Herobrine pushed back his chair and stretched his arms above his head, groaning as his back popped. He hadn't left his desk in several hours, much to the discomfort of his neck and spine. Who would have guessed that being king would involve so much paperwork?
At the suggestion of Notch and the agreement of some of his advisors, Herobrine had spent his afternoon penning formal notices of his rise to power to some of the most prominent piglin factions. He had tried to stress the benefits of peacefully submitting to his reign - no longer constantly losing men in battle, being the primary one - but he had a hunch that most, if not all of them, would require slightly more forceful persuasion.
Herobrine yawned, glancing up at the clock that hung over his desk. It was late... and he was certainly ready to sleep. After a year in the Nether he was finally growing accustomed to the lack of day and night. However, he knew that he would wake up sore if he didn't first get up and stretch his legs, so he hauled himself upright and headed for the door to make a lap around the castle.
He nodded to the guard as he ambled down the hall, making his way towards the staircase that led down to the main floor. His personal guard was rather small, relative to the size of his castle, anyway, and was comprised mostly of humans who sought their fortune in the untamed wilds of the Nether. Notch had provided a few of his valkyries as well, to serve as scouts and warn of approaching danger before it was near enough to threaten them. Though the last year had been a grueling one, they had yet to suffer any major losses, and Herobrine was quite pleased with their progress.
Herobrine raked a hand through his hair as he descended the staircase, shaking it out instinctively. He'd worn his hair long, down to just past his shoulders, for as long as he could remember - up until a few days ago, anyway. Having finally grown fed up with tying it back, he'd commissioned one of his men to cut it short. Now it was only a few inches long, and he still hadn't gotten used to the weight and feel of it.
The halls were quiet as he made his way around the lower floor. Occasionally he would catch a glimpse of one of his guards, but only rarely, as the majority were stationed outside. Herobrine had never lost sleep over the lack of protection. He was quite capable of defending himself.
Eventually he found his way into the throne room. Herobrine had often wondered what kind of ruler this castle had been initially built for. Given the large, blackstone throne and the castle's many fortifications, he could only assume that they had been a fairly violent one. Perhaps that was why, despite being the Nether's Aether-appointed ruler for over a year now, it had never felt right for him to sit in it.
His sharp ears picked up a soft sound from behind him, and he turned in curiosity. No one in sight. A guard passing nearby, perhaps- the acoustics of these great halls sometimes made it difficult to pinpoint the origin of a sound.
Turning around, Herobrine made his way back towards the hall. Tomorrow would be another day of endless meetings and arguments amongst his advisors, and Herobrine was looking forward to a good night''s rest.
The click of a hoof on blackstone tile was his only warning that someone was behind him before a blade thrust through his chest and forced the air from his lungs.
**
"These provisions should sustain you for at least a week," The piglin woman said, passing a bulging knapsack to Y/N. "Likely longer. Good luck on your hunt."
"Thank you." Y/N gave her a smile as she slipped the knapsack on, adjusting it until it sat between her wings. She had already been provided with a set of simple piglin clothes, consisting of a brown shirt and trousers with a gray capelet around her shoulders. Somehow, Herobrine noted, the same clothes that were entirely unremarkable on a piglin looked enchanting on her.
They stood on the west side of the piglin camp, along with a small group of residents who had come to see them off. Among them were the children that Alex had befriended the previous night, and Vex'n, standing back and watching with his arms crossed over his chest. Undoubtedly there to ensure that Herobrine did, in fact, leave.
"Thank you again for your hospitality," Herobrine said as he was handed a knapsack of his own. With that, he nodded to his companions, and the three of them ventured out into the crimson forest.
"So," Y/N spoke as the sounds of the camp behind them gradually faded out of earshot. "What is our plan for if we're attacked by hoglins? This is where they live, correct?"
"It is," Alex confirmed. "The piglins gave us some of the warped mushrooms they use to keep them at bay, but if it's the zombie ones it won't work on them."
"If we should be attacked, we flee." Herobrine ordered. "It's not worth the risk, especially when we can easily outrun them."
"Right." Y/N nodded readily. Herobrine could guess that she was as keen on avoiding a repeat of their last hoglin encounter as he was.
Herobrine's thoughts wandered as they traveled deeper into the forest. He had slept poorly the previous night, kept up by the conversation he'd had with the highlord. He had grown far too comfortable with being treated as an equal by the piglins at Queen Rosales' castle... it was good for him to have been reminded of his sins.
Along with the wake-up call, their stop had allowed them to rest in a safe environment and replenish their supplies. Herobrine made a note to check and see exactly what they had been given when they next stopped. It wouldn't be for a while - Herobrine anticipated them being able to travel for most of the day, assuming there were no interruptions. And unless Y/N needed to rest.
Herobrine's blank gaze flickered over to where she walked on his left, studying her gait for any signs of pain - then looking away when he realized how much more form-fitting her new clothes were compared to her robes. He couldn't help remembering the way she'd gazed up at him as they danced, one of her hands linked with his as the other rested on his shoulder. He'd been afraid, for a moment, that she wouldn't accept his invitation, but it seemed he had nothing to worry about.
"Hey," Alex's voice broke him out of his thoughts, and he glanced to his right to see her pointing. "Is that a feather?"
"Let me see?" Y/N hurried forward, and Herobrine spotted a speck of white amongst the crimson mushroom stems as he followed. By the time he and Alex had caught up, Y/N was stooping down, plucking the white feather off the ground.
