[IRP] The Dead One Calls

[WyvernSlayer]

Satsume barely had time to react to Cecily's brazen charge. Her song's magic faded away, the invigorating tune replaced by a rather impressive war cry. With what felt like the last of his strength, Satsume lunged away from his foe as Cecily sank the spearpoint into the man's gut. He grunted in discomfort as scrambled to his feet.

"Remind me... never to make you angry again, milady," he said. He gently reached over and helped her pull the weapon from the bloodied heap on the ground. "You can let go now..."

As he reached to pry Cecily's trembling hands off his cherished spear, another familiar sound of distress caught Satsume's ear. He turned to its source.

"Drop your weapons, call off your beasts, and surrender!" shouted a burly, bald-headed vagrant. Clutched in his grip was Paige, her face twisted in pain. She appeared to be trying to tend to an arm wound, but the brigand's hostile grab prevented her from doing so. Satsume instinctively reached over his shoulder, where his throwing spear quiver usually sat - but when his hand grabbed at air, he remembered. Sigh... of course.

Resigned to obeying the enemy's command, Satsume thumbed the button on his lance, collapsing it and throwing it to the ground in defeat. As his hands fell to his sides, he bumped up against a sword hilt.

He did a mental double-take. Paige's light brand! He must have forgotten to give it to her! Thinking back to the skirmish in the inn, Satsume got an idea. He glanced back at Cecily.

"Close your eyes!" he whispered, hopefully loud enough for her to hear.

Satsume extended his hands out in front of him, palms down. "All right! All right... just..." He exhaled, drawing up the plan one last time in his head. He locked eyes with Paige, who had a defeated, apologetic look on her face at having been captured.

"Paige?" asked Satsume.

"I'm still here," she said, trying to wriggle into a more comfortable stance. The brigand tightened his grip.

Satsume took a deep breath. His surroundings seemed to slow to a crawl... he could hear Leroy's wyvern utter a low growl at needing to be held from battle. The remains of the vagrants kept a keen eye on Satsume's hands...

NOW..!

With a swift motion, Satsume planted one hand on the light brand's scabbard, drawing the blade with his off-hand as quickly as he could. He held it up high over his head, trying to pinpoint Paige's exact location before the entire courtyard was bombed with a luminous spark of magic. Almost immediately, he could hear anguished cries and the sounds of weapons dropping to the ground as everyone in the area reached for their faces in an effort to shield from the brilliant glare of the light brand's spell. Satsume charged forward, plunging the blade's tip into the lead bandit's chest, just below the collarbone. As steel met flesh, a radiant pulse of white light seemed to emanate from the wound.

Shhhhhhiiiinngggggggg!!!

Surprised by the attack, the enemy released his hostage. Satsume was unprepared for Paige's impact against his body as she broke away, causing him to shout in pain from his existing injuries. As he did so, the light waned. Hurriedly, the two retreated back near Cecily.

Finally, the light died down. Satsume stood in front of Leroy, Paige, and Cecily, still holding the light brand. Blood streaked its grooves, and it looked now like any ordinary blade. Stunned at the success of his gambit, Satsume could only sheathe it, somewhat deliberately, before removing it from his belt and handing it back to Paige.

Once briefly silent, the courtyard was now a din of groaning and swearing vagrants. As it probably was before we got here, Satsume thought with a smirk.