Respawn

Chapter 4

After another short trip back to the main island (with more screaming from Herobrine), I was about to launch into a lesson on the ender language when I noticed some commotion going on some hundred blocks away.

"What's going on?" I shouted after flying over. I left Herobrine to walk, but I had bigger things to worry about. After gaining some confused looks from some of the endermen, I realized my problem.

-What's going on?- I asked in ender language.

~Father has come.~ They teleported around excitedly. ~Father has come.~

-What is really going on?- I asked the ender dragon, who had appeared moments later.

-My companion throughout the years has come here.- The ender dragon said vaguely.

I flew down, exasperated and ready to kill an enderman when I halted. There, standing amidst a crowd of endermen, was the father enderman. You could tell because he was slightly taller and had glowing red eyes instead of purple.

-Lord Ender.- I landed on the ground, bowing low.

-It is I who should be bowing, Lord of the End.- I realized that I had accidentally spoke in dragon tongue, in which the Ender Lord spoke back fluently.

-You speak dragon?- I blurted out before realizing that it was rude.

-How else would I be able to converse with my most trusted companion?- He gave a sound which I suppose was a chuckle.

-Of course, I understand now. Why have you arrived? Why did the dragon arrive?-

-In the realm of dragons, this one was the least of them all. I noticed it's despair and sought to help him out. After doing so, which in itself is a strange tale, we formed a mutual friendship which has not been broken since. I prepared this land for him so he could be one of the most powerful in the realm. That is why the endermen built the spires. However, in doing so, I unitentionally opened a gateway to the End from the overworld. The only way back is to die or to defeat the ender dragon, which of course we would prefer the former to happen to any who arrived.-

I nodded, the whole situation finally dawning on me.

"Maria?" I heard Herobrine behind me. I turned towards him, slightly embarrassed because I had completely forgotten about him.

"Yes?" I replied, quickly composing myself.

"What's going on?" He gave me a confused look. After explaining, he got a solemn look on his face.

"He's from the dragon realm?" He asked gravely.

"Why, yes, where else would he be from?" I was confused.

"Can you translate this to him? The dragon, I mean," He added when I looked between Lord Ender and the dragon.

"Of course," I prepared to relay my message to the dragon.

"Do you know of a large orange dragon?" Herobrine started. I translated to the Ender dragon. He was silent for some time before answering.

-Yes.-

I nodded to Herobrine, gesturing for him to continue saying, "He said yes."

"Who is the dragon? What is their position on eating-" He stopped. "On eating small creatures?"

The Ender dragon contemplated the question when I translated.

-The large orange dragon's name is Lutum, which means dirt. Rex, the King, named her that when she became his top servant. She brings everything to the King, and would not eat anything out of turn. The King is very powerful.- After translating this to Herobrine, he brightened up slightly before turning back to depressed.

"But would the King eat her?" He asked.

"Who?" I wondered out loud.

"But would the King eat a minecraftian?" He corrected himself quickly. I translated his corrected statement.

-No. He keeps a chamber of creatures he has not yet obtained. We have never seen kind of the likes of you, so he would keep a minecraftian alive.-

Herobrine went silent after I relayed the Ender dragon's message. "Thank you," He spoke abruptly and shoved through the endermen. Ignoring his strange behavior, I turned back to the two black creatures.

-How long will you be staying?- I asked them.

-The Ender dragon will be stayed forever,- Lord Ender spoke up. -I, however, have other realms to visit. I will come back every once in a while.-

-Farewell, friend,- The Ender dragon told him.

-Farewell.- Lord Ender replied before teleporting away. The endermen, showing much less dignity than their lord, crowded around the dragon. Feeling overwhelmed, he flew up to one of the spires, resting there.

-I'm just going to...- I pointed in the directing in which Herobrine had gone. The dragon nodded, understanding my message.

I flew quickly to find Herobrine, hoping he had not attempted to jump off the island. I found him with his head in his hands sitting quite close to the edge of Mortem.

"Greetings," I told him.

"Hey," He replied. I looked at him strangely.

"Is that the new way to greet another?" I asked him.

"Oh, that's how we say hi in the overworld sometimes," He dismissed the conversation.

"Do you wish to learn your abilities?" I tried again, this time gaining his attention.

"Please do, I want to be able to do all of the things you can," He begged.

"I have never taught anyone," I went silent. "But I will try my best."

"Start with the basics," He told me, laying on his back with his hands behind his head.

"I could try to teach you ender language," I suggested.

He made a face. "Boring."

"Maybe to fly," I started listing possible things to start teaching him in my head.

"Yes!" He shouted, bolting up from his position, causing me to stumble backwards, right off the edge of the island. Flying back up, I gave him an irritated glare.

"Maybe I should just throw you off and see how you do," I sarcastically spoke. His eyes widened.

"No, no, that's okay," He stumbled backwards.

"I was joking, you know that, right?" I asked him, slightly worried.

"Yeah, I know," He smirked. "Although, soon, you'll be able to toss me off this island too."

I smiled. "I will, won't I?" Grinning at Herobrine, I grabbed his wrist, did a flip in the air, and pulled him towards one of obsidian pillars. His screams turned to laughs of joy, making me smile. I was glad that I had someone to talk to now, someone to fly with, someone to be my friend.

I was also glad that Herobrine was that someone.