The Broken Flame

“IT’S HEROBRINE!” shouted one of the guards in a panic.

“IT’S THE MONSTER!” a citizen screamed in fright.

“EVERYONE RUN!”

An eruption of screams broke the silence and the citizens of Creatoria scattered and shrieked. Several of the knights drew their blades and pointed them towards the Nether Prince, making him jump back in surprise. All Nether broke loose as panic took the kingdom.

Celina could only watch in horror as her people lost it and she swore under her breath. She should have known this would happen and she knew something would go wrong at the sight of her newfound friend. She wanted to try and calm her people, but something told her that would be very unlikely.

Celina’s train of thought broke when several of the knights stepped forward with their blades pointed at Brine. The Demi-God took a defensive stance, but didn’t attack any of the humans, much to everyone’s surprise. 

Matthew, who was among the armed guards, shouted, “Demon! How dare you try to invade our kingdom! Surrender yourself now!”

Brine held up his hands and looked into the red eyes of the man who had spoken. “Matthew, I don’t want to fight you. Please, sheathe your weapons and I can explain.”

Matthew seemed dumbfounded at hearing his name, but shook his head and tried not to let it get to him. “Silence, beast! You have obviously been hiding from us and watching the kingdom for your own devious purposes! But we will not let you harm our people! Now, come quietly or prepare for your demise!”

Brine’s face fell in a second. He could practically see Sandra and the other knights so long ago pointing their weapons at him once again and he felt his heart beginning to race. His breathing picked up and he put a hand over his chest. Brine could see them stepping closer and he took a few steps back. He shook his head, fear beginning to overtake him.

Celina gasped and looked over to Steve a few feet away. He had the same look of horror as she did and she knew what she had to do. The queen practically scrambled into a sprint and she ran until she stood before the guards, being the only thing between them and Brine. She held out her arms and shouted, “STOP! Leave Brine alone! Don’t you dare touch him!”

One of the other guards, Lucy, reeled back in shock at her queen trying to block their advance on the demon. “Your Highness! You’re defending this monster?! Do you not know the legends and all that he’s done?!”

“I’m well aware, Lucy!” the queen shouted. “But you have to listen to me! All of you! He’s changed! He’s not going to hurt people anymore! Brine has become a better person, one who wouldn’t hurt a baby pig! You have to understand! He’s changed!”

Another guard, Cameron, shook their head. “Your Highness! Do you hear what you’re saying?! You’re telling us that the most terrifying being in the Overworld has changed! He’s a monster!”

“LISTEN TO ME!” Celina screamed, causing a few of her knights to jump back in shock. “Brine has changed because of me! Because of me and Steve! He’s a better person and you need to--”

A sudden gasp had the queen turning on her heels. She let out a shocked gasp of her own. Irona had snuck behind her in the panic and now had Herobrine held up a few feet off the ground by his neck. “BRINE!” Celina shouted.

Irona didn’t pay any attention to the girl’s cry and looked at the demon as he moved his hands up to her wrist. She almost expected him to try and rip her apart on the spot, considering how strong he was. However, her anger shifted when he put one hand on her wrist and asked her, “Irona… please, put me down? I don’t want to hurt you.”

The way he looked down at her so innocently, with such a gentle gaze in those white eyes… it was strange and it was making it hard to keep her grip.

Celina could hear some of the guards behind her telling Irona to crush Brine’s neck and she shot them a sharp glare, making them stop. She slowly walked to the golem when she returned her eyes to her. She held up her hands, seeming to be pleading with Irona. “Irona, please… put Brine down. He’s changed, he truly has. He’s become a much better person. He’s promised me that he won’t hurt people anymore. He didn’t want to kill people when he first came here, he’s not from the Overworld. He lived in the Aether and came here because he loved humans.”

Irona’s narrowed eyes softened and she slowly turned to look at her queen. Her ears didn’t seem to deceive her, she was being told something about this monster that she would have never guessed.

“It’s true, my golem,” the queen spoke again, loud enough for everyone to hear. “He showed me his memories. He used to have a kingdom that adored him because he helped them. He had a wife who loved him, as did most of her family. He even had children with her and loved them every single day he was with them.”

A few gasps and sounds of surprise and shock came from the people who were slowly coming out from their spots. A few of the guards lowered their weapons in shock and even Matthew looked up at Brine with surprise.

Irona’s eyes went wide as she looked back at the Nether Prince, seeing tears form in his eyes. It surprised her, she would have jumped back two blocks if she didn’t have the Lord of the Mobs in her grasp.

