[IRP] The Dead One Calls

[WyvernSlayer]

Satsume stepped away from Cecily as she poked him.  "Hnnngghh!  What the hell?!"
 
"Did the brigand clobber your brains as well as your innards? You are in no condition to be fighting anything right now. Did you happen to pack a vulnerary, for Elimine's sake? We do not even have a guarantee that this Leroy would come, tonight or at all!" cried Cecily, in a rare display of frustration.
 
"Even if you were fine, there isn't 15 of us to fight!" added Paige.
 
"First of all, I am fine."  Satsume leaned his upper body and attempted to slide out of his breastplate and pauldrons.  His ribs disagreed and jolted him with pain as he did so, causing him to struggle and grunt in pain.  Finally, the armor fell to the ground with an unspectacular clatter.
 
"Second of all," he huffed, "the castle types haven't seen me yet, so I can pass for one of them as long as I don't look like a soldier."  He stuck a finger out at Hux.  "And he's going to walk us in."
 
More widened eyes converged on Satsume.  He sighed.  "Look, it's like this..."
 
 
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Satsume walked just behind a nervous Hux along the path to the castle gate.  His ribs ached with every step - it felt like there was a blade stuck in them.  But he gut it out and kept on walking, trying not to imagine how much worse it would be if he still had his armor on.
 
In his right hand, he held a length of rope, which was loosely tied around the hands of Paige and Cecily - enough to fool a quick eye into believing their bonds were inescapable.  His belt clattered with Paige's weapons, as well as his own.  Eli walked next to him, palming a blade, ready to pounce on their captured brigand friend if he dared stray from the plan.
 
A faint wyvern screech sounded in the distance.  Hux froze briefly and snapped his head in the direction of the noise.
 
"Wh-what was-"
 
"Keep walking," Satsume said with a growl.  Eli gave him a poke in the back with the end of her knife, jolting the bandit into motion again.  Satsume gave a tug on the rope wrapped around his fist, resulting in clamoring footsteps behind him.  Cecily walked up close behind him.
 
"I do not approve of this plan," she said quietly.
 
"I know."
 
"It is bad enough that you talked everyone into this horrible idea," she hissed, "but do try not to act like you enjoy having me in bondage like this."
 
"You blow our cover and it won't be me holding the rope," he whispered.  "Now shush.  We're almost inside."

Before long, they were at the gate.  Satsume stepped forward and nudged Hux.  “You’re up.”
 
Hux looked at Satsume with some uncertainty before cupping a hand to his mouth.  “Oi, lads!  It’s me!  Open ‘er up, I got a haul here!”
 
A brief pause, then the faint glow of a torch came towards the archway.  The light illuminated a face only a mother could love.  “Hux!  Bout damn time you came back!”  He held out the torch and squinted at Satsume and Eli.  “What’s all that?”
 
Satsume stared at Hux, as if to say, “go on.”  Hux gulped and turned back to the lookout.  “Couple o’ new bloods and some wenches for the lot of us!  Come on, open ‘er up!”
 
Satsume could feel two pairs of eyes burning holes in the back of his head as the doors to Castle Burg slowly creaked open.  Another wyvern call warbled through the air, slightly louder.  Satsume peeked over his shoulder into the woods nearby.  His eyes met those of someone hiding behind the trees.
 
Here goes nothing, Satsume thought as they walked inside.