hEYoOOoo!

I uh...blame memes for the lateness ;)))

Music above was the reason for me focus!!! Great stuff, lol you don't have to listen to the whole thing, the first bit goes really well with eVents

Vote if you enjoyyyyyyyyyy

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RECAP

          "I know this is sudden...but I have a request for Damon's group of Survivors."

          Having my father's hand resting on my shoulder again, after so long, made me nearly unable to register exactly what the Creator was saying, though I struggled to focus on it. So much time had gone by...I wanted to swear to never leave them again...though I knew whatever Notch requested of us, I would be unable to refuse. I simply owed him too much...

          "Be advised...this is only a request, one you can refuse of your own will, should you desire it. You Survivors have done much already...I am in your debt for enabling me to recover my connection with my creation." Notch's smile widened a little, then fell a bit again, "This will be no easy task..."

         Straightening, Notch's hands again met behind his back as he stood tall, a grim determination in his eyes, "I need you...to hunt down Herobrine for me...and bring him back to me...alive."

END RECAP

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Why Me...Why Us?

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DAMON RIVERS' POV

          Silence reigned as the Creator's words echoed hollowly in the large room.

          Alive...bring him back...alive...

          A comforting squeeze on my shoulder from my father's hand snapped me out of the daze I had apparently descended into. Notch's dark, gold-rimmed eyes were...resigned, dim.

          He didn't expect us to agree.

         With a deep breath, I stepped forward, catching his attention, along with the attention of everyone else. I allowed my eyes to drift over our, painfully low, numbers, before finally focusing on my creator.

          "Lord Notch..."

          "Please... 'Notch' is just fine."

          A little taken aback, I paused for a half-second, clearing my throat and nodding, "Right...L-Notch... This request is...indeed a surprise...however...I believe I can speak for all of the Survivors present that...it would be nigh impossible to fulfill."

         My eyes lowered to the dirt before his boots, as pain washed over me again, restricting my breathing a little, "Even when we managed to catch him by surprise...something that has most likely never happened before...he still stole three of our numbers from us. They are buried in the field they fell in..."

          "...he will be expecting to be hunted now...by people more powerful than us mere humans." I gestured to the winged men, some of whom shuffled a little, looking away, while others nodded. I continued, "I...for one...would find it hard to leave after...what you have so generously brought back to me." My father's hand again settled on my shoulder, a comforting weight, and my eyes hardened, "However...I will willingly go forth and try my best to do your will... After all, I cannot see why you would ask such a thing of us...if you did not believe us capable of such a miracle."

          At that, a refreshing breath seemed to ghost over my followers, and they looked up again, eyes bright. The sight made me smile slightly as I glanced again to Notch, who was nodding, a little smile on his own face.

          "Indeed, you are right...I would never ask such a thing if I expected you to fail." Notch gestured to a black-winged man, with ebony hair and silvery eyes, the one who had carried me from the rubble I had been buried in. His light armor clinked softly as he obeyed and drew near, allowing Notch to rest a hand on his broad, armored shoulder, "You will be accompanied by my most elite Valkyries. They will escort you on your way and help you bring him down, without casualties. Furthermore..."

        He lifted a hand, allowing golden light to swirl around on his palm, "If you perish...I will bring you back."

         My jaw nearly dropped at that, and a collective gasp came from several of the humans there as Notch continued to speak, "You see...when I first began to plan this world...I wrote what you would call a 'rough draft' of how the world's...story, would progress...if you will. This draft was from nearly a year of testing and planning possible outcomes and theories to allow the human race to grow and develop to its fullest potential. Brine...was not included in this draft of expectations...and thus has destroyed many long hours of thoughtful planning and work."

          The golden light in his palm began to spread outwards a bit, falling into...shapes...human shapes, "Thus...the people I have raised today...were not meant to die by his hand...they would still be alive if it was not for what he had done..."

          The gold glow thickened, began to morph into forms...

          ...familiar forms.

          "Because of this...I am reversing what he has done...and bringing back those people he had taken...to restore the balance."

          One of the forms gave a tiny gasp, and the light faded from around them, leaving three humans in its place.

        Three humans...

          My eyes met Sandy's.

          "Therefore...I will bring back your allies as well...and heal those you have left behind in the woods. They will find peace and solace here...as I hope you will as well in the future."

          His words became a muffled jumble in my head as my eyes flicked from Sandy's, to Jax's, then to Bryce's.

