How to train your hoglin

Scout

Philza was being cautious around Techno. Unusually cautious. Had the dream been that bad? Of course, he didn't know the giant hoglin he called 'fella' and 'big guy' was Techno, but Techno had been nothing but friendly and helpful.
Had the dream been about him? Which version of him, human Technoblade or hoglin Technoblade?
Techno shook his head and continued walking. He couldn't worry about bad dreams. He had to figure out how to change back. Phil would have some ideas, he'd always known more about magic than Techno. But Philza couldn't understand Techno, so they couldn't compare notes or discuss possible solutions or anything.
Phil patted Techno's side. "I'm going scouting again, ok fella?"
Techno grunted. He felt Phil jump, and then he was gone. Techno had a thought. What if Phil left, trying to find Techno, and leave Techno here, alone. Then the wither knights would find him and his closest and oldest friend would be gone.
But Phil wouldn't lie, not even to a giant hoglin, right?
But Phil didn't return. Usually he reappeared in under ten minutes, and sure, time in the nether was difficult, but he didn't come back.
After an hour must have passed, Techno stopped and looked around. Phil was either in trouble, or he'd left. Techno put his nose to the ground and started sniffing, tracing his own trail, then Phil's.
Visions of Phil, surrounded by wither knights and skeletons filled his head. He took off at a gallop. He needed to find him.

Philza couldn't get the image of his hoglin friend trying to kill him out of his mind. He told himself that it would never happen, that this hoglin was friendly, but the image returned.
Phil flew over the netherrack, considering his options. He couldn't just fly off, the hoglin would start waiting for him.
Besides, the hoglin was his only lead. A small one at best, but still.
Just as Phil passed a large group of crimson vines, hanging from the roof, a stinging pain stabbed his leg.
Arrows. He twisted and looked below him. A wither knight sat astride a massive black skeletal horse.
A small army of skeletons, their skulls gleaming in the light, aimed bows at Philza.
He spinned and weaved, ducked and banked, dodging arrows, but inevitably, they hit him. One hit his shoulder, another sank into his foot. Painful, but survivable. Flesh wounds.
Then one hit his wing, which promptly folded.
Philza spun out of control and hit the vines. They tangled around his wings, snagged his feet, ensnared his arms.
He struggled against his new restraints, but he couldn't reach his sword or his inventory, and they held tight, suspending him a few feet from the ground.
The wither knight laughed, a hollow, ghostly sound.
"I am nothing but a scout, yet the great Philza falls to me." It nudged it's horse forwards. "Our king will be happy."
Philza struggled twice as hard, but the vines held him. He was trapped, and he was alone.

Techno saw crimson vines hanging from the ceiling a ways ahead. Perhaps Phil had gotten stuck? Unlikely, he was an amazing flier, but he had been distracted today. He started towards it at a trot.
As he got closer, he spotted a black horse.
No. Wither knight.
He galloped forwards as the scene unfolded in front of him. Black wings, ensnared in vines, a wither knight, maybe seven skeletons.
He roared.

A roar echoed around the cavern. The wither knight spinned his horse around. Phil looked up and saw his hoglin charging the wither knight.
It crashed into the horse, goring it, sending its rider flying, and crushed a skeleton into a pile of bones.
The hoglin reared and bucked, kicking out with sharp hooves, tossing anything that came into reach of its head high into the air.
The skeletons fired, but the arrows didn't even slow the beast. The wither knight slowly came to its feet, drawing a black knife.
"Wither knight, behind you!" Philza called.
"It is a hoglin. It cannot understand you. And if you think it had come to rescue you, you are mistaken. It saw an easy meal and decided it wanted some." The wither knight laughed.
The hoglin finished the last skeleton and turned towards the wither knight, which promptly lunged, aiming its knife for the hoglin's throat.
The hoglin twisted out of the way and lunged, catching the wither knight on its tusks.
It threw the knight to the ground and smashed its hooves down onto it, crushing it into dust.
It stood still, panting.
Philza struggled. Were hoglins smart enough to lure possible prey into false security? Either way, he was practically helpless.

Why was Phil looking at him like that? Techno could see fear in his friend's eyes.
Was he afraid of Techno? But Techno had never tried to hurt him.

The hoglin walked towards Phil, opening its mouth. He struggled harder, but the vines didn't budge.
The giant sharp teeth and tusks filled Phil's vision, and as it bit down, the vines holding Phil loosened.
Phil stared into its dark eyes as it used its teeth and tusks to cut through the vines, freeing him.
Once he was free, the hoglin gently bit into his tunic and pulled him up, out of the vines, before depositing him on the ground.
Philza exhaled and winced as his arrow wounds burned. Leg, shoulder, and wing. He was helpless.
The hoglin looked down at him, mouth open.
Philza drew his sword, holding it defensively between the sharp teeth, and himself.
The hoglin backed up, dark eyes full of hurt. It grunted softly, tilting its head.
Philza lowered the sword. "I'm sorry, fella, I just..."
The hoglin whuffed and bent its head. Philza sheathed his sword, eyeing the tusks, which were still very close.
He grabbed the arrow in his thigh and pulled it out, pulling a bit of cloth out of his inventory to wrap around the wound.
Shoulder and wing were quicky bound as well, as the hoglin waited patiently.
"Let me pull those out for you." Phil said, gesturing to one of the arrows in the giant boar's hide.
The hoglin shifted and lay down, letting Phil pull out the arrows. As he did, he realized he really was helpless.
His leg couldn't support his weight, so he was stuck limping, leaning on the hoglin for support.
He could tell his wing couldn't support his weight either. The wounds would heal quickly, he'd be fine in a few days, but for now, he couldn't walk, he couldn't fly, and one of his arms was annoyingly difficult to use.
"Well, if we're going to travel together for a while, you need a name." Philza told the pink-furred pig. "Ideas?"
The hoglin snorted, rising to its feet.
"Maybe... Mammoth?"
The boar snorted and whuffed. It was laughing.
"Fine... Jagged? Scar? Can't do Friend...." Phil said. "Onyx?"
The hoglin huffed. "Well you're not offering any ideas, Onyx it is."
Onyx huffed again.
Phil laughed and tapped Onyx's side. "Come on, fella."
The hoglin bent so Phil could climb on, then walked along through the nether.