Section 8:

     "You go help the other villages... You promised them you would, afterall. Look there for anything about helping me if you must.. I'll be fine... But if something does go wrong, I'll send a villager friend to alert you as soon as possible." -Hero

     Hero's persuasive words had been just enough to get the human back into his deal with the other two villages. He still needed to keep his end of the bargain and help them better protect themselves, but, at the same time, he wanted to be there for his friend.. In the end, the idea of being able to search through these other villages' libraries had been the deciding factor for his departure.

     It sure was strange... Entirely new batch of faces. So many villagers walking up to him and making noises, not knowing yet thst he couldn't understand them, and even just the different in terrain, customs, and outfits was quite the adjustment. (Of course he never changed his outfit, but he was used to being able to tell easily what robes were for what villager profession. In these other villages he had to re-learn all of that!)

     After he helped out the Desert Village a little bit -- mostly by setting up plans for sand to be dug up, stone to be placed in those holes, and a wall be built on top of that stone, as well as how to strategically grow cacti around said wall -- he quickly moved on to the Swamp Village. Any free time he was given, beside night of course, Steve spend researching in their library. Nothing. Absolutely...nothing.

     He hoped to find better luck in the Swamp Village, since they were much better known for being quick, cunning, and good with potions and even rare enchantments. Perhaps their libraries held the secrets he needed. After days of figuring out how to properly build a wall around essentially a town built on a pile of mud, Steve was just about done with his end of the bargain for both villages. No one said in the agreement that he had to actually build the defenses, or even be there while someone else was doing that for him. So, he found that as a pretty good loop-hole. And regarding anything healing related, on the level that he needed.. Well, he got really close- but no. Nothing in that village either. It was almost as if whatever Hero was experiencing simply didn't exist!.. At least... Not for someone as young and athletic as he.

     Considering himself a defeated man, the human rounded the village one last time for the day.. before calling it quits and returning to his own village with the bad news. As the man soberly prepared himself mentally for the task at hand, kicking his water tight boots in the mud, he heard the pattern of a horse galloping through the wetlands, the thumping repeating similarly to that of a racing heart. Steve struggled through the mud to see the horse through the trees faster. When he was at a decent angle, he saw it was one from his village... One of Hero's friends.

     Leaping into action, the human grabbed his horse and had her ready before the villager even reached the village. By the time be began to slow down, Steve was already seated on the stallion's sattle.

     "Is it Hero!?" The human called to the newly arrived villager, his horse already riled up and ready to run beneath him. The villager simply nodded, already seeing Steve was ready to go. With a flick of the reins, Steve was gone. His horse ran in strides, mastering the art of running on slippery mud, born for such a time as this. Sweat built on Steve's forehead. What if it was too late..? What if it was too late? What if he was already too late?! Kicked up mud splashed up to distract the human in his haste, but it did no such thing. All it did was leave him neaely soaking by the time they finally exited the swamp, and then leaving a fine crusty layer of dirt as he rode on, arriving at his home village looking like an absolute mess. He didn't even notice.

Section 9:

     The moment Steve barged through Hero's front door, he saw several villagers crowding around his friend's bed. Distraught, the human shoved a couple villagers aside, arriving at the foot of Hero's bed. With an internal sigh of relief, Steve saw his friend was sitting up; just looking a little tired, maybe a little paler. But, there was something else, too.. He could feel it.

     "Wow.. someone was in a hurry." The younger man broke the quieter mumbling in the room. Steve finally looked down at his shirt, seeing all the speckled mud that covered it.

     "Are you okay?.. What happened?" Steve asked, getting straight to the point at once. Her didn't lose the pleased smile on his face as he thought of how to respond.

     "Well... I was doing just fine, walking pretty well without the crutch for the first time, but then.. next thing I knew.. I was on the ground. I think they said I had a seizure.. Don't know what that is." Hero said. Steve stood there silently, thinking of what he should say. "...So, did you find anything in the other villages?" Hero asked, hopeful. The human lowered his head.

     "Can you...ask the others to leave?.."

     "Sure." Already having a feeling he knew where this was going, the bed-bound one spoke to the villagers in their language real quick. Quietly, all the villagers left one after another, leaving the two men alone in the now stuffy and dark house. "Steve...Is everything alright?"

     "No, it isn't. I...couldn't find anything.." The feeling of failure stung Steve's heart as the words slipped out.

     "Well.. at least-" The younger man was cut off by Steve.

     "-Listen, there is a place and a time for looking on the bright side; but not now. ...Surely you have some opinion about what is happening to you.. I know you can't just be living in a bubble of happiness all the time." Steve then walked over to the chest he would usually sit on before, and sat on it once more. "So, please..share what's on your mind. It won't change how I feel." Hero sat there on his bed for a moment, thinking. Steve gave him the time he needed, but pressed on with eyes, letting him know this wasn't a conversation he was just going to let slide.

     A tear fell onto the younger one's lap, finally, after some silence had been given for thought. "You know I don't want to go..." Hero said softly with a sniffle. "I... care about you all so much, a-and I want to be here for you guys.. But at the same time...I just feel like everyone is just babysitting me all the time. I don't want to make things harder on anyone.. especially you..." He didn't break into full tears, but it was genuine, though he tried to hide some of the pain in his voice as he spoke.

     "Well, you're not a burden to us. If anything.. we are simply trying to repay the favor..." Steve spoke, rising from the chest and sitting down on Hero's bed beside him, immediately pulling the taller one into a hug. "and that includes me." He added. Hero let himself cave a little, pulling his face down so his forehead was on Steve's shoulder instead of his chin, and hugging back as tightly as he could. Steve's mouth began to quiver, his own self despising feeling trapped but loving the hug all in one/all the same. "In fact..you're the best friend I ever had..." His own eyes watered.

