Dreaming of Demons (Dream x oc)

[14] Like a Switch

I checked the book in my hand for probably the hundredth time, brushing my finger against the worn paper that contained the supposed Enderman language. Once I made sure the page was still there, my anxiousness quelled. Just a little.

I had stuck the page in a random book I had taken from the many stacks we had helped Karl move. He allowed me to borrow the book to "read" not knowing the extra page was inside. I didn't want to carry the frail paper around on its own, and taking a page with ancient writing would probably raise questions that would be hard to answer.

After wandering around looking for Ranboo and not seeing the tall boy anywhere, I resorted to asking someone for a better place I could find him. Now I knew he lived in some sort of snowy biome, but I had to travel through the Nether to get there.

I wasn't particularly looking forward to going through the Nether. I usually tried to stay away from it. Though it's prizes were appealing, the variety of creatures living within were not.

I found the familiar large portal swirling with the purple energy at the top of a rise. All kinds of bricks and substances of the Nether itself were set into the ground around the portal, making it seem like part of its world was seeping into ours. I was glad such a thing was not possible.

The faint path leading up to the portal made a clattering sound as I walked and I was careful to avoid the pockmarked holes in the ground. I held the book tighter in my arm and pressed my other palm against the rounded hilt of the sword at my side. I wouldn't be caught entering the Nether without any sort of weapon.

I stepped into the portal, the tingling sensation seizing me in a tight hold. The pressure only lasted for a second as I took a step to the other side. The blast of heat on the other side always surprised me, even though I was familiar with it.

I opened my eyes and took a breath, the stark heat coating my nose and rushing down my throat. I stood in a neatly built hub-area. There were no walls, only columns that suspended the structure, exposing the view of the Nether from high above a spread of lava. The area opened to four paths, all leading off into the hazy, orange air. The one I would be taking was directly to my left. At least, I hoped so. I wasn't too keen on the idea of getting lost here.

The only times I had ever come to the Nether was to find Ancient debris for Netherite, which was part of why I had Sam do it. Though Karl and his friends made the place easier to bear, I always felt tight with caution. I looked behind me and checked my surroundings more often than I could count. Karl was shockingly oblivious to the ashen, rock pillars, or the barren, red landscape. I had to jump in and pull him away from crawling lava one time. Those types of situations only added to my stress.

This time, I was alone. Nothing to save me but myself. However, I was better equipped and my sword fighting skills weren't bad. That sort of information helped my nerves. But not by a lot.

I sighed, knowing I had stalled long enough. I picked the path to the left and kept myself walking in the middle. Another thing I didn't like. None of these paths had railings. With the amount of horseplay that I usually witnessed here, I was surprised to hear no one had fallen off yet.

My gaze wandered as I strolled along the path. In this direction, the Nether changed from the typical red to the dull gray landscape pinned with equally gray pillars. Ash floated softly in the air, a dead variant of snow. I had to occasionally brush it away as the burned, dusty smell attempted to get in my nose.

As I walked, I kept an eye out for Ghasts. The giant, ghostly creatures floated through the air like jellyfish. Deadly, fiery jellyfish. Their shriek was the only warning before a fireball would be heading straight towards whoever was unlucky enough not to notice them in the first place.