Hero's Bane

Chapter 61: It's Only Begun

He didn't know what to do now. The bridge was completely missing and the pathway back into the fortress was gone now too, Steve was trapped on a small fraction of the stronghold that seemed to be sitting on a huge mass of Netherrack with a few thick support beams keeping it suspended above the molten rock. There didn't seem be any way off, nor a way out of the separated structural mass. The miner gazed for a brief moment at the giant sinking column and sighed heavily before looking back through the corridor that shortly ended with the glow from lava at the end. He didn't have the tools to pick his way out of the collapsed route to the main throne room so his options were nothing, nothing but to sit and wait for being's punishment to end.

"Is this always my luck?" He looked back above the exit to see that that the hallway he first jumped from when running from the blaze was now missing, it was probably shook apart and sunk under the lava as well. Another rumble had the miner quickly grabbing onto the side of the clinging rail and hold until the tremor stopped. He then looked back towards the fortress towers as another echoing crack sounded throughout the structure. He stared intently to were the sound could possibly be coming from but whatever it was that cracked still held solid in it's place, for now.

A small clacking sound had the miner shooting his eyes towards the noise and he found a brick lying on the ground in front of the hall entrance, he then looked up to see the top of the hall frame and moved closer to examine it. It really wasn't that high up and some of the bricks around one of the corners had come lose and peeled away for a much shorter height. He wondered if there was any way he cold use the roof of the structure to get back towards the center of the fortress. If he could then he might just be able to help Herobrine after all, if he could just get on the roof.

Steve moved up to the frame and made a jump up with his arms raised over his head to grab onto the edge of the brick above, his jump was a pathetic one and he failed to grasp the bricks. He huffed as tried again but still fell short, the roof was just too high. He looked around for anything that he could use and spotted the brick rail right to the side of him, it was at the perfect height to get him up enough.

The miner grabbed a hold of the brick rail and climbed on top, being extremely careful and mentally praying to Notch that another tremor doesn't come and throw him off. Holding his breath, Steve daringly looked down over the side and instantly felt his stomach turn at the sight of the endless sea of fire; he was getting risky doing something like balancing his own weight on a rail like some tightrope. Some of the bricks that he feet was standing upon were a little loose and crumbly and they shifted when he leaned away from the edge. The miner swallowed his fear and turned around to the rooftop, it looked much more easier to get on but the loose bricks under his feet still worried him.

"Here goes nothing." Steve said to himself and took a few steps back; wobbling a little on the barely stable rail, he then made a quick sprint forward and leapt at the corner. He clasped his hands on the edge of the roof and huffed as his jaw smacked into the rough block, he then struggled to pull his weight up and he dangled with the tips of his feet trying to dig into the creases of the blocks for leverage. The adrenaline he had was nearly gone and he was still sore yet he found the energy to scurry up to avoid slipping. He took deep breaths of air once he pulled himself up and laid belly flat for a few seconds.

His lungs and arms burned from overuse but he couldn't stop now, one of the towers where partially leaning his way so to avoid being crushed by it he needed to get moving. Steve crawled onto his hands and knees before staggering forward from his loss of balance, he was feeling even more drained of energy and he growling stomach did nothing but add to the misery, but at least now he was making progress once again.

Lapis blue eyes looked towards the fortress to see a structure about the same height as the one was on; it was the only noticeable pathway to take, the only problem was getting to it. It was going to be a long jump over lava again, at least this gap didn't seem as large as the last. The miner ran a hand through his hair and sighed with agitation, he was very annoyed by the obstacles and tribulations that stood in his way, but he had been on a successful streak so far. With that in mind he stretched his legs in and out before walking to the opposite side of the small rooftop, then with a good run and go; he pressed his aching lower limbs to move fast and then he jumped over the gap and landed on the other roof with barely any trouble at all other than the trembling of his weakened knees.