     "..That's why I'm scared to go... Steve, I'm- I.. I don't know what to expect..."

     "You won't have to worry about that...Hero.... because I am going to save you... Don't worry.."

     "...You are my best friend too..."

Section 10:

     Heat bellowed forth from the purple glow of the Nether portal. Streams of dark orange lava endlessly seeped through the stone, oozing onto the darkly lit ground until it sank back through the cracks in the earth. A taunting shadow hung just outside of reach, where the cave's tunnels would lure the eyes of the weary and the helpless.

     Occasionally, a dull torch would spark in the distance, flames fighting just to stay alive one second longer. The torch closest to the portal, planted in a hole in the wall, was the one which shined the brightest. Below the flickering flames was a desk of oak covered in books, maps, and other assorted papers. On the floor beside it was a messy bed -- no care put into keeping it neat -- and on the other side was an empty brewing stand.

     Steve arrived through the portal, a tired mess. He slammed a cluster of hardened ghast tears on the paper, and then emptied a small sack of glowing powder beside it. He set to work at once, opening the book of potions to the right page with one hand; with the other dropping a ghast tear into each of the three bottles of awkward potions. There was a stern scowl on his face as he worked. A couple new burn marks now accompanied his scars, and his only outfit would need repairing again, for his pant sleeves were singed on the ends, his shoes barely having held themselves together over the heated rock.

     Finally his latest potions were done brewing. The human knelt down and plucked the bottles from the brewer, setting them back down on the table one at a time. He then carefully sprinkled some of the golden, glowing dust into each one. First, just a little, but, unsatisfied, he poured in much more than was likely needed. He then swirled the potions in his hand until the liquid had thickened one at a time before setting them back into the brewer and starting it up again.

     Now, the regeneration potions were strong... Hopefully they would work this time.

     "Hur-hurr!" Not expecting any visitors, the human whirled around, summoning his diamond blade in hand instantly and pointing it in the sound's direction... It was just a villager. One of Hero's friends. The startled one quickly pulled out a sign he had pre written on.

     ' "You have been down here for almost a week now." ' It read. Steve was almost surprised. It had gone by so quickly for him. But, of course, that wasn't the main thing on his mind.

     "How is Hero doing?" He asked. The villager translated his answer onto that same sign, just marking out the previous message above it.

     ' "Not good." '

     "..What do you mean by that?" When he had last seen Hero, it was already pretty bad. He knew he just had to do something when his friend was no longer speaking coherent sentences, as well as being unable to use his crutch correctly anymore. It had only been a couple weeks since he had his last full conversation with his friend, so Hero really was declining fast. Steve waited impatiently for the villager to write something on the back of the sign.

     ' "He hasn't woken up at all today. He is still alive, but, probably not for long..." ' Steve's eyes widened. Though he had already played through the worst of scenarios over and over again in his head, he never thought it would come to this point so quickly. He still needed time!

     The human clamped his eyes shut, sucking in a painful breath of air he would need to think this through. "Alright, I just finished these potions. I'll take them to him... Hopefully this works.."

     Steve then followed the villager with great haste -- carrying the potions in both hands -- out of the plethora of intertwined cave systems, until they reached the surface just outside of the village. He rushed inside and all the way to Hero's house, hoping for the best outcome, while also preparing himself mentally for the worst.

     When he entered Hero's house, he was met with exactly what he had been told he would see. Leaving the door open as to allow the stuffy air inside to leave, Steve walked in through the threshold, gazing upon the still form of his friend. Hero was lying stiffly there on his back with what looked to be a terrible fever sweeping over him. A villager beside Hero applied rags dipped in cool water onto his forehead, but it was making no difference to his overall health.

     "Here, give this to him, please." Steve offered one of the three potions to the villager, and she took it with caution. Carefully, she examined it, as if weary about what might be inside, but in the end trusted Steve enough to bring it down to Hero's mouth and slowly pour the liquid in only a few drops at a time. It seemed like forever when Hero had finally swallowed it all, and a hollow silence filled the house as all three caretakers waited for something to happen.

     The villager beside Hero felt his forehead with her hand again, sighed, and pulled the damp rag out of the bucket, applying it to the young man's forehead again with a defeated look on her face. Steve quietly took a step back, then another, and another, until he turned and ran out of the house in a flurry.

     "Rrah!" Steve shouted at the tree as he dug his fist into its bitter bark. Leaves fell from the stricken plant; and for a moment he just held his fist there, panting hard, trying to get his brain to think about what to do next. "Agh!" He punched the tree again, and again, and again, until it had fallen in anguish. He pulled the splinters out from his fists as he mumbled some more. "Come on, Steve, think! What other than potions could help? There has to be something. Think! Think! Think!!" With every, "think," he knocked on his head to see if anyone was home. Then in an absolute fit, he fell down with his back against the remaining tree stump and tried combing through his hair to help him calm himself down. That only resorted to him tugging on his hair some as his brain struggled to come up with something.. anything.

     That's it!... The Illagers! They had made him; surely they were behind it all! Why hadn't he thought of this before?!

     Simple... Because he never wanted to.

     "I have an idea!" Steve exclaimed, barging into Hero's house again. "Those Illagers must be behind all of this! Now help me find a way to put Hero on a horse, because we're going to them!" The human proclaimed. No matter the hurr sounds the two villagers made, obviously warning him of the dangers of this mission, Steve was determined this was the only way he could save his friend... And save him he would.

     Even if it cost him his own life.