Summary: You awaken in a cage in the Guild’s headquarters. The Guildmaster, the one who’s kept you under their thumb for the last three years, is furious at your betrayal. However, they’re willing to offer you one lifeline: they might let things slide, if you’ll tell them where the dragon is.

PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4

Author’s Note: Warning, this part is much darker than the others in this series. This is for folks who want to lean more into the grittier parts of the Listener’s story. If you don’t want to include this part, though, and just have it be an overall lighter story with the focus on the Listener and Tam, it’s also possible to skip straight to part 6!

CW: verbal abuse (refers to the Listener as “brat” and “traitor”); emotional manipulation/abuse; threats; discussion of selling the Listener

Usage:

• OK to record & monetize, as long as you give me credit in the video/audio description as the scriptwriter! I would also love to listen to the recording when it’s done–please send me the link on Reddit! Paywalling is okay; however, if you paywall, you must make it possible for me to listen to the finished product.
• Gender-flipping and small tweaks are okay, but no large edits are permitted.
• Feel free to use music or insert sound effects if you’d like. Any sound effects given are suggestions–use at your discretion. *Sound effects in bold, set apart by asterisks\*
• Any dialogue or reactions given by the Listener are purely for the benefit of the VA, to help them feel like they have something to respond to while they’re acting. Listener reactions in italics.
• Please let me know if you have any questions!

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\Sound effects—the Guildmaster’s voice fades in, speaking to their Lieutenant\**

…need them awake. They’re the only one who knows where it lives!

Pause.

Hmm?...I know it had enough of the stuff to fell a damn dragon! I don’t care. Do what you have to, but wake them up!

Pause.

By the gods! Am I cursed to have all my subordinates be either traitors, or else completely useless!? Fine, then; I’ll do it!

\Sound effect—footsteps approaching\**

Up. I said, up. Come on, brat, I don’t have time to waste. Wake up! Now!

The Listener remains silent.

Aaaargh! \calls to subordinate** Lieutenant! Get the bucket.

\Sound effect—water splash\**

That’s better. \sarcastic** Well, good morning, Your Highness. As much as I’m sure you need your beauty sleep, we’ve got some important business to discuss.

\Sound effect—rattling bars\**

Comfortable? After all the trouble we took preparing it for that dragon, it seemed a shame to let it go to waste.

“What are you going to do to me!?”

Well, that depends on whether you decide to cooperate, now, doesn’t it?

The Listener yells for the Guildmaster to let them out.

What!?

\Optional sound effect—hand slamming against the bars\**

Grrrraah! Traitorous brat! You let our biggest prize in a decade just fly off into the sunset, and you have the gall to tell me to let you go!? After I went to all that trouble to get you that medicine, dodging import restrictions, even paying extra for safe handling, all I asked in return was that you repay me how you could. A year or two seems a small price to pay for your sister’s life, after all.

The Listener screams that it’s been three years. They ought to have been able to pay off their debt a long time ago, but the guildmaster cheated them.

Don’t forget, you were the one who came to me, brat. You might claim I cheated, but if you thought the price was too steep, maybe you shouldn’t have signed the contract.

“I didn’t know! You charged me DOUBLE what it was worth!”

And how is that my fault? You should have known better than to expect honest dealings from the Skinner’s Guild. You’re lucky I didn’t charge you even more! And if it weren’t for me, then your dear sister wouldn’t be alive now, would she!?

The Listener screams curses at them.

Whine all you want, brat, but no matter what you say, your debt still stands! For this little stunt, I may just add another ten thousand gold, for all the trouble you’ve caused us!

But…there may be a way that you can make things right. I am very angry…but you’re still one of our best hunters. With such a noble cause behind your contract, I guess I should’ve expected that your soft spot would get the better of you from time to time. I might be willing to let this little betrayal slide, if you just us the dragon.

“I don’t know where they are!”

Don’t lie. You went with it to its lair. The Lieutenant saw you climb on its spiny back, before the two of you took off. You know where it lives.

“You followed me!?”

Are you really that surprised? I’ve been in this business long enough to smell a rat. In order to eliminate a rat, you've got to follow it back to its nest. Besides, even if he hadn’t seen the creature take off towards the mountains, we’d have been able to track you through the mark we gave you. We know the dragon is somewhere in the mountains. Tell us where, and we’ll let you go. It’s that simple.

The Listener tells them to f\** off.*

No? \low, dangerous** Think carefully, brat. You already know what I could do to your sister…but if you refuse, it’s not just her that will suffer.

The Listener yells at them to do their worst.

Hmm? \chuckle** You think I’m talking about that little “reminder” I gave you before? Why bother with another black eye? It’s clear it didn’t do much. Besides, it would only damage the merchandise.

“Merchandise???”

That’s right. Your little stunt has cost us greatly, after all. We’ve got to make up that money somehow. Usually we deal in creatures…but I’m sure someone out there will have a use for a traitorous brat like you.

"No! You can’t!--"

Just watch me. Now, what’ll it be, hunter? It’s you, or the creature. Is it really worth sacrificing yourself for it? At the end of the day, it’s just a glorified animal.

“They’re not an animal!” the Listener growls. “They’re intelligent, kind, and a thousand times more human than YOU!”

\laughs** Looks like that sentimental streak runs deeper than I thought. Very well. I’m sorry it had to come to this. \to the Lieutenant** Lieutenant! Double the magic on these locks. And I want a guard down here 24/7. If they’ve betrayed us once, they’ll do it again.

\to the Listener** Farewell, then, little brat. Whoever your new owner is…I hope they enjoy the feisty prize they’re getting.