The Hunt

♡ ̆̈VII✩

Skeppy sighed as he walked through the forest outside Everlost Village's borders. After his small conversation with a group of hunters, he knew he had to act quickly with their request. In the front pocket of his pants, the name tag resided. The day before, when the hunters visited him, he hadn't been able to get a hold of his dear friend. Now, it was the next day, and he had to find him quickly.

Bad Halo no longer lived inside the borders of the village. Although the King and Queen allowed him to live inside, the Netherian couldn't bear listening to the residents' remarks and murmurs about him. Rumors flew around; people thought the man would suddenly attack. They believed that he was sent on behalf of the Nether to get rid of "enemies." So now, he lived outside the borders in a small but cozy cabin. However, he was still allowed inside the village, courtesy of the King and Queen.

When the man first landed in the Overworld, he was lost. Bad was terrified and overwhelmed. After leaving and going against his people, his King and Queen, he officially became a Netherian outcast. The man knew the moment he stepped away, he'd no longer be able to return. The first couple of days, Bad spent his days and nights wandering the forests. In the day, he'd search for a space to relax in the shade. At night, he'd look for a shelter to keep from the cold and the multiple monsters that roamed.

One day, he ran into a man known as Skeppy. At first, Bad tried to run. Every day since then, Skeppy would visit the forest with food and water, even fresh clothing. He'd gift them to Bad, wanting him to feel safe. When they had gotten to know each other, Bad didn't want to tell the man everything about his life in his home dimension. So he came up with lies.

Skeppy, to this day, had no idea what the truth was. All he did know and believed was that Bad merely wanted to leave the hostility that the people showed and that their rulers were good people. "Bad! Are you home?" he called out, stopping in front of the cabin. He stood there for a good minute, tapping his foot into the dirt.

The front door squeaked open, a shy boy peering out. "Oh, Skeppy! Hey! I didn't think we'd see each other this morning," Bad smiled as he fully opened the door,  standing with welcoming arms hanging out.

Skeppy smiled as he walked onto the porch, listening to the creaks of the floorboards. "Well, I have something important to ask you. Are you busy at the moment?" he asked.

Bad shook his head as he wrapped his arms around the familiar man, giving him a small squeeze. Skeppy took a deep breath as he followed his friend inside the house, closing the door behind him. "Have you eaten yet? Are you thirsty? I made a lot of lemonade by accident--" Bad sighed, walking straight to the kitchen.

Skeppy made himself comfortable on the couch, breathing in the sweet aroma of freshly baked blueberry muffins. He turned to look at the dinner table, finding the platter with the snack stacked as a pyramid. "I'd do anything for lemonade, thanks," Skeppy chuckled, pulling out the name tag from his pocket. His eyes wandered as he stared, thinking about what he'd say. Bad turned to look at the man on the couch, holding two cold cups of lemonade with small ice cubes floating around. "What is it that you wanted to ask me? Is it to hang out again? Skeppy! I've told you multiple times that you don't have to ask!" Bad assumed, sitting down beside the man and handing him the drink.

"Thanks, and no, it's not to hang out. Though, I'd love to later today!" he smiled.

Bad laughed, "Well, what is it then?"

Skeppy's smile dropped slightly as he took a sip of the lemonade, fiddling with the nametag in his free hand. "So, yesterday... that group of hunters, the ones who are always hunting food to sell off at those stands, you remember them, right?"

Bad nodded, "I remember that one guy and girl, George and Niki? They were arguing about which ingredient was correct when they were trying to make a potion while selling!"

"Yeah--they came to my house asking for you," Skeppy said.

Bad tilted his head, "Why? Is something wrong?"

"Not exactly. They were asking if you know who this nametag belongs to. I told them you had some relation with the parents," Skeppy continued, dropping the tag into his friend's palm. Bad looked down, silently reading the name. His smile dropped, his eyes widening. He sighed as he looked up, putting on a smile. "Yeah! He's the King and Queen's son, Prince Sapnap! He's always walking around interacting with the citizens in the Nether. He'd trade his gold for dumb things that the piglins sold. I overheard him once--a young kid was asking why he was buying useless things. All he said was, 'They remind me of all of you.' From what I remember, he's an amazing prince and the perfect future king for the Nether."

Skeppy nodded. "Does he pose any type of harm to the Overworld?"

Bad shook his head. "I often talked to him while I was still in the Nether. He seems like a good person. There's not an evil bone in his body! Anyway, how did the hunters get this name tag? From what I can tell, this material is all Netherian--he always wore it on his vest."

"Well... according to the hunters, a mysterious man appeared. They found him in the forest and immediately recognized him for his glowing eyes. They tried to get him, but he ran off. When they lost him, they found the tag on the ground. Do you know whether the Nether could've sent him here for anything specific?" Skeppy asked.

Bad hummed as he looked down at the tag, running the tips of his fingers across the material. He sighed as he looked at his friend, "No, I don't think so. If he were sent to do something, he would've done so by now and returned to the Nether. But if he comes near the cabin, I'll be able to sense him--us Netherians can sense each other, even from a couple of miles away!"

Skeppy smiled, "Great. Thanks, Bad--"

"Of course! Just do me a favor, will you?"

Skeppy tilted his head. Bad handed the name tag back, "Tell those hunters not to kill him at first sight. Prince Sapnap is the safest Netherian to be around. He wouldn't do anything, so please tell them to be open-minded."

"I'll tell them, don't worry," Skeppy said. Bad let out a sigh of relief, bringing out a new topic to discuss: what muffins he should bake next and what he should add. Skeppy chuckled as he continued to talk, leaving the news for the hunters until later. He just hoped that the chance of the hunters finding Prince Sapnap was zero.

End of Part 7. ̆̈