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.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvpstfppAjF
"I dunno, Rose. I don't want to hurt anyone."324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSXYciKdrj9
"Except the king."324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Eem4MVEEX
"Well," you smile, "perhaps him."324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIwbWKWw8v
Rose sighs and sits down, motioning for you to join her. "Have you ever heard the story of Eva the Tiger?"324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmy4Nr4AMP6
"No," you say, interested and confused.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMqGEx5cxSb
"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."324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnURoZZD9x
"Why Eva?" you ask.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡysuqBqpxxM
"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."324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiTneHiTM8
"That witch really must hate tigers."324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAj4fUUlQR
"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'.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNom6UyQOWF
"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."324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8WMXKPsIg
"Really?" you ask.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7vRWs7f0Q
"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.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSoiFyZqhM9
"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."324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVDsKbTLkC
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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.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtY9Yfpl8IN
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.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnnNmhXIxw7
B) Stay strong and watch your mother get tortured with you.324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8vCsqnSBz
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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!324Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByG2YG9KCP
