I have so many songs in my spotify playlist I act out the first section of this to

I'm so excited to write it

Tw: torture

Around a month ago

'Right. Here's the deal.'

I fight a groan as I open my eyes. My head explodes with pain. I'm sat down, hands behind me. Tied behind me. What happened? Where am I?

A flash of memory. Masked figures. A break in. And then someone knocked me out and...

I'm here.

There's a table in front of me. And behind the table is an elf with long blonde hair and cold blue eyes. Familiar. Why are they familiar? Why do I know her?

'Here's the deal.'

'Let me go.' I demand. 'Let me go. Get out my house.' My hands pull against the rope, but it doesn't give way.

'Oh no, Cub. You have a deal to fulfil.

Recognition.

She's the one who hurt Scar. The one I swore to help. 

True Symmetry.

'What do you want, True?'

'You're gonna steal something for me.'

'What?'

True laughs, wandering around the room. My room. Looking at all my stuff like they're hers. 

'You're going to steal Queen Pearl's dragon egg and give it to us'

'And what will you do with this egg.'

'Rule Hermitia.'

'No.'

'Even if I tell you the alternative?'

'What's the alternative?' I fight the rope again. But I can't get free. It doesn't work. True laughs, placing a picture on the table. One of Scar.

'I make you watch us torture your little friend until he bleeds to death.'

'Scar's gone.'

'Gone? I bet we can find him. And if not? We're going to burn this place to the ground in front of you with everything you own in it. And leave you on the streets to die.'

I don't reply. 

'It's your choice, Cub.'

A piece of parchment is slid in front of me. The deal from before, my name written dark red at the bottom. And then another.

I hereby swear to help True Symmetry and the True Vengeance acquire Queen Pearl's dragon egg or risk the destruction of my home and/or death of Scar Goodtimes.

Signed ________

'Why?' 

'Why what?'

'Why would you do this? What did we do to you?!' 

'Because your noble family of Vex drove us from our home. I was a CHILD.' True slams her hands on the table. 'And I was fleeing from everything I knew with nothing because your FATHER felt the need to destroy our village. Take the land. Bury everything I knew in dirt and pretended the hills around the House of Vex were always there.'

'That wasn't me.'

'I'm the only one who survived.' True hold a knife to my neck, forcing me to look into her icy eyes. 'I laughed as they ransacked your home and killed your parents.'

The joint worst day of my life rises in my mind. Playing with Scar in the hills around the manor until it's dark. Returning to find myself orphaned, windows smashed, place a mess I didn't clean up for a month. Tears betray me, blurring my vision.

'It was you.'

'I did nothing. I just watched.' She steps back, leaving a sting of pain. 'And then you came to my new place. I knew you from what your father looked like.  

'You killed my family. Wasn't THAT enough for you?'

'It would NEVER BE ENOUGH!' True stabs the table. 'Now sign the paper or lose what you love most as I did,'

'Please...'

'SIGN IT! DO IT! GET US THE EGG OF SUFFER!'

'PLEASE!'

Pain. I bite my tongue to stop myself screaming as my arm explodes in agony.

'We're not letting you go until you sign.' A feather quill is slammed in front of me. I fight faintness as I realise the only ink is my blood. 

'Come on, Lord Cubfan of house Vex. Do you not value your friends and precious home?'

'Untie me and I'll sign it.' I barely manage to say. Even though I might collapse if they let me go. The sick murderers. The reason my family are gone. 

'Hels?'

The ropes around my wrists fall away. I take the quill from True without a word.

And agree to help the reason I'm an orphan.

Agree to help the people who hurt my best friend.

Agree to help with a bloody take over of the only kingdom I've known.

I agree to steal the egg.

Now

Scar doesn't speak.

I don't speak. Hugging the dragon egg close. The stupid egg. The hells-damned egg I lost so much for. 

The egg I killed Martyn for.

'Y-you.' 

'Come with me.'

Neither of our first words start to comprehend what I've done. I drop the sword, holding out my hand. Scar doesn't move, staring at me, tears shining down his cheeks. He shakes his head. 

'Come with me.'

He can't speak, even if he wants to. The only sound he produces is a broken squeak of a sob. 

'Scar she made me do it.' I hug the damned egg closer. The egg I want to throw away. Destroy. But can't. She'll find me. 

You have until dawn to give us the egg or everything you love will burn. 

We will kill Scar, we will burn down your house, we will hurt you.

Give us the egg you promised to steal for us.

-True

The stupid letter. The thing that made me snap. I replied the moment everyone was asleep. 

I gave in.

'You killed Martyn.' I can't look at Scar for more than a second. Standing in front of me.

Broken.

'I panicked. He refused to give me the egg. I needed the egg.'

'Why?'

'True will kill you if I don't give it to her. She'll kill everyone. I give it to her and it's over. The deal- she wanted me to steal the egg. Or she'd find and kill you. Or burn down our home. If I don't give it to her now she'll do both.' It all comes out. Everything. Everything True forced me to do. Me writing to Oli, a bard I helped once, pretending to be Pixlriffs declaring he steal the egg. Thinking I could deny anything to do with it.

Until Scar was blamed for stealing the egg instead. And I had to join him in getting him back, of face True finding and killing him as she swore she could.

 'Come with me. I'll keep you safe. It can be like the old days. I give True the egg and she'll never hurt you again.'

'You killed Martyn.'

'Scar, please... come with me.'

I barely hear Scar's whisper back through his tears. His shock. His denial. The silent admission.

'I can't trust you.' 

'I can't trust me either.' It's taking everything not to break down. Tears soak my face. A black hole of guilt twists deep within me. 

A scream of pure grief. 

Ren.

He's awake. Doc'll be awake. They'll find me. 

'Scar...' I keep my hand out. 

Scar doesn't take it. 

 'Goodbye.'

And Scar screaming my name is all I hear as I run away.

:)