Mortalized

Secrets (17)

     "So.. What do you know about Herobrine?"

     Glowing ash floated upward into the sky, tossed by the orange flames below. The flames themselves fought the breeze which saw them as no more than a leaf lashing at the sky, trying to break free from the tree it was attached to so it could further tussle with the invisible, unbeatable force. Pops and crackles would strike within the fire on occasion as this battle went on, and glowing sticks were overturned in the mix of war.

     Profiting from this conflict were the two men holding sticks over the fire, each with rabbit meat skewered over it. The younger man, 303, sat on a log hunched over his lap with his elbows resting on his knees, both his hands collectively holding out the stick. I was sitting similarly on another log. I questioned why the younger man's cloaking effect hadn't worn off yet. It had been two days since I met him, and it still didn't show an inch of skin, making me second guess if this even was some spell. Maybe it was just normal for him.. The hood hadn't been taken off either. It stuck to the younger man's head like hair. And though they hadn't glown as brightly in the day, the hooded one's eyes were still crimson red, an even darker shade of red for the sclera, which was typically white.

     "Why do you ask..?" 303 finally responded. I shifted in place, turning my stick over the fire, letting some time pass before I answered.

     "I don't know.. Just curious."

     "And what? You want me to tell you my 'tragic backstory' or something?" The boy scoffed, sitting up and leaning on his right arm to his side more.

     "Mm, no. That isn't necessary." I said with a shrug. Nothing but the sound of the fire fighting against the little wind was heard for a long moment.

     "They call him the God Slayer for a reason! He killed Notch! Surely, anyone with that much power is a threat to everyone else... and he has proven time and time again that he is no more than a monster..." I lowered my head, staring at the fire. It was true... He was right.

     "But, of course, I have to pay my ounce of respect where it is due." To that I quickly rose my head, tilting it in confusion.

     "Wait, what?"

     "Because.. to be honest, I could have ended up just like him if he hadn't shown me first where the road I was heading down lead.." He spoke, though it didn't answer much. "Hhh, I don't keep this much of a secret to those I usually partner up with on missions, so I feel like I am telling the same story a lot... but... and this might be a bit of a shocker to you... but Notch wasn't the saint everyone made him out to be.."

     "Pff!" I almost laughed. If there was anyone who knew that better, it would have been me!

     "I'm serious! That guy was a psychopath!"

     "Oh, I'm not.. no... I believe you!" I laughed, though I had no intention to explain why.

     "Wait, really? How?! Everyone else just laughs at me for it!"

     "Just continue on with your point!.. I'm not sharing." I sat taller to appear slightly more intimidating as my face grew stern. No way was I going to tell some kid anything about myself. Especially if it meant hinting at my true identity.

     "Well, what I meant to say was... Notch hosted this whole underground thing where.. a collection of the worst people in the world would go to have their captured monster slaves fight in these arenas." I just nodded so subtly he probably didn't even notice. "Notch had created a couple of his own monsters he called Null and Herobrine. From what I heard...Herobrine was the worst." I could visibly see the young man's body tighten at the end there, but, I had never seen him before. Surely I would have recognized him by now!