Hero's Bane

Chapter 60: Withstand The Strain

(Art by Spoopyvlat DA)

Steve ran both of his hands through his hair in frustration as he paced back and forth in the small bedrock shelter, his footsteps echoed loudly as he silently huffed from his choices. He shook his head back and forth with his indecisive options, he wanted to stay in the safety that Herobrine had just made for him; but at the same time he needed to not only get answers. To help Herobrine or prevent the punishment from happening somehow seemed to be the bigger priority. Punishment was punishment, there was no joy in it, only pain and suffering.

The miner stopped moving as the ground beneath his feet rumbled once more and nearly knocked him off his heels, a loud cracking sound then immediately tore him from his thoughts. He took a step towards the exit of the shelter and glanced with only his head poking out to see large cracks forming on the walls in the being's chamber, both sides of the lengthy room appeared to be taking a lot of damage and there could be no telling how long they'll hold. He wondered if Herobrine was at the tower already.

The mortal moved back into the bedrock tunnel and crossed his arms in annoyance. His instincts screamed to just sit there and wait it out for his own wellbeing, yet his side of reason was telling him something different. The desire to survive was intermingling with his desire to do what was right, to stay or go. It was a war he raged on with himself, a war that he kept him at a standstill while everything continued to break apart and collapse around all him, deteriorating at a rapid pace while his new white-eyed friend went to face the End beast alone. He just wasn't sure what he should do; Herobrine told him to remain still and it was way to dangerous to leave the safety of the indestructible stone fort, but all of this mess was happening because of him so just sitting there and doing nothing about it was just filling him with guilt.

Steve took a deep breath and instantly coughed from the Nether dust, he couldn't even take a good enough breath to relax his aching head. Two very important decisions continued to keep him in his place, leaving seemed futile anyways. He'd probably be crushed by the crumbling weight of the rocking fortress, or fall through a gap in the floor. As for going to the tower? Possibly just as deadly because Herobrine said he'd kill him if he did ever go up there and that's if he even got that far. If he was lucky. Still, the idea of doing nothing gnawed on his conscious.

...

Herobrine lifted his head and opened his eyes as he suddenly flashed into the small room that lead into the main tower, he wasn't excited to see the little orb sitting on it's perch and rocking back in forth with it's greenish glow. He wasn't even inside the main tower but he could see the object shake and produce a dim luminosity from his spot at least fifteen blocks away with his excellent vision. That single item caused so much damage to his fortress and it continued to rock the place off of it's foundation and pretty much have the colossal structure collapse in on itself from the wild shifting of it's own heavy weight.

With a deep but nervous sigh, the white-eyed man started in a slow walk towards the round item known as the Eye of Ender; his liberator's tool of communication and power. He wasn't in a rush to get to it, he could already hear the beast snarling in dissatisfaction and roaring with anger and he wasn't looking forward to the scolding before the sentence of pain.

At least the miner was safe now; being in the protective tunnel of the world's strongest substance, he should be fine and unharmed. He the wondered how bent out of shape his fortress would be after the chew out. The stronghold had already taken enough damage that repairs were really needed and it was going to take a long time to make them, he really wished he could have done something sooner but what had been done already could not be undone. The place would probably be demolished by the fit of the End beast and his wrathful maw, the beast's roar alone had already ravaged a good portion. It probably would have been better to just let it all come down and start all over again once he gets the chance, he detested that idea. This place was like a home to him, regardless of being in the formidable place known as the Nether. It was his prison but also a place of power, in the nightmarish realm he could heal quicker and meditate without interruption. Even in a world of dread and intolerable heat; he built the place up to be his refuge that he spent years alone in waiting for freedom, so seeing it crumble at the seams was rather annoying and painful in a way.