:)

'It's- it's bad. Very bad.' Is all Cub explains, eyes wide as he return.

'Bdubs?' Grian guesses. I stand closer to Martyn.

'No. No not Bdubs. The True Vengeance. Xornoth's... Xornoth's Group.'

'What?' Scar seems to know who he's talking about and from Martyn's expression, he does too.

'True what now?' Grian frowns. 'Who are they, how are they bad?'

'Me and Scar have... A bad history with them. They're brutal. And don't like us. Is Scott back?'

'Wait... Xornoth is Scott's brother.' I remember. 'Is he behind this?'

'I don't know. Who knows how to sail a ship? We need to get away. We just need to get away.' Cub's still panicking. Doc raises a hand, running to the wheel. I stand closer to Martyn. Grian's still confused.

'So... So this group of bad people are after you and Scar? Why? What happened?'

'They'll think we have the egg. And want it themselves.'

'Well we don't!'

'That's not going to stop them! Doc, can you make the ship go any faster?!'

'Cub, how do you know so much about them?!'

'Excuse me, what's going on out here?! I'm trying to sleep!' Joey interrupts, bursting into view.

'Your boyfriend is coming to murder us!'

'Someone check their progress.' Cub continues being in control. I take up the role, grabbing the spyglass from him as I pass...

'It's very close. We won't be able to outrun them.'

'Cub how do you know so much about them?!'

'Because they want their side of the deal.'

'What deal?'

'The deal where I became indebted to them to save your life, Scar!'

'What's wrong with Xorny?' Joey continues to question. 'He's never tried to hurt anyone...'

Their conversation falls into the background as arrows fly towards me. I scramble away.

'Dudes! They're shooting at us!'

'Scar, get inside and hide.'

'Tell me what's going on.'

'I have! It's not important! If I remember anything else I'll explain it after this is over.'

'What's going on?!' Another voice, this time from Scott climbing up the side of the boat. 'Why are their arrows?! Lizzie was nearly hit!'

'I do not appreciate being hit by arrows!' Another Triton with pink hair and blue scales follows Scott onto the boat.

'Hey Lizzie...' Grian apparently knows them. 'How's... Life?'

'Joel told me what you did.'

'We have more important things to worry about right now!' Cub insists. 'Scar, hide. I'll join you. Martyn, Grian... Find something to fight with. Or try to lure them away. Doc, stay on the wheel. Ren, keep look out. Scott, Lizzie, Joey... Help, or get out the way.'

'They're getting very close now, dudes...' I warn. 'As in... I don't need the spyglass to see how many weapons they've got...' I catch sight of one of the sailors with long blonde hair pointing towards us. Their shouts to stop next to us.

'They're... Basically on our ship now.' At this point, everyone can see their position. I run to join the others again. Doc tries to veer the ship out the way. It doesn't work.

They reach us.

And there's nothing we can do.

A fighter in full armour jumps between the ships, right behind Grian. There's no time to shout, or give any warning before holding a sword to his neck.

'GRIAN!' Cub blocks Scar's way before he does anything stupid, defending him. Doc swears loudly, drawing his trident. I'm still on a higher level, signalling for Martyn to join me. Joey, Scott and Lizzie slink inside. Cowards.

'Give us the egg or the dragonborn dies.' The knight spits.

'Hels, we don't have it.'

'And yet you still run from every kingdom in Hermitia with a name on your back.' Another jumps onto the boat, this one with long white hair and an X scar across his face, holding up a wanted poster. 'Weird.'

'Fellas... Fellas we can talk this out. I can-'

'Shut it, dragonborn.' Hels holds the sword closer to Grian's neck, silencing him. Scar's tail lashes behind him.

'Let him go. We've done nothing wrong.'

'Just give us the egg and we'll be gone.'

'WE DON'T HAVE THE- OW!' Grian's second attempt to speak ends worse than the first as the scar-faced sailor slashes at his face. Blood sprays.

'EX, Hels, it's ok.' They fall silent. I realise too quickly it must be the leader 'I'll handle things from here.' The same blonde as before steps into view. Cub steps back, taking Scar's hand.

'Good morning, sailors. Do you have a name for your group?'

'The disaster of fugitives.' Martyn calls.

A laugh back.

'Nice. I as... A couple of you know, am the leader of the True Vengeance, True Symmetry. Though I assume more of you might know me by the pseudonym of False Symmetry. Pearl's army pays well... But anyway. We're here to discuss the dragon egg you possess.'

'We don't have it!' I say for the billionth time. 'We didn't steal it!'

'I'd think more carefully about your dragonborn friend before lying like that.'

'Why does everyone assume we have an egg just because we're blamed for it?!' Martyn adds. 'We've had to tell everyone we don't actually have it!'

'I assumed as much. You've become very good at lying about it. Now, where is the egg?'

'Let Grian go and we'll be more inclined to negotiate.' Cub bluffs. 

'You're telling me taking the dragonborn isn't enough of a threat? You would have no issues with me killing him?' True draws a sword. Grian recoils as it too is pointed at his neck. 

'I don't negotiate with people who use threats as their only method. Let him go and you can have the egg.'

'What's he doing?!' Doc mutters, approaching. 'Is he trying to get Grian killed?!'

'Cub... don't do this...' Grian can barely whisper. 

'We aren't here to negotiate. We're here for what we deserve to have. We won't let... Grian... go until you give us the egg.'

'Then we're at a stalemale.' 

'No we're not.' True grins. My stomach drops as I realise what she's going to do. 'You still value the egg.'

'But we don't value your friend.'

She stabs Grian in the gut. 

'GRIAN NO!' Scar screams, breaking free of Cub,

There's nothing anyone can do.

Grian collapses, still letting out pained noises. Cub runs for Scar. Doc sprints to Grian, falling next to him. Me and Martyn follow.

EX grabs Scar's arm as he tries to attack True, shoving him to the ground. Hels holds back Cub, stopping him from helping, stopping all of us from helping as Scar is pulled to his feet, hands tied behind his back, and dragged, struggling and yelling for help, onto True's ship.

'You have a week to deliver the egg to us. Or we will kill him.' True explains, calm as anything, before following, Hels letting Cub go. It's only me and Martyn that stop him from pursuing revenge, or rescue, or anything stupid that'll get both him and Scar killed. 

'SCAR!' Cub screams as he collapses to the ground. 

'CUB!' Comes the terrified reply, somewhere inside the ship. 

All we can do is watch as the ship sails away, taking Scar and leaving us with a dying Grian.

:)