Corrupted - A Hermitcraft (and Empires) Fanfiction

7: Cub

Tw: torture (not physical), imprisonment

I can't open my eyes.

It's the first thing I realise as I wake up.

I can't open my eyes, because I already have. 

The world is black.

I try to move. But I can't. My hands...

No.

No no no this isn't happening. I'm not trapped. I can't be trapped... I yank against the skulk tangled tight around my wrists. Around my ankles. My neck-

'HELP!' 

A ripple of light as I scream.

'HELP PLEASE! SCAR! ANYONE! XISUMA LET ME GO! XISUMA! SCAR! SO-'

The skulk around my neck tightens. I'm back in the forest. I can't breathe, black spots appearing in the blue blur ahead of me.

'Enough of that, vexling.' Xisuma, I realise after too long. His voice is too cold, too deep, too emotionless. 'We wouldn't want you to lose your voice before I finish asking questions.' He lets me breathe again. I struggle again, trying to move towards him and the safety beyond.

'Let me go.'

'No.'

The world slowly comes back into focus... I can see X somewhat properly through the dark. His armour is cracked, bluer than normal, covered in skulk. The centre of his chest is like a warden's... a gaping hole of flickering souls, Skulk tendrils grow from the sides of his helmet. And all that's visible through the blackness of his visor are glowing blue eyes. 

'No. I'm not going to let you go. First, you will tell me about your little magical hermit friends.' Xisuma, or the skulk controlling him crouches down to where I lie. 'And then you're going to turn them to our side.'

'No. No... you don't control me. You can't control me any more.' I struggle more to no avail. My heart races, I'm still struggle to breathe despite the skulk allowing me to. 'You can't make me do anything... Scar will find me. He'll help me. He'll kill you for taking me.'

'Ah, Scar... the little vexling you're connected to. He can certainly try to find you. In fact, I'll willingly let him come. Maybe he'll tell us more than you will. After a bit of a...' Skulk grows down X's arm into a shining skulk-knife in his hand. 'Persuasion...'

'Don't you dare.' I snarl. 'Don't you dare hurt...' Pain, the knife against my neck, forcing me to look up at Skulk-suma's glowing eyes. 

'I won't have to if you tell me what I want. Tell me about the hermits with magic.'

'Surely you already know about them. From controlling Xisuma.'

'I had to stop him breaking free of my control. His mind is mine. His memories are unreachable. All he is now is a puppet under my control. Which is why I have to ask you before I control you too.'

'Shame I won't tell you ANYTHING.' It takes every muscle in my body not to scream, break down, show my utter terror... I'm completely trapped. If I don't speak they'll hurt Scar. And possess me sooner. Take over again. And this time it'll be even worse,

'There... there's Grian...' I mumble. 'He's a Watcher.' 

'I know. Anything else you know about him?'

'He... he's Scar's friend. He has wings. He... he doesn't use his magic much, but it's powerful...'

'Any other hermits? Anyone else you can tell me about?'

'Pearl's a Watcher too. I think she uses her powers to create stuff though. She won the Life Series. Grian won too.'

'Life series...?'

'A... a world with... a few lives and other rules, but they survived and outlived everyone... I'm not on it. I don't know about it... I... I think the Watchers are... they're something to do with it. I heard Grian and Pearl saying it was part of it...' The skulk around my neck tightens again. 'Please I'm telling you what you want to know I-'

'Stop stalling and tell me about Scar. Your vexling friend.'

'H... he's my best friend. And you're not going to hurt him.'

'Why's that? Because you're going to protect him? You're going to yell and scream and hurt me with your pathetic magic.' The skulk tightens again. I can't breathe, desperately trying not to start crying. 'I control you, Cubfan135. And nothing you can do will stop that.' Pain and air at the same time. I hit the ground, gasping for breath. Tears blur my vision as I just lie there. 'Now tell me about Scar.'

'Let me go...' I whimper. 'Let me go... please let me go...' A cold laugh. I curl up tighter, closing my eyes as though it would help me escape in any way.

'Tell me about Scar.'

'He's the best person I know. He's hilarious... ridiculous... utterly fearless but always know when he needs help... he's strong, clever... and he's not going to let you survive.'

'There's nothing he can do to stop us. Tell me about his magic. Tell me about your vexling magic.'

'It's stronger than yours.'

'No, it's not. What can it do? What does your little necklace do?'

I grab the precious vex-magic necklace connecting to Scar. Connected to my respawn. Connected to the vexling leader. 

'Nothing. It's just a keepsake.'

Another tug around my neck. 

But it's not the skulk. 

It's the necklace.

'Then surely you won't mind me breaking it if it's just a keepsake... not like it'll help when we control you.'

I struggle for breath, pulling back as much as I dare without breaking it... they can't break it. They can't break it.

'You- you break it I die. The vexlings will know and come after you.' I struggle to lie

'Die?' Another tug backwards. 'I don't care if you die. You've been very helpful, but if you die I could always replace you with your friend Scar. He can come here... try to help you... realise you're dead and then he'll be stuck, just as you were.' All I can do is shake my head. 'What does it really do?' He lets it go. I collapse again, holding it tighter.

'Respawn. It's my respawn. But Scar and the Vex will know if you break it... they'll fight you...'

'Well that's just a risk I'll have to take.'

Another tug. 

I scream as the necklace gives away, shattering. Every degree of heat is gone from the universe as I stare at the useless pieces.

'The skulk will handle your respawn. The skulk will handle all your problems. Forever.'

'No...' Just as the necklace did, I break, sobbing. 'Let me go...'

'You have been very, very helpful... but your help is not over.'

'Let me go...'

'Goodnight, Cub.'

The world turns black. 

And the skulk takes over.

:)

(No, I don't also want to give Cub the biggest hug ever)