You Will Love Me (YANDERE HEROBRINE X READER)

Chapter Nine, Something's Bazaar

It was a long journey, but somehow Steve managed to lead you out from underneath the shadows of the dark oak forest. Before you knew it, you were riding behind him on Ross, who was a very happy horse when he saw you again. Your only wish was that the sun wouldn't set until later. You knew that if even one mob saw you, it would be the end of the progress you made. And for Steve, well... you imagined that a worse fate awaited if Herobrine was to capture him.

The ground, you noticed, was a lot wetter than you remembered. The farther Ross's hooves trotted onto the grass, the more you realized that this was a different route. "Where are we?" You asked. Steve answered you after a few moments, contemplating what he should say, "It's a shortcut through the swamp. It'll throw him off of our trail. We still got about two hours of daylight, we'll be fine." He reassured you. Comfortable with that answer, you hummed. The trees around you soon faded and drooped low to the ground, moss growing on their trunks. The air grew moist and soon enough, you could see pools of algae in the short distance. You felt a little uneasy because of the misty fog, so you hesitantly wrapped your arms around Steve's waist. He didn't react to your actions. You were glad he didn't bring it up. After all, just because you thanked him for rescuing you didn't mean you would bend over backwards just to get a compliment out of him. Herobrine certainly would've said something by now if he was the one you were riding with. It probably would've been something shameless and bold, something that would've made your heart beat faster and your skin turn red. You didn't know why you thought about what he'd say. His opinion was meaningless to your standards. Even then, there was a feeling in your chest that was weighing down on your subconscious. Something inside you sensed something had changed, or at the very least, something was wrong.

Now deeper into the swamp, you took in your surroundings. Every once and a while you'd see small silver fishes make themselves known from the murky water, dancing beneath the lily pads. Little details like that caught your attention, relaxing you. At one point you stared further down the road, hoping to get a glimpse of how longer it might be. That's when you saw something peculiar. "What's that, up ahead?" You questioned, more curious than ever. "That would be the Bazaar. Haven't you heard of it?" Steve replied. "I've heard of it, but I've never seen it..." You answered truthfully. There were all kinds of rumors back home. The Bazaar was a marketplace hidden between the oak forest and the swamps, home to many wandering traders from the simplest merchants to the most devious witches. Gypsies and beggars were said to roam the streets, stealing from others blind. You heard from stories that the popular marketplace could turn the most trustworthy heroes into thieves and crooks. Only the shadiest of people came from the Bazaar, and it was that single thought that made you second guess your trust with Steve. "Shouldn't we avoid that place, isn't it dangerous?"

"Don't worry. I know people around there, they can help." His short answer made your insides fume. That was all he had to say? Part of you wished you had slapped him twice. Something was off. Something wasn't right.

You soon found yourself riding through streets made of wood that floated atop the swamp's water. Buildings made of dark wood and oak carvings filled each corner, packed together like a large, overfilled chest. Long, stringed bridges were hung between the rooftops. Caravans being pulled by wooly llamas were stationed off to the side, lost in a land full of fruit stands and shops. There were lots of people too. Their variations of voices crowded the Bazaar like a million different echoes. You saw scrappy-looking men wearing cyan robes, women wearing violet dresses and red shawls. Some looked dirty and poor, while others looked clean and rich. Then there were those that resembled you in a way, just trying to trade what they could before getting out as quickly as possible. You allowed none of these things to intimidate you, but even you admitted to yourself that the witches lingering behind closed windows made you uneasy. You could feel unknown eyes burning into the back of your head. Every now and again, you'd speak to Steve just to calm your nerves. He, however, rode through the streets as if he had done it a million times. At first you scolded yourself for acting silly. Then, then you noticed that the stares grew more focused.