The stone tunnels of Notch's base home soon gave way to... well, more stone, but the rooms were furnished and cluttered and the walls were covered with shelves and blueprints and papers that had been scrawled on and cupboards and desks and benches and so on. Somehow, Notch managed to keep the floor clean with all the clutter around and the shelves were crowded but still neat and labeled. Adam peered into one of the doorways they passed and saw a huge room full of hundreds on hundreds of books that gave off an aura of mystery.

          "So, your magic, General Adam," Notch said as they walked, getting right back to business. "It is synthetically created, which doesn't mean much except that you did not inherit it from any ancestor, which is quite unique."

          "When you had magic the first time, it altered your body," Herobrine said, turning so that he could see Adam. "It literally rewired your cells, which did almost killed you, but it did leave a lasting impression."

          "A lasting impression that now means that your body is capable to command magical energy," Notch continued, picking up the thread. "That is why you were able to absorb that energy instead of being destroyed by it."

          "If I was able to control magic, then why did it hurt so much to get it back?" Adam asked.

          "Because my magic is different to normal magic," Herobrine said. "I'll have to explain more later but basically, that magic is in your DNA now, your genetics. It's completely compatible with you and therefore much much harder to remove, so please don't try."

          "And the reason why I can't control it without my sunglasses? That doesn't sound like it's super compatible."

          "Magic grows as its user grows," Notch explained. "As sorcerers grow up with their magic, it is easier to control. Because you haven't had that experience, and because your magic is quite strong, that can make it difficult to use. But there's another reason; Magical energy of any kind needs something to harness to for it to be stable. For most sorcerers, it is their ancestry, a bloodline. For you, your magic choose your glasses to use as stability. Remove those sunglasses-"

          "And your body controls every bit of magic all by itself, which means that it's uncontrollable, very powerful and insanely dangerous."

          "Do you two normally finish off each other's sentences?" Adam asked, raising an eyebrow.

          "Only when it comes to magic," Herobrine said.

          "As you know, you need to keep your sunglasses on your person at all times to keep your magic under control." Notch glanced at the General out of the side of his eye. "Although that can be difficult, given their size and intended purpose. Hm."

          "Anyway, you want to show us around?" Herobrine asked, looking eagerly around at the rooms they were passing through.

          "No." Notch flicked the corner of a blanket as they passed to better cover the large machine it was over, the purpose or design of which Adam couldn't even begin to comprehend. But he didn't bother to dwell on it because they had just entered what must have been the very centre of Notch's home, which meant it was also the most interesting place.

          A river that ran out of the stone wall on one side turned a huge water wheel that was connected to strings and wires and baskets and a dozen other things that were pulled or pushed or hit as the wheel turned, moving files of papers to and fro, closing the door behind them as they entered, and powering lights that hung from the ceiling that seemed to burn with an inner fire but didn't give off any smoke.

          "Notch calls it 'electric power'," Herobrine explained when he saw Adam staring open mouthed at the novelty. "I think it's a stupid name and should be called electricity."

          "No one's going to call it that, the name makes no sense," Notch said in a resigned voice, like the two had had this conversation a hundred times before.

          "One day in the future, that's all people are going to know it by," Herobrine told him, a slight casual, joking tone behind his words. "And when that day comes, I will gladly accept your sincere apology."

          Notch rolled his eyes and walked over to a large desk that had been set up a little away from a wall, covered in papers and books and ink and quills and sketches and more strange, small contraptions.

          "Hero, can you get me the green book on that second top shelf over there?" Notch asked, gesturing to a cabinet of books as he started to stack and clear a large space on the table.

          Herobrine's expression went deadpan as he looked the shelf, then back at Notch, then back at the shelf, then back at Notch. "Seriously?"

          "Yes, I need that book."

          "You're asking me Notch? Me? Let's just review this; you're asking Colourblind Herobrine to get you the green book?"

          Notch looked up, realising the problem and giving a little sigh. "Fine, can you?" he asked Adam, picking up a stack of papers and moving them to a different table.

          "Sorry, no can do, I'm like him," Adam said with a grin. "It's all just different shades of grey to me."

          Notch looked up at the ceiling, probably thinking a thought that he shouldn't voice out loud. "Third book from the left."

           "Thank you," Herobrine said as he took down the third book from the left side of the shelf, which was a thick volume that had a rich green cover and a dozen pages sticking out of it. He put it down with a thunk on the table and Notch leafed through it quickly, stopping at a page that was more like a sleeve. He pulled out a folded piece of paper from the sleeve and shoved the book aside as the paper unfolded into a large map.

          The paper that the map was on was yellowed with age but very detailed, showing the rise and fall of the land and the forested parts and the small rivers that wound their way through the land. A few miniature castles had been painstakingly drawn onto the surface and labeled, the names of which Adam didn't recognise.

          "It's a very outdated map, I know," Notch said, catching Adam's expression. "It's been a while since I've travelled. But if war is happening then I want to know who all the players are and where they all stand. Literally speaking."

          It took quite some time for them to update the map as Adam knew the names of a fair number of the Lords but not where they were at (Quentin and Jason were the ones who handled the maps) and Herobrine knew the location of the castles and army forts but not who ran them. But eventually they all managed to get to a consensus and update the map to a standard that Notch was satisfied with.

          "I'll meet you at your base then," he said, tracing a line from his home to Team Crafted's location. "Give me a few days to secure this place and make sure that none of my machines blow up."

          "You want us to help you with that?" Herobrine asked quickly.

          "Nope." Notch walked away from the table to the edge of a short tunnel, at the end of which they could see a dark wooden door. "That's the front door, I believe you should be getting back."

          "We probably should be, see how the rest are going," Adam muttered.

          Herobrine only rolled his eyes and sighed and the two went the way Notch gestured for them to. The door had no handle or lock but instead had several bars bolted onto it that pushed it open as the two neared it and cleared the way to ground level. Adam squinted his eyes a little in the sunlight as he stepped out of the door and turned around in time to see it shut behind them and become completely indistinguishable from the thick tree trunk it was a part of.

          "Cool, huh?" Herobrine said. "I was hoping to get a bit more of a look at his inventiony stuff, but oh well. Next time."

          "How often do you visit him?" Adam asked, turning away from the door and walking beside Herobrine as the two started to walk along the bank of the lake.

          "More than he thinks I do, I often break in to read something in his library since most of his books are about the older type of magic." Herobrine shoved his hands in his pockets. "That actually went heaps better than I thought it would, and faster too."

          "So who's next? Steve?"

          Herobrine gave a bark of laughter. "If I knew where Steve was, sure, but I don't. He's constantly on the move, virtually impossible to track down. I'll wager he's seen everything this world has to offer but he keeps adventuring, no idea why. He'll hear what we're doing and what's happening and if he wants in, he'll show up. If not," Herobrine shrugged, "we'll make do."

Did I put that entire map scene in just to show off my map for this book?

Mmmmmmaybe.

You have no proof.

Literally, cause my map wouldn't upload.