          They were...alive again...

          Dressed in the same soft garments as the others, and sporting happy smiles, smiles that were soft and...peaceful, they stepped forward, looking about at their companions with joyful eyes.

          And they were immediately swarmed, we couldn't contain ourselves. All the grief, the nights spent shedding tears, and nursing headaches from such harsh anguish...it welled up in our hearts again and melted away like snow in the spring. Cries of their names filled the air, and their voices, once silenced forever, answered with youthful excitement.

         They were back...

          I found myself embracing Jax, then Sandy, then Bryce, all while again dashing tears from my eyes, answering their greetings with uncontainable happiness. These followers...who had sacrificed even their lives for a cause I had offered them...their lives were not wasted.

          Once we parted, able to again listen to Notch, his words rang again in my head. He would bring us back...just like them...we weren't meant to die by HIS hands...

          ...it was at that moment, resolve hardened in my heart.

          I could do this...I would do this.

          I would bring back the wayward creation...alive.

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         All too soon on that eventful day, night once again fell. However, as I spoke to Notch, learning from him all that he would provide should we go, I found that his Valkyries had already prepared places for us to sleep, and a warm fire for us to sit around. Many of my Survivors chose to stay near their loved ones, talking in low voices, many laughing, even crying, with happiness. Jax and Bryce's lost family members were back as well, though Sandy contented herself to mingle about with the others. Her family had been untouched by Brine's wrath.

          After Notch insisted I rest a little, I complied, taking time to speak with my parents, though the sight of their cheerful faces, albeit a little older than I remembered, still made my voice come out unintentionally choked. We sat with the others before the bonfire given to us, eating food prepared by the creator himself.

          However, when my parents became engaged in conversation with Jasher and his own family, I chose to slip away from the crackling warmth of the flames, going off in search of Notch. I still had questions I wished to ask...mostly questions concerning our soon-to-come journey.

          After passing by a few winged Valkyries, giving each a smile and a nod, I paused before the great, damaged door leading out into the halls of the fallen fortress. Part of the doors had actually fallen on me during His escape, and now what stood in their place was a huge gap, with only a few planks clinging to the sides of the massive stone arch. Glancing over my shoulder, I confirmed that Notch was, indeed, not in this room, before I ducked through the doorway, stepping out into the dark hall beyond.

          Silence and cold wrapped about my body as I did so, not even a single groan from an undead sounded in the deathly stillness. Only my breaths and the sounds of my rustling clothes broke the quiet. I glanced to the left, finding nothing but more darkness, as the paths branched off into two different ways. To my right, I saw moonlight pouring into gaps through the ceiling...and through a large door, sitting slightly open.

          Standing in the silvery glow, a soft golden light emanating from his form, stood Notch himself, head bowed...he looked to be holding something in his hands.

          My eyes light up a bit as I pulled my cloak closer, slowly, quietly making my way over to him, now able to approach unafraid. There was...something about the sight of him that filled me with both peace and comfort...he was the epitome of safety and caring...and for that, I was grateful. It would be much harder to approach a stern, uncaring being to ask simple, naïve questions...

          As I neared, he glanced over his shoulder, black beard just brushing his tunic shoulder, framing a slight smile. However, his eyes held pain...and the soft golden glow emulating from them didn't mask it in the slightest.

          My gaze traveled down his strong, tall form, fastening on the item in his hands, partially hidden by his flowing, grey cape. I frowned a little, and he turned more, revealing it a bit.

          It was...the metal and diamond band that had graced...HIS head while we tried to kill him that fateful night...

          ...it must have fallen off when he'd gotten back...it was stained darkly with old, dried blood. Looking at it now, I realized how similar it was to Notch's own band...though the colors were different, as were the jewels and the shape...and it was a little thinner than Notch's.

          "It was...a gift to him... I placed it on his head a week after his creation...symbolizing he was a part of us..."

         Notch's voice was a deep rumble, but so soft that it could have been blown away by the gentle breeze whispering through the open doorway.

          "...I am glad he kept it after so long...there still might be...a shred of what he used to be remaining..."

          The creator's eyes were sorrowful, glowing softer as they met with mine, "I can work with a shred...I've created things from nothing...I can heal him..."

          My own eyes softened as he rubbed a thumb over the stained jewel, "I'm...sorry I came so close to killing him..."

         "Don't be...you did what needed to be done."

