Worlds Apart (Techza)

#25~What's Left~

Sequel Chapter 1/4

*

A familiar distortion of noises bombards my eardrums, racking around my skull. It's been a while since I've come here, and the wave of heat upon entering has me stumbling to my knees.

"You okay, Phil?" Technoblade asks, somewhat concerned. He himself winces slightly and brings a hand up to shield his beginning to water eyes from the ash-filled air. "I guess this is how you feel everytime you visit the Nether. I had no idea."

"You had a bit of a troubling experience on your first few journeys to the Overworld though." I stand shakily, patting away the dust and rocks from my clothing.

"Yeah, but this is worse," he responds blankly, gazing around the place that used to be his home.

I turn right and begin across the soul sand valley, hopping down the many layers of flat land and avoiding blue fires.

"What exactly are we doing here?" the hybrid asks casually, following close behind with hands crossed behind his head. "Not that I'm scared of a few piglins now." He shrugs with a smirk, thinking back to that day, and most likely thinking about his newly-made, personal netherite axe - being the one he held before was mine.

"Well," I begin, not sure how to put it, "to visit a certain structure, I guess." When a perplexed look is thrown my way, I answer by pulling out a stack of TNT with a grin. Techno frowns for a second before returning the grin and bearing his tusks.

"I don't appose," he states. I put away the TNT and sigh.

"I'd have hoped not."

We pass by bone structures and the wide trail of lanterns still shining bright since forever ago. I gaze at the trail, glad it gave me a chance of rescue rather than lead me directly to the "trap." In my maddened state of mind then, I wouldn't have cared of what happened to me.

Techno begins to whistle through his teeth, and I absently slip my hand in his to swing our arms as we trek on. About halfway through, I feel the need to eat, and so I materialize half a stack of beef to munch on. When offered, Techno politely declines, saying how he had some cods earlier when learning to fish.

A few minutes later, and the vast lava lake comes into view. I pass by a family of striders with a pleased smirk, subtly sticking out my tongue childishly for a moment.

Who needs to walk on lava when I can fly over, dumb chickens.

(A/N: I have no idea why I made Philza being jealous of striders a thing... I honestly love them. • > • )

"What's that look for?" I glance at the hybrid and force a neutral expression.

"Nothing...." My voice sounds a bit too suspicious, but Techno doesn't care and instead laughs it off.

"You're cute," he mumbles, turning his head opposite me while scratching a scar on his cheek. My face grows warm, and I open and close my mouth, having difficulty coming up with a reply. The piglin just squeezes my hand - still in his - affectionately, giving me a small smile before looking ahead.

Finally, in the near distance, a structure gradually looms into view; it's outer appearance as rough and broken as I remember from my last, unfortunate visitation.

"Hasn't changed one bit," Technoblade observes as well with little interest, gazing over the bastian. His appearance is calm and collected, bored even, but a twitch of his ear and a slight narrow to his eyes indicates he may be on edge; alert.

I've grown to understand the hybrid well enough to know he's very rarely unaware and perfectly at peace. Maybe because of his long past in hiding, but never is Techno oblivious and inattentive as some may assume by his usual laid-back attitude.