"I've seen chickens in the Nether, but not this far out," Alex said, craning her neck to get a better look at it. "And definitely not one that big. Could it be from your friend?"
"No." Y/N's face was grim as she turned to Herobrine, holding up the feather for him to see. It was stained red with blood. "Sirben."
"At your service." The call from behind them had Herobrine whipping around, his blank gaze flashing up to the mushroom caps to find a red-robed valkyrie standing atop them.
Herobrine had drawn his weapon before he'd even fully registered the newcomer, instinctively blocking their foe's view of Alex and Y/N as he studied him. Sirben certainly looked worse for wear after forty years of banishment- his red cloak was ragged, his dark hair tied back in a haphazard ponytail, and his face was marred by a prominent scar across his cheek. The malice in his gold-rimmed eyes, however, was just the same as Herobrine remembered it.
"Sirben." Y/N crouched, spreading her wings, but Herobrine threw up a hand to stop her.
"Y/N, wait."
"I can't say I'm not impressed," Sirben called down, his hands met nonchalantly behind his back as he peered down at them. "Forty years, and you're still together. That takes dedication." Herobrine just glared at him. He wanted to teleport up and slit his throat before he had a chance to flee, but if Sirben had revealed himself then this was likely some sort of trap.
"I could say the same to you," Y/N shot back. "After your crushing defeat in the Aether, I'm surprised you're willing to try again."
"You call it a defeat, I call it a setback." Sirben examined his fingernails. "That's all. After centuries of plotting, a few years is no more than a minor inconvenience. How is dear Meryl doing? I do hope her untimely demise and resurrection have had no unfortunate effects on her." Y/N glowered, then, ignoring Herobrine's shout of warning, she took off and lunged for the mushroom cap that Sirben stood on.
-only to jerk back in alarm, flapping frantically to change her trajectory as a black figure lurched into view and swung at her.
Herobrine blinked up in shock as Y/N landed beside him again, studying the creature with wide eyes. It was a skeleton, charred black and standing upright with a massive sword clutched in one hand. The creature's eyes were dark, empty sockets where it stared down at them, and a black mist came off of its body with every movement. Herobrine glanced back at Alex, and from the look on her face he could guess that she was unfamiliar with it as well.
"Too bad," Sirben remarked, glancing up at the skeleton, and Herobrine realized that it stood more than a head taller than him. "Worth a try, I suppose."
"You've been busy," Y/N scoffed. "So your 'zombies' aren't enough for you anymore? I suppose next you'll be commanding ghosts and spirits?"
"Oh, while I would love to be able to take credit for this, I'm afraid these brutes aren't my doing." Sirben gestured carelessly to the hulking figure beside him. "They belong to my master."
"Master??" Y/N echoed. Herobrine's mind whirled. "Well- I'm not sure why I'm surprised." Y/N went on. "You never really struck me as a mastermind." Sirben pressed a hand to his chest.
"You wound me. Fortunately for me, I don't need to be a mastermind when I have this kind of power at my disposal." He beckoned, and two more skeletons stepped into view, both as cold and silent as the first. One of them held a battle standard.
"As far as I can tell, you do not have any power at all." Y/N shot back. "You just said yourself that you're merely a lackey. You don't command the undead, you're just your master's tool."
"Those are some bold assumptions, Ms. Morningstar." Sirben told her. "How about you come up here and test them?"
"Why don't you come down here?"
Herobrine was only half listening to their exchange. His gaze was locked on the banner in the skeleton's hands, on the insignia emblazoned on the dark fabric - one that resembled a shattered bone.
Pain in his chest, he couldn't breathe. Hooves clicking on the tile around him and rough voices echoing off the ceiling. He's dying- no, he can't die, but he wants to. That mark, on their armor. Hands grasp at the handle of the sword buried in his lungs-
"What's the matter, Herobrine?" The sound of his name startled him, and his wide eyes flicked to Sirben to find the valkyrie leering down at him. "You look a little pale." He knew. He was- Sirben was responsible?! No- his master?? Who did he work for?!
"Herobrine??" A face appeared in front of him, and Herobrine recoiled, jerking his knife up in front of him before he realized it was Y/N. She took a large step back. "Are you alright?? What's wrong??" Herobrine didn't know what was wrong, except that despite gasping for breath he couldn't seem to get enough air.
"While this has been an entertaining reunion, unfortunately I am needed elsewhere." Sirben's voice cut through the ringing in his ears. "I do hope you get along well with my friends." With that, he turned away, and Herobrine would only watch as he took off and flew away.
The skeletons, on the other hand, stayed, leaping down from the mushroom caps and washing no time in advancing towards them. Dropping his knife, Herobrine grabbed Y/N and Alex by the arms and teleported.
Alex yelped as they crashed into the undergrowth, Y/N's wings flaring to keep her upright as Herobrine staggered back against one of the mushrooms. His heart was hammering, and he wrapped an arm tightly over his chest.
"Herobrine, what happened there??" Y/N demanded. "What were those things??" Herobrine opened his mouth to speak, to tell her that there was no time for this and they needed to go, but he couldn't seem to get out the words. They hadn't gone far, he couldn't jump long distances with two passengers, the skeletons would still be close-
"I think we should go." Alex's hand grasped his free one, and he looked up as she glanced from him to Y/N. "Those things are probably looking for us." She looked back to Herobrine. "Which way?" Mutely, Herobrine nodded forward, and Y/N fell into step beside him as they began to pick their way through the forest.