Down with the King- Dream SMP

7- Dream

After crawling through the tunnel for what felt like forever, Dream and his friends emerged in a dark, soulless desert, winds whipping sand into their faces. He pulled his white porcelain mask down over his mouth, effectively shielding his face from the sand.

"Must be nice," Sapnap commented sarcastically when he saw Dream do so. He smirked at Sap in return before scanning the desert.

"They had to have come through here," Dream said, squinting through the sand. Lava moved sluggishly against the dark soul sand, mimicking an ocean.

"Hey, look over there!" George exclaimed, pointing towards a flickering light in the distance. "A campfire?"

"Only one way to find out," Dream said, setting his sights on the light and pushing forward through the strong winds that tore across the desert. The soul sand clung to his legs, making each step feel like he was walking through wet cement. It was slow going and each step felt heavier than the last. 

"Maybe we should stop and wait for the wind to die down?" Sapnap called over the roaring gusts.

"No, that only gives the insurgents more time to get ahead," Dream replied. "We keep moving!"

The winds lessened over time and soon, Dream and his companions found themselves staring at another huge expanse of waste.

"I could have sworn I saw light coming from over here," George frowned, looking at the darkness.

"I saw it too- there it is!" Punz exclaimed, pointing to their left. There was a flickering light half shielded by a cave just a few hundred yards from them. They swiftly made their way down to the cave, stopping just shy of the entrance. The air was hot here and Dream felt sweat trickle down his back. God, he couldn't wait to finish this and go home. Though he enjoyed the Nether, the wastes were always so hot and stagnant and completely drained him of energy.

Suddenly, George slipped forward, causing bits of netherrack to fall towards the cave entrance. Dream shot out an arm to catch his friend, all of them freezing in place. The element of surprise was a great weapon and it would be a shame to lose it now thanks to a small slip up.

"Hello?" a voice called from the mouth of the cave. A dark figure stood up, looking around themselves.

"We haven't been spotted," Dream whispered, watching the man at the cave intently. "I have an idea."

"Dream!" Sapnap hissed as Dream stood from their hiding place. The figure at the mouth of the cave jumped when he saw Dream, but did not cry out. Dream beckoned for the man to come join them before dipping behind the mound with the others.

"Are you insane?" George whispered. "It's like you want them to know we're here!"

"Relax," Dream told them. "I know this person."

"Hello?" the man said, rounding the corner of the mound they huddled behind and taking a swig from his canteen.

"Hello," Dream replied, standing up so that he looked down at him. The man swallowed nervously.

"It's been a long time, Your Majesty," the man said, pulling at his shirt collar in agitation.

"Yes it has," Dream nodded. "What was your name again, J. Schlatt was it?"

"The one and only," Schlatt chuckled, now fussing with the buttons on his coat.

"Relax, Schlatt," he said. "We're tracking down some insurgents who thought that they could escape into the Nether. Do you have any idea where we could find them?"

"Ah, well, what would be in it for me?" Schlatt asked.

"You don't bargain with the king!" Punz exclaimed, attempting to draw his sword, but Dream held out a hand to stop him.

"No, Schlatt is right," he said. "After all, what good is selling out your companions if there's no reward?"

"Y-yeah?" Schlatt nodded, clearly confused and tense.

"How about this," Dream smiled. "Tell me about the insurgent's plans and I won't kill you when we ambush them. How does that sound?"

"Well, staying alive does sound pretty good," Schlatt said with another nervous laugh. "You sure know how to strike a deal, Your Majesty."

"Good," Dream said, shaking Schlatt's hand. "Now, what are they up to?"

"They want to find your secret portal," Schlatt said.

"Well that's stupid, Dream doesn't have a secret portal," Sapnap laughed.

"And where do they believe this secret portal is?" Dream asked, ignoring the shock clearly written on Sapnap's face.

"In the Nether Fortress," Schlatt nodded. "They were going to backtrack their way there in a little bit, actually."

"I see," Dream hummed to himself. "Schlatt, come here."

Schlatt leaned forward as Dream whispered very specific instructions in his ear before backing away.

"Thank you, Schlatt. You can leave now."

"T-that's it?"

"Yes."

With the look of a frightened puppy, Schlatt left them, heading back to the cave where the rest of the insurgents were hiding.

"Dream?" George asked.

"I think it's time to go home," he said, brushing netherrack off his cloak.

"But the rebels are right there!" Sapnap exclaimed. "Why don't we take them out now?"

"Because, Sapnap, I don't just want to crush their rebellion," Dream said darkly. "I want to crush their spirits."

With that, he turned and began making his way back to the Nether portal, leaving his friends to follow and wonder what the hell he could be planning.