          Notch sighed, turning to face me fully, "Now...enough about me. What do you need? I can already see questions swimming in that tactical mind." A soft chuckle punctuated his words.

          He must have been trying to reassure himself...that much was clear. I cleared my throat, reaching up to touch my healed eye again, still unused to being able to see so well, "I had a few more questions...concerning the hunt for...him."

        Notch's soft nod encouraged me to go on, "Well...I suppose the least important one is... Why me?"

          A quiet sigh came from Notch, and I glanced up, not realizing my eyes had drifted away from him. He was smiling again, tucking the circlet away as he faced me fully, "You have so little faith in your abilities, where did that confidence go? That drive to pursue an impossible target to fulfill an impossible goal?" A finger gently pressed to my chin, tilting it up again, "You're stronger than you realize...don't give yourself too little credit. You are, after all, one of my creations...and I made them strong."

          At his words, I felt a little more peace enter my heart. Surely, if he saw strength in me...I would be up to the task. He continued, drawing his hand away to motion me to follow after him, back down the hall to the room the others resided in, "However...speaking technically, I knew you would be the right choice because of your experience. You have tracked him for near seven years, you know his habits, where he might have hidden. You know his fighting tactics, and only your complicated battle strategies have been able to counter him, even with your limited strength. It's admirable...and we possess nowhere near the level of ability you do."

          His hands drifted to clasp together behind him as he walked slowly, making sure I could keep up. During his pause, a bit of quiet relief filled me. He spoke to me as an equal, not a subordinate, and gave compliments freely...something I had never seen such a high-born ruler do.

           "I will, of course, be sending help, I would never have you hunt him alone again. My Elite Valkyries will accompany and help you along the way. However, they are unable to carry more weight than a full-grown man during flight, and even then, they cannot do it for long." He paused for a second, glanced at me, before continuing, "Therefore, they will need to ride horses...though I'm afraid not many will be very good at it."

           The image of a noble Valkyrie, poised incorrectly and very nervously on a trotting horse, entered my mind, and I couldn't stifle a slight grin, "I see...I will be more than happy to teach them... Ah, I nearly forgot...I don't mean to cause offense but...why is it you will not go yourself?"

           "Mm...a wise question. As my connection had been...so easily severed from this place," He waved a hand outward, looking sadly at the crumbling, mossy walls, "...I will remain here, to ensure he cannot sever it again while trying to establish other, widespread connections, so his power will be unable to cut them off. I will hear you when you call, however, and I will send aid or go to you myself, depending on how near you are. Trust what I say...I will try my best to keep you and anyone who chooses to follow you as far from harm as I can manage." I felt his kind eyes on me again as a smile filtered into his tone, "Anything else you wish to know?"

          "Ah...yes...actually. Why...do you need him alive and...if he is injured, is that alright?"

           "Mmm...it will be near impossible to kill him now...but under the right conditions, and with the tools I will supply you with...he can die. You will certainly have to injure him...I will not forbid you from it."

           I nodded, halting as he turned and faced me, just before the open doorway leading back to the others. His face was creased, serious, and his eyes bored into my own, laying bare my heart's desires...the old hope I used to have to see him dead.

          "And...if he were to die..."

          Notch sighed, seeming pained, "...I would not be able to bring him back. He is too powerful...a one-of-a-kind creation...once he dies...he is gone forever."

           I blinked, a bit taken aback at that, though I could clearly feel the pain emulating from Notch. He loved his creation...even though it had gone astray. My eyes hardened. Notch had done so much for me already...the least I could do was repay his kindness...complete this task.

          Straightening my shoulders a bit, I set my jaw, stubbornly looking Notch in the eye. Confidence from I know not where poured into me, "I...I accept this quest, with all the intent to bring him back...alive."

         The smile that spread over Notch's face nearly banished the doubt still swimming in the back of my mind, so I continued, "I...only speak for myself in this matter. I will ask my followers myself to accompany me...and I am sure they will have their own questions...which reminds me. Who...is to be our leader?"

         The corners of Notch's eyes crinkled a little as his smile widened, "I thank you for your conviction...and for accepting my request."

           His large hand settled on my shoulder, squeezing lightly as he continued, "And...if possible...you will lead them."

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:DDD

bOi there is so much to do

Vote pLz if you enjoyyyyed and post your thoughts!! I love hearing 'em

Aight back to writing, Over n' out

~ScarOfHerobrine