*Reminder: Anything said in "bold" is being spoken in Piglin

No.

Not that one.

No.

While the cookies were baking in the furnace, you were busy scouring the deepest part of the library. They were old and decrepit, pages almost falling apart under your fingertips. That was fine though, you were only here for one thing.

"Aha!" You couldn't help but celebrate, picking up the thick red leather book. It had no title, nothing to distinguish it, but you knew exactly what it was.

You see, while knowledge about the nether was very limited and mostly written in the biased eyes of a traveler, there were a select few books that were extremely useful in learning about the Nether. They were very rare because not everyone can travel to the nether, not even the Gresham's. The nether was left to explore by the royal guard and family in hopes to keep the peace between the two worlds. Those of the nether were allowed to explore the overworld as well but the Royals can't control what happens to them, which is why not many nether people roam the overworld.

However, there are a few that can sneak by guards, gather information, and come back unscathed. Some write their experiences in journals and books then pass them around to those curious and brave enough to read them. Your dad just so happened to get his hands on one.

The authors of these were kept anonymous for fear of being caught and send to the capital. The books themselves were so scarce and only given to a select few because those who gave it or those who received it would be in great trouble if caught.

After your dad was able to get his hands on the book, he immediately stored it in the back corner of the library, knowing that no one goes that far back for any book. And if they were to be back this far, it meant they had a purpose and most likely were not going to read the book with no title or author.

You carefully swung open the book, smiling at the familiar sight of the yellow pages. You remember your dad reading you part of it when you were younger but he stopped because your mom said it was giving you "nightmares". Now, though, you're sure it wasn't because of that. If anyone heard the things your dad was teaching you, he'd be executed on the spot.

You flipped through the pages as fast as you could without tearing them, mentally crossing your fingers that you would find it. Almost a minute later, you came to a stop, hand traveling down the page in wonder.

Piglin speak

A grin spread across your face as you bit your lip to not let out any noise of excitement. This book was truly a treasure but never did you think that you would ever have to use it. You took the remaining time to study the book, trying to pronounce the words quietly under your breath and form sentences you would want to use.

Piglin was definitely difficult to speak, especially with only written pronunciations and a spotty explanation of the grammar. But it was the only thing you had and you would try to use it to the best of your ability.

After some time passed, you went back to the kitchen and retrieved the cookies before heading back towards your room. You walked a little faster as a small dose of adrenaline pumped through your body. Could you actually speak to the small piglin or was the book just a hoax?

Your excitement gradually turned into nerves as you got closer, fidgeting slightly as you stood in front of the door. Would what you say offend the young girl? It definitely wouldn't be your intention but you had just learned piglin. What if the pronunciation is so wrong it turns into something else?

Shaking your head firmly to get rid of your doubts, you opened the door to once again find the little girl sitting up in her bed, fiddling with her fingers. Her head sprung up at your presence, ears slightly turning towards you.

The girl was offered a small smile as you set the plate of cookies gently on her bedside table. As soon as you set the tray down, the piglin greedily snatched a cookie with a mischievous grin before eating it whole.

Eyes wide, you were waiting for her face to twist into pain but it only morphed into pure delight. She quickly snatched another one without a second thought.

They just came out of the oven.

Taking a mental note of the newfound knowledge, you cautiously sat next to her, observing for any signs of unease. It seemed like she was thoroughly entranced by the cookies though, paying no mind as the bed dipped a foot away from her.

You held your breath for a few seconds as you watched her munch on the cookies with a smile on her face. The smile caused her snout to upturn slightly as her ears fluttered lightly. You didn't really want to ruin the moment, especially with seeing her finally happy, but you just had to bite the bullet.

"My name is (Y/n). What is your name?"

The small girl froze, her eyes were blown wide and staring straight at you. As a few seconds ticked by you started to fidget under her gaze, heart beginning to race at the possibility that you messed it up.

When your nerves boiled over, you started to open your mouth to speak, instantly being interrupted by a loud laugh. The piglin hybrid clutched a cookie in one hand and covered her mouth with the other. Her body shook with her laughter and her eyes almost sparkled in enjoyment. Her whole reaction made you go silent again.

"You're terrible at speaking piglin," The little girl stated before taking another bite out of the cookie she was holding, no longer trying to hide the big grin she was sporting. The confession almost made you jump up from the bed.

"You can speak English?" You looked at her incredulously as her face started to turn pink, diverting her gaze away from your face.

You watched as she took the last bite of her cookie, seeming less eager than before. She started to twiddle her thumbs and swing her hooves, refusing to make eye contact.

Trying to salvage the conversation, you laughed lightly. "Well, at least I did well enough for you to know I was trying to speak piglin."

She pursed her lips to suppress her growing smile, rolling her eyes. "I only knew because my grandpa sounded the same when he started to learn. He was really bad too."

"Piglin just seems so confusing," You complained, "There are too many ways to pronounce words and all I had was a decrepit book to learn from."

The girl giggled at your whine. "It's just like every other language, you get used to it. Your pronunciation wasn't too bad, you just didn't have the right accent with it."

You nodded at her comment but she could still tell from your face that you were a bit puzzled.

"For example," She spoke up, "To say 'My name is,' you have to go 'My name is'."

Your head perked up at her demonstration, noticing the way her voice changed slightly. She motioned for you to try. "Uh- My name is (Y/n)."

"Better!" She complimented. "Now, to ask 'What is your name?,' you have to say it like 'What is your name?'"

You frowned a bit, asking her to repeat it before trying yourself.

"Um... I think we might have to work on that one a bit more," She chuckled.

You laughed with her, telling her that you look forward to her future lessons. When you checked the wall clock, you just about sprung from the bed, apologizing as you took the empty plate from her bedside table.

"I'm a little late for dinner service so I better start on that."

The piglin lowered her eyes to the floor, her smile simultaneously dropping.

"Hey, I'll be back soon enough with dinner, okay? Then we can spend more time together."

The girl didn't seem to be comforted by your words but you couldn't spend much more time consoling. If you didn't start dinner soon, the other housekeepers would be upset and the piglin would most likely be hungry for the rest of the night. You turned, making your way to the door, only stopping when you heard the piglin's voice.

"(Y/n)?"

"Yes?" You turned your head around, waiting for her to continue.

"Please don't tell anyone I can speak English."

Tilting your head slightly, you decided to nod instead of asking questions. "Sure thing. Your secret is safe with me."

"Oh, and it's Tyche."

"What?"

"My name— it's Tyche."

•••

So I decided to post a day early instead because I was bored lol

Hope you liked it!