You try to struggle but they drag you down to the dungeons, imprisoning you among the poor and desperate. As they leave, you can hear the whimpers of those around you, begging for death. No one speaks of freedom. Glancing around, you narrow your eyes. You had never thought of the kingdom to be this bad.
You remember you mother as she was and can't stop the tears from falling. Fear rests in your bones and you wonder if you might die here. It occurs to you that you'll never see Rose again. As this adds to your fear, you feel yourself slipping into sleep.
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"Stronger, Arthur. Do not fear you will hurt me. I assure you, you will not," Rose says, smiling at you. It was late in the week and you were back to fighting. She didn't let you use a sword yet, proclaiming you needed to build up your strength first.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KcgYYjZLg
"I dunno, Rose. I don't want to hurt anyone."276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYzWWTd613r
"Except the king."276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXjGNK5aeh
"Well," you smile, "perhaps him."276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9RLnRtclSN
Rose sighs and sits down, motioning for you to join her. "Have you ever heard the story of Eva the Tiger?"276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzfXt6Q7XR
"No," you say, interested and confused.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxq8w8tA3Jr
"Once," Rose began, "there was a very powerful tiger. He was the leader of his clan and he wore the mantel proudly. But he did not have a son. All he wanted, more than anything, was a son. So, on a fine day much like this one, he went to the witch. He asked and he begged and he bartered and eventually, she agreed to give him a son. But only on one condition. The tiger must name the son Eva."276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLf5fvfed1
"Why Eva?" you ask.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cmzJ1uuX4
"Shh and listen," Rose replies. "Anyway, the tiger refused, hating the idea but the witch refused to budge. She had made her choice. So, the tiger agreed. When he got home, his wife had given birth to a beautiful tiger. And named him Eva."276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3cKz7vVZ5
"That witch really must hate tigers."276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1QU8iZAYEO
"No... You see, Eva wasn't allowed outside of his father's cave. The father was deathly scared that he would be teased and abused by the other tiger cubs. So, Eva grew up sheltered. However, there comes a time where every tiger is foolish. Eva wandered out of the cave one night and made his way to the tiger square, which was where the tiger cubs hung out. 'Hello', he told them, 'I am Eva the Tiger'.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlN4ezQiydp
"No one laughed or judged. They played with him and told him how his name sounded so cool. After all, the name Eva meant life."276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbtzhBnJTW
"Really?" you ask.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQD2DHlVdm
"Yes. Now, Eva made it back to the cave by sunrise but the father could smell the earth on him. He demanded to know where his son had gone yet Eva wasn't saying. That night, when the father went to bed, Eva snuck out again. And so it went. For three nights in a row, Eva snuck out. On the fourth night, his father stayed awake and then followed the creeping tiger.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUSsgObltg5
"That night, he discovered something. There was nothing to fear. For his son had courage. And courage is not the absence of fear but rather the knowledge that something is more important than fear."276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGh6Adzb4tA
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You snap awake, sure of something. No matter what they do to you, you will have courage. Your mother and Rose are more important than fear.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYckSvjWuaI
The next day, they bring you to what they call the chamber. There's a man, sharpening a blade with a dirty smile on his face. Next to him, a machine is hooked up to a screaming woman. You don't recognize her although her interrogator is calling her Dahlia.
The hook you up to your own machine and wait, patiently. Soon, the man comes over.
"Where is the sword?" he asks, blunt and emotionless.
You reply with a vulgar word you had heard Rose use one. He smiled and turned on the machine. Pain wracks your system and you yell, barely resisting the urge to cry. When it's over, when he turns it off, you stop resisting and let the tears fall. This is the worst pain you've ever felt.
"It stimulates the nerves," he says as you weep. "Electrocutes them one by one until their dead. You know what happens then?"
You shake your head.
"You die," he says, smiling in anticipation. "Now, I'll be nice one more time. Where. Is. The. Sword."
You grin. "If it was up your ass, you'd know." He turns on the machine.
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A) Bow under pressure and tell them where it is, saving your mother.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7CRHvrBueR
B) Stay strong and watch your mother get tortured with you.276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ja9HFdOET
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A/N: I'm sorry it's so late in coming. I've been a bit busy and things have been hectic in my family. However, better late than never! Here it is!276Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOcjfjcncUI
