Fly, Phoenix, Fly - Herobrine x Reader

Chapter Sixteen - Persist

"So, what do we do from here?" Alex asked, biting into a dried piece of pork. "We know that Sirben is nearby."

"Yes, and we know that he has reinforcements." Herobrine stood by the exit to their shelter with his arms crossed. "Likely an army."

"Should we retreat to the capital for reinforcements of our own?" Y/N asked. Herobrine frowned, shook his head.

"If we do that, we may never find him again."

Alex, having been asleep, was completely unaware of the conversation that her companions had engaged in the previous night that had culminated in Herobrine professing his love for Y/N. After she'd kissed him, he had broken down in tears, and she had held him until his display of emotion had worn him out enough for him to sleep. This morning he was just as stoic and stern-faced as ever, as if the events of the previous night had never happened.

The looks he cast in her direction, however, suggested that his thoughts were as often on her as hers were of him.

"He practically announced himself yesterday," Alex said, oblivious to the change between them. "So he probably wants to be found."

"Yes, but I highly doubt he would reveal himself if we had an army of valkyries at our heels." Herobrine pointed out. "He would simply slip away again."

"And, as of this moment, we don't actually know where he is- only that his base of operations is most likely nearby." Y/N nodded towards the exit of their shelter, sitting cross-legged beside Alex. "It would serve us to locate him before attempting to make any further plans."

"Then we have a lot of ground to cover."

"Right." Y/N stood, stretching her wings as far as the enclosed space would permit. "We can greatly reduce the amount of walking we'll have to do, though, if I scout for a time from the skies."

"No." Herobrine shut her down immediately. "That isn't wise. It isn't safe for us to split up."

"Why not?" She challenged, though she already knew why. "Sirben may be able to fly, but his skeletons cannot. I will be well out of their reach, and I am confident enough in my ability to, if not defeat, at least evade Sirben himself."

"Arrows can fly," He argued. "And there are dangers in this realm that you have yet to encounter."

"Such as?" She hiked up a brow.

Herobrine pursed his lips. "Ghasts, for one. Huge, floating beasts that spew fire from a distance." Y/N's brows shot up, and she turned to Alex for confirmation, who nodded.

"They're rare, though," she mumbled through a mouthful of jerky. "An' slow. Bet you could out-fly 'em." Y/N leveled her gaze at Herobrine again, who glowered.

"My point remains. I don't want you going out there alone- especially now that we know that Sirben is close." He planted his feet firmly, and Y/N huffed a sigh.

"I am a soldier, Herobrine, I can take care of myself." She took a step towards him, lifting her chin to look him in the eye. "And, unlike forty years ago, I am able to fly." She lifted one stately, snow-white wing to illustrate. "I will cover ground far more quickly than we could on foot, saving time and resources. I won't even be touching the ground," she promised, "And I won't be gone longer than an hour."

Herobrine stared at her for a few moments, his face hard and his arms folded across his chest. A few days ago, Y/N would have attributed his behavior to autocracy, undermining her skills and experiences with his own. Now she knew that it was something deeper than that, deeper than his mission and even his loyalty to the queen.