Sheesh y'all better pray this sticks

Actually pray I finish the To Walk trilogy hdsjfg I had such high hopes for itttt

Wb to my crazy mind

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

RECAP

     Alright... he needed water and shelter. Food could come later... his priority was Herobrine.

     If... he still lived. Could such heat and fire kill a god?

     With a raspy cough, the soldier turned, surveying all of his surroundings. His lungs felt so heavy...

     A dark shadow to his right caught his attention, held it. It was... an unusual color, a deep brown-black. Perhaps... there were less hostile environments here?

      With a wince, the soldier pushed off his support, beginning to stumble towards the dark smudge. Water... shelter... then Herobrine.

END RECAP

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Foolish Little One~

     "My lord Notch!!"

     The door to the First Ruler's spacious study burst open, admitting a handful of human and Valkyrian guards. Notch turned from his desk, straightening from his hunched position with a stifled groan, "Yes?"

     "Someone has broken into the portal room–"

     Notch didn't even let the poor guard finish his sentence. His body flared with golden light, and he appeared in the dark room, tense. Were there cultists still after his brother? Some deranged follower? Another possessed man meant to free their weapon??

     However, only muted gasps and the thrum of the portal greeted him. One gesture and light was hurled from Notch's palm, shattering the delicate surface of energy within.

     "Who did this?"

     A valkyrie stepped forward, bowing, "My lord I... we didn't see much, he was cloaked. We know he used potions on the guards, and a pearl to gain access to the rooms."

     "What did you see of him? Did he speak of any ill intent?"

     "N-no my lord, he was quite silent. The High Guards mentioned he was of average height, perhaps less so. His hands were tanned, not marred by any curses or runes, and they think his hair to be brown, he had dark stubble."

     Notch's scowl deepened as he strode nearer to the portal, placing his hand on it and closing his eyes. He'd attuned his senses to ensure there were no breaches, had he gotten too distracted as he studied the ancient curses his brother had been trapped within?? Surely his concentration hadn't been so great that he was blinded...

     ...but how? Surely he'd have heard whispers of thoughts, of true intents–

     His eyes flared with gold as they snapped open, flicking to one of the soldiers still poised and tense by the portal frame, "You said tanned skin and dark hair?"

     "I... yes majesty."

     "Less than average height? Carrying a military-issued sword?"

     The soldier's lips parted in surprise, "Y-yes, he carried a simple iron blade engraved with your insignia."

      Notch growled softly, slapping the portal frame as he clenched his fists, "Foolish little one..."

     No wonder he'd never sensed such thought trails... Steven had never been his own. It was impossible to sense intent from someone he had not designed...

     "Triple the guard here, and double portal-seeking patrols. I want even broken frames to be heavily guarded until further notice. None of them light, no one exits those portals but I hear of it."

     Notch didn't wait for affirmation as he turned on his heel, cape snapping behind him. Perhaps his brother had gained control of that poor soldier's mind...

     ...or was it all of Steven's own impulse?

     Foolish, he'd get himself killed. And then the only part of Herobrine that still held good would die alongside him...

     Notch groaned, burying his face in his hands as he teleported himself back to his study. No... don't think of such things. It was too risky to reopen the portal, too risky to send a rescue party - he'd just send men to die again.

     "What are you doing, Steven..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     Fire.

     Heat.

     Sweltering waves of hot, dry winds.

     Every new step only brought fresh heat, every gasped breath dried out the throat even more. Cracked, bleeding lips and burning eyes, sweat that never cooled.

     Oh, great Notch above what was he doing.

     Steven groaned breathlessly, reaching out yet again to tug his quickly-tiring body a little more uphill. He'd be dead within a few hours if he didn't find something, anything to lessen this heat.

     Another step, another rough scrape of leather on hellrock. Please... he'd wanted to help, and now he would die for his stupidity.

     The dark place is a little nearer, he could make out a slight shifting in the very ground. He should have read a little more about this place before he threw himself into it...

     Pull up, don't let knees crumble. Breathe in, out, taste ashes and feel the hot air burn and dry the tongue.

     Oh, he'd made it. Shifting, dark... sand? Just at his feet. Ah... if only it were water.

     The soldier collapsed to his knees, reaching out to touch the stuff. Perhaps it was just a little cooler-

     Steven jerked his hand back with a rasped cry. The... it had almost reached for him, and he'd definitely heard it groan.

     And... the sand was freezing.

     With a shudder, the soldier tentatively reached out, scooping quick armfuls nearer and hurriedly pushing away the bulk of the sands. It seemed to writhe at this, clinging to itself.

     But... he had a small pile he could rest his hands in, feeling the relieving cool spreading, not too overpowering. The stuff seemed to try and hold onto him, resisting when he pulled a hand out to replace it with his foot.

     There, a little relief... now what?

     Lifting his head, the soldier once again looked about himself, scanning this desolate prison. Pillars of red and grey stretched upwards, and rivers of lava rained down. Red mists and shadow seemed to conceal the farthest points of this place, but he could make out endless stretches of red rock, and before him lay a deep, blue-misted mass of writhing sands.

     So... the sweltering rock? Or the freezing sands?

     And neither location had water...

     With a sigh, the soldier took his satchel and dumped the contents out. One more pearl, a pink liquid, and the remains of his shirt and cloak. He grasped the bottle, drawing it near to his face and frowning at it. What had that merchant said, again...?

     Ugh... this heat made it so hard to think.

     Well, it was precious little liquid, and it might lend him a rather negative effect. Perhaps saving it for when he knew he would die would be better.

     Wrapping the potion in cloth, Steven again secured the satchel at his waist. Alright... he'd found a little cool in this desolate place of fire. Now... he had to search this dimension for his unstable counterpart and a reliable source of food and water. No problem...

     Steven heaved another sigh.

     No problem at all...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     It was supposed to be silent, all silent, nothing living.

     Blood made a good solution for water, but now all the things with blood were gone.

     Kill more! Find more!

     It was never satisfied. This place, it liked this place. It was stronger here, but it didn't like how it weakened the host.

      Hunt! More! More, more, find the doorway, kill!

     It was away from the weakness, the feelings, the consciousness. Such power now, such power! No holds were barred, no resistance! Such a strong body for a host, now trapped far, far away from its own mind...

     ...soon, soon the host would not be needed. Such power could open the Doorways, could reunite the Lost One with its true form.

    A pulse of life, the host could pick it up from miles away. All life had fled when the rage and killing started, such a nice reprieve.

     Kill! Hunt! Drink!!

     The host needed no other bidding, willing itself near the thready beat of waning life. A perfect predator, a soulless husk.

     A perfect host.

     Kill! Kill!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kinda short, like me

idk I wanna start the new one with a bang n stoff

gimme a vote, pay ur taxes lul