How to train your hoglin

Vision

Trigger warning: drowning

Phil sank deeper into the water. His lungs burned, his vision blurred. He was going to die here. What would happen to Ranboo?
His vision began to fade, and the burning in his lungs weakened. He sank deeper and deeper, his thoughts muddling.
Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad, to die here. He'd get to see her again. He would have finally paid for what he did....what his sons blamed him for.

He could make his peace. He only hoped Ranboo would find Techno, and bring him back. Techno deserved life as much as Phil deserved to die.
Suddenly, something seemed to wrap around him.

You're not dying yet.

He was launched from the water. He landed hard on his wings, which screamed with agony.
He gasped and coughed. Water spewed from his mouth. For a long moment, he lay there, hacking, desperately trying to breathe.
He scrambled to his feet and looked around, holding his staff out to block any attacks.
Still choking liquid from his lungs, Phil scanned the room.
Empty.
So what had saved him?

He looked back at the pool. The grinning mask seemed to glow, but there was not hint as to what had happened.

The mask grew. The smile opened, revealing long fangs. It's jaws gaped open, and white mist flickering with green lightning poured from it's gullet.
Phil stumbled backwards, but the mist swallowed him up anyway.

The world spun and swirled around him, until he stood on a strange yellowish rock platform.
Across from him stood a shadowy figure.
It consisted of that grinning mask as a head, and it had no body, just claws.
He stared at it.

It chirped.

Phil stared at it. Was it some kind of animal? A demon? What was this creature?

"Who are you?" He asked.

It chirped again.

"Am I supposed to know what that means?"

Its mask....head?... tilted. It made a strange churring sound and turned, floating away.

Phil looked around, then followed it.

As they walked, more strange creatures joined them. A weird white blob, with a smiley face...a wyvern, with the mask on its chest.
Phil hadn't seen a wyvern in centuries.
They didn't attack, just escorted him.

Finally, they reached a massive circle of tall obsidian towers, each tipped with a crystal.
The creatures around him vanished into green smoke.
Phil looked around, and saw a massive winged silhouette fly overhead.

Make it here.

The same voice that had saved him.

"What?" Phil asked.

Foolish knows how...get here. Before the knights catch up

"The wither knights?" Phil asked. "Who are you. Where are you?"

It didn't respond.

Phil waited for a long moment.

Make it here.

Phil was back in the jeweled room, and the mask in the pool was gone.

Uh...what?

Phil swiveled his head, turning. His staff was still clutched in his hand. His wings ached.
Right. He'd probably strained them again.
He raked a hand through his long golden hair. How was he going to explain this to Alyssa?

Hehe