Dreaming of Demons (Dream x oc)

[16] Close Calls

Sam stopped me on the grass as I headed toward the prison the next day. I was curious, and a bit nervous, to see if anything happened. But the news was the same. Tommy was still stuck with Dream.

So to keep myself busy, I tried a bit of target practice. I wasn't any good—that was for sure—but I felt like I was starting to get the hang of it.

Eventually, I turned to shoot at the red vines that were in the area. When I kept missing them, though, I pulled out my netherite sword to cut them. The pile of crimson vines in a variety of sizes slowly grew. But I soon realized that cutting them down wouldn't do anything. The Egg would only produce new vines.

I raised my gaze upward as I sighed, the sword weighing down my hold.

"Now what are you doing over here?"

A familiar voice made me whip around to see Bad. His shadowy figure stood on top of one of the thicker vines that I couldn't cut earlier, making him tower over me. Though the sun was bright, I was able to make out an inquisitive glint in his uniquely light-colored eyes. As a sort of demon, his dark clothes and twisted horns looked out of place in the sunny daytime.

I lifted my sword in front of me, the weariness in my limbs dissipating. It was just Bad, though. If he wanted to fight, I had no doubt I could defend myself.

Movement to my left drew my eyes and I pulled in a breath as I recognized the newcomer. The cat-man from the time I had helped rescue Sam from the Egg was pointing his own netherite sword at me, his brown cat ears slightly flattened. He was wearing enchanted netherite armor as well.

I quickly switched my sword to point at the cat hybrid, since he actually had a weapon pulled on me. The grass crunched to my right and I turned my head to see another person pointing a sword at me. He was wearing a red, yellow, and black hoodie with a mask that covered most of his brown skin, leaving space for his bright, red eyes.

I took a step back, switching my sword between the three of them. I tried to keep my voice light. "Hey guys..."

Bad cocked his head as he studied me. "You were with that group that took Sam away, right? What's your name again?"

Despite the casual question, I kept my defense up, glancing at the cat hybrid. "Taryn. And we didn't take Sam away, we rescued him."

His eyes narrowed. "Yes, and you ruined our plan by doing so."

I raised a brow, letting out an amused breath. "Let me guess, your plan was to corrupt everyone in the SMP, starting with Sam?"

"Well it doesn't matter now that we have new plans."

"And then I assume you'll have new plans after that." I said, shaking my head. "It's never ending, Bad. You'll always be working for the Egg, and you'll never get what you want."

"I will get what I want." He snapped. "It promised me—it promised all of us that we will get what we want." He gestured to the others surrounding me. "The Egg can give you what you want too. You could join us." He added.

"Join you?" I repeated incredulously. I took a small step back to distance myself from the blades pointing at my throat, but I continued speaking. "Bad, this Egg thing isn't right. That Egg hurts people. You are hurting people. And I wouldn't want to join a group that points weapons at me."

His gaze softened slightly and I could see him considering my words, He turned to the two with their weapons out. "Ponk, Antfrost," he nodded to them respectively. "Weapons down."

The tension in the air eased as they put their weapons away, though the cat-man, Antfrost, did so reluctantly. I kept my own sword out, however. I wasn't about to trust their new, friendly demeanor just yet.