don't!" The miner pulled his torso up off the floor and brought the iron blade into the zombie's head, unfortunately his swing wasn't strong enough to impale deep enough and kill the fiend.