“It’s true, Irona,” Celina said. “He showed me himself. He lost everything because his sister-in-law became envious of him and his happiness. She turned the whole kingdom on him, and his wife…” She felt her chest begin to ache at the memory of Cebrina lying on that platform with the sword through her chest. “She died trying to defend him from the people who turned on him. And his children were killed too.” Several gasps came from behind her and around her. “He only turned on humans because they turned on him, Irona. He didn’t want to hurt people. But they were blinded by false judgment and hurt him. They did more emotional damage than physical, and they hurt him beyond anything I could’ve imagined.” 

The queen saw Irona’s face turning to horror and sadness as she looked at Brine. She could see the conflicting emotions in the golem’s head, her gears were turning and she couldn’t seem to bring herself to believe what the queen told her was the truth. “He lost everything, Irona. He lost the people he loved because of one human who grew envious of him. One person changed his fate forever, and changed the world forever. And that same thing can happen here if we don’t give him a chance.” 

Irona looked at the so-called demon again, seeing him now blinking tears out of his eyes. They rolled down his face and streamed off the hand she had around his neck. She wanted so badly to deny what her queen was saying, considering all that had been done by this being, but she knew deep inside that it was the truth. Irona let out a shuddering sigh, before carefully lowering the being back onto his feet, her hand recoiling to her side.

Celina quickly moved to Brine, putting a hand on his back. “I’m sorry, Brine,” she told him. “I didn’t want to just tell everyone your story, but I knew it was the only way to get them to listen.” She wrapped her arms around her friend in a tight embrace. “I’m so sorry, Brine. I should have known better than to just try to get everyone to trust you at once. I just didn’t want to have to hide you anymore.”

Brine sighed softly, returning her embrace, setting his chin on her head. “It’s alright, Celina. I know you were just doing what you thought would be okay. I understand why you did it this way. And I forgive you for that.”

At the sight of the Demi-God embracing their queen, a few of the people of the kingdom approached closer to the being and the girl. They still seemed slightly afraid, but even a few of the knights approached.

Steve moved to stand next to Celina and Brine. “And he’s shown me those memories too!” Steve said in a strong voice. “He showed them to me too, and we have come to a trusting friendship. Brine is our friend, and we don’t want to have to hide him from the kingdom anymore.”

Matthew stepped forward a bit. “What do you mean, Miner Steve? How long has he been here?”

“He came here when Celina brought me to the kingdom after I was attacked by him. He had come to take my soul, but Celina challenged his motive and beat him in a hand-to-hand battle. So he agreed to a deal to help take care of me until I was well again.”

“So…” a female subject began. “He’s been here for the past month and a half?”

“Yes,” Steve answered to her. “And he’s changed greatly. He’s become someone who is more human, meek, kind… he’s a better person now. If you all would give him a chance to prove himself, it would mean the world to us.”

All the subjects of the kingdom shared glances with each other, seeming to decide whether or not to trust the words of their queen and the miner. All was silent for a moment, before Irona stepped forward and looked at the being. She seemed to be very conflicted about what was going on.

Brine turned to face her after feeling her looking at him. He could hear her thoughts jumbling around in her head. Brine put his hands up to his chest. “Irona,” he began.

The golem was surprised to hear how gentle his calling of her name was and she looked down at him with knitted brows. “Yes,” she thought, knowing he could hear what she said in her mind.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, for everything I did to you. You didn’t deserve to lose your master the way I took her from you. That princess was only doing what she felt was her duty, and I had no idea what damage I would cause to you.” Brine turned his head away. “You didn’t deserve any of what I did to you. And… I want to do something for you.”

Irona shook her head softly. “You don’t have to do anything, Herobrine. I--”

Brine shook his own head. “No, please. You deserve to get something back that I took from you long ago.” He held up his hands, moving them in a small circular motion. As he did so, a small orb of light formed between his hands, a glowing yellow one. He carefully held it in his palms, before the Demi-God held it out to the golem, bowing his head. It was as if he was making an offering to her.

The orb slowly floated towards Irona, until it stopped a few inches from her. She looked at the small light with confusion, before the light began to spread and fade into her form. A small glow surrounded Irona for a second, before it faded, leaving her with a strange, warm feeling in her chest. 

Brine gave her a small nod. “Irona… speak.”

Irona furrowed her brows in confusion. “What do you mean? You know I--” And that was when she realized something.

Her words were coming from her mouth, not echoing in her head.

Irona let out an audible gasp and found herself clapping her hands over her chest. She let out a few shaking breaths as she came to realize what had happened:

Herobrine had given her voice back to her.

Irona felt metallic tears beginning to run down her cheeks and she looked at the Nether Prince with a mixture of shock and happiness. “You… you… my voice. I… I--I can… I can talk again.”

Brine nodded ever so softly. “If you can give me a chance to show my newfound kindness to you and these people, I would be forever grateful.”