Worlds Apart (Techza)

#6~The Mystery Stalker~

The three of us left each collect a portion of Wilbur's belongings and nicely space them in our inventories as to not mix them in with our own.

"I think we should start heading back..." I suggest to the others. With one member missing it just isn't the same. "Besides, that's enough adventure for me today anyways," I add with a small chuckle.

"And Wilbur will be lonely without us!" Tommy adds with a cheeky grin.

With that said, our little trio begins to follow our torchlit path back, making sure the lights are on our right.

"Hold up!" I hold out both my arms to stop the other two.

"Huh?"

"It'll be easier to just mine up from somewhere around here, because we're closer to our portal on this side," I point out logically. They nod and we mine up, placing blocks to stand on as we go.

We breach through to the outside, and just as I had said, our location is right by the river of lava and below the two balconies of crimson forest we know so well, nearest to our portal.

"Aight, lets go, mates." I pull out a stack of cobblestone and make my own stairs to the other side of the chasm in a backwards fashion. Our group reaches the top and Tommy and Tubbo run giddily to the portal, ready to breath in fresh air for once.

I wipe sweat from my forehead and take off my chestplate to lesson the heavy and hot weight from my shoulders. I breath out a sigh and follow the two children.

Before I step onto the welcoming obsidian, I take one more look back at the breathtaking Nether view, and at the mysterious crimson forest. The piglins from before roam freely through the trees, with their children playing among themselves, as well as a few zombified piglins mingled in the tribe.

It seems our grand fiasco with the tribe has brought them to this part of the forests, which will make it difficult to pass through that area again.

With a soft smile, I finally step into the portal's purple, swirling entrance. The loud crackling rings loud in my ears, until silence.

My eardrums are once again attacked by the annoying, deafening sounds of the Nether portal when I teleport and exit into the Overworld.

Seriously, I wish there was a volume control on this thing.

I blow with my mouth shut and nose pinched to unpop my ears, and then fully take off my armour.

A cold breeze gently ruffles my short, blonde hair, and green grass tickles my now sandaled feet - since I removed my diamond boots.

"Hey, mind if I have the rest of my stuff?" A mature, british voice asks beside me. I turn quickly and hug Wil in a tight embrace. He only laughs until I'm done squeezing the breath out of him.

"Sorry, mate, just glad to see you again." We laugh together, and then I remember his stuff. I open my inventory and drop all of it for him to collect.

"Thanks, now come on. It's been a long day of excitement, and we should get some well deserved shut-eye." Wilbur walks briskly towards his house with a small wave and quietly enters. For a moment I just stand there in a daze, but then begin walking towards my own home.

I slowly enter, the night air sending chills down my spine.

It's good to be back.

I gaze fondly around my house. I open up a few chests to order about my loot, and hang my armour on its stand. With a heavy sigh, I thump down on my soft bed and just sit there.

Then, I shut off the redstone lamps, letting the darkness engulf me. I lay myself snug under the blankets and stare up at the wood ceiling.

...

Time ticks by at an agonizingly slow pace.

...

Monsters groan and growl from outside.

...

Our farm animals let out a "moo" or "baa," "oink" or "cluck" every so often. Every little noise keeps me wide awake. I shuffle uncomfortably to a different position.

What's really keeping me up right now, is that mystery "thing" that has been following us throughout the Nether. For all I know, it could've followed us here too. To our main base. It could be watching right now...

A sudden bone clattering has me jolting up from bed, flinching hard. I look out my window only to see a skeleton curiously observing from the other side.

"Ugh!" I groan loudly and slap myself awake.

I can't take it anymore! What's going on!? Who are they?

As my thoughts run wild, I re-dress in my armour and fill my inventory once again with all the necessary equipment for the Nether. I grab a stack of beef, shoving one in my mouth as I exit my house.

I march over to the portal, being careful to not make too much noise cutting down enemies in my way. I'd rather not have one of my friends interfere with this investigation.

I reach the portal and step through. It takes a few seconds until I'm back in the stifling hot environment. Full of energy, I begin to retrace the paths we took, and inspect the areas where I felt and noticed being watched.

I snoop around the small tree-filled area after the man-made bridges of cobblestone. Then, I carefully scuttle across the narrow pathway to the main crimson forest, second balcony.

I inspect every round-a-bout, every seemingly hidden area that's blocked by vines and every small pathway that curves off into some unknown direction.

Nothing.

Soon, I stumble upon the group of violent piglins, still carrying their deadly weapons. A small squeak of surprise escapes my mouth, and I clamp it shut and quickly hide behind a tree. I avoid the piglins as best I can until I have left them far behind me.

Taking a breath of relief, I now come in sight of that stupid cliff we fell from. No one's around. It's just dead silent in this area. Unsettlingly quiet.

I'd rather not refall down there just to get to the Nether fortress we dug through. Besides, going in there alone seems a bit too dangerous. I'm not looking to fight or scavenge, just, understand,

I think and conclude in my head. Not today, but later with everyone else.

A short while has passed with little incident, but I've found nothing. No one "mysterious" has even been watching me the whole time. I huff in frustration and make my way back to the portal in defeat.

Guess I'll never know...

My steps are sluggish on the way back. I should really get some sleep anyways.

I finally cross the last bridge and pass through some crimson vines. The portal is clear in my vision, and so is something else..

I gasp and stop dead in my tracks.

Beside the portal is a creature, a piglin of sorts. But, I'm not too sure if it really is a piglin, because there's something off about it. The best way to describe it's looks is like a descreet mix between a human Player and a piglin, but more piglin. It isn't even wearing the regular piglin clothes.

A loose fitting, white shirt covers it's chest and a long, red robe hugs around it's shoulders with white fluff on the top and bottom. Long black boots and loose, grey pants cover the rest of it's body, and a shining, golden crown adorns the top of it's head. Long, pink hair droops down from it's head to it's lower back. The facial features are difficult to describe, since I'm still quite far from the "piglin."

"Oi! Who are you!?" I shout out and threateningly raise my glowing axe. The sudden noise startles the creature and it turns to me with wide eyes. We lock gazes for an uncomfortably long while, until it suddenly rushes behind the portal, peaking through the shifting sheet of purple.

Have I finally found it? Them?

The mystery stalker?

I take slow steps and cautiously approach them, still wielding my axe just in case...