Fly, Phoenix, Fly - Herobrine x Reader

Chapter Fourteen - Fallen Feathers

Herobrine pushed back his chair and stretched his arms above his head, groaning as his back popped. He hadn't left his desk in several hours, much to the discomfort of his neck and spine. Who would have guessed that being king would involve so much paperwork?

At the suggestion of Notch and the agreement of some of his advisors, Herobrine had spent his afternoon penning formal notices of his rise to power to some of the most prominent piglin factions. He had tried to stress the benefits of peacefully submitting to his reign - no longer constantly losing men in battle, being the primary one - but he had a hunch that most, if not all of them, would require slightly more forceful persuasion.

Herobrine yawned, glancing up at the clock that hung over his desk. It was late... and he was certainly ready to sleep. After a year in the Nether he was finally growing accustomed to the lack of day and night. However, he knew that he would wake up sore if he didn't first get up and stretch his legs, so he hauled himself upright and headed for the door to make a lap around the castle.

He nodded to the guard as he ambled down the hall, making his way towards the staircase that led down to the main floor. His personal guard was rather small, relative to the size of his castle, anyway, and was comprised mostly of humans who sought their fortune in the untamed wilds of the Nether. Notch had provided a few of his valkyries as well, to serve as scouts and warn of approaching danger before it was near enough to threaten them. Though the last year had been a grueling one, they had yet to suffer any major losses, and Herobrine was quite pleased with their progress.

Herobrine raked a hand through his hair as he descended the staircase, shaking it out instinctively. He'd worn his hair long, down to just past his shoulders, for as long as he could remember - up until a few days ago, anyway. Having finally grown fed up with tying it back, he'd commissioned one of his men to cut it short. Now it was only a few inches long, and he still hadn't gotten used to the weight and feel of it.

The halls were quiet as he made his way around the lower floor. Occasionally he would catch a glimpse of one of his guards, but only rarely, as the majority were stationed outside. Herobrine had never lost sleep over the lack of protection. He was quite capable of defending himself.

Eventually he found his way into the throne room. Herobrine had often wondered what kind of ruler this castle had been initially built for. Given the large, blackstone throne and the castle's many fortifications, he could only assume that they had been a fairly violent one. Perhaps that was why, despite being the Nether's Aether-appointed ruler for over a year now, it had never felt right for him to sit in it.

His sharp ears picked up a soft sound from behind him, and he turned in curiosity. No one in sight. A guard passing nearby, perhaps- the acoustics of these great halls sometimes made it difficult to pinpoint the origin of a sound.

Turning around, Herobrine made his way back towards the hall. Tomorrow would be another day of endless meetings and arguments amongst his advisors, and Herobrine was looking forward to a good night''s rest.

The click of a hoof on blackstone tile was his only warning that someone was behind him before a blade thrust through his chest and forced the air from his lungs.

**

"These provisions should sustain you for at least a week," The piglin woman said, passing a bulging knapsack to Y/N. "Likely longer. Good luck on your hunt."

"Thank you." Y/N gave her a smile as she slipped the knapsack on, adjusting it until it sat between her wings. She had already been provided with a set of simple piglin clothes, consisting of a brown shirt and trousers with a gray capelet around her shoulders. Somehow, Herobrine noted, the same clothes that were entirely unremarkable on a piglin looked enchanting on her.