Han-Lei Tibercalees glared at his surroundings as the cart banged along the road, a stirring across from him caught his eye and made him growl. The Drummer was waking up, his growl caught the attention of the other prisoners, three humans one gaged and two not, they also watched the Drummer wake up. Han-Lei tensed as the Drummer locked eyes with him, and Han-Lei bared his teeth as much as the muzzle the imperials had placed on him allowed.
"Hey, your awake, looks like you got caught up in this damn war to." The scared human of the trio of humans said.
"I completed my job, so I just need to escape." The Drummer responded, the gagged human grunted and rolled his eyes.
"Hiss!" Whack, Han-Lei's tail smacked the gagged human up side the head. If there was one thing he hated more than the Drummer it was this man the Jarl of Windhelm, the man was known for his view that everyone not nord was lesser.
"Watch where you swing that thing Lizard, that is Jarl Ulfric the true king of Skyrim!" the last human of the trio snapped.
"So it is his fault that we are all on our way to die? I don't give a damn about your war, but really did you need to drag us in with you?" the Drummer muttered, Han-Lei snickered at the tone, this Drummer was not as bad as the others he had met.
"Face your death with honor assassin!" The man snapped, only for the drive to yell for them to shut up.
As they entered the city, everyone was taking in the sight of what they thought would be their death site. All those except the none humans, who were looking around and each planning their own escape routes. Han-Lei casually leaned back resting his hand on his thighs, they may have stripped him of all his weapons and armor, but he was a shadowscale trained killer he was never without weapons.
His claws began fraying the ropes binding his hands, a cough caught his attention and made the feathers on his head quiver. Looking over the Drummer was cough hard into his hands, the base of Han-Lei's back-swept horns itched as his instincts told him to watch, and sure enough the Drummer straightened in his seat a moment later. A glint of steel was the only hint of what happened, the Drummer had clearly picked up an old Argonian trick, hiding something wrapped in a tight oiled cloth swallowed to be coughed up later.
A nod was share by the two non-humans, and they both went back to work of weakening their bindings. By the time the cart reached the headsman's block, both bindings only looked intact, when in fact they could be snapped easily. The coward human ran when his name was called and was shot for it, the list holding human looked at the two non-humans and turned to his captain.
"Names?" A Imperial human asked.
"Steel." "Han-Lei"
"Captain these two aren't on the list, what do we do?" he asked, the Captain glared. "They go to the block!"
"I am sorry we will make sure your remains are returned to your homelands, I am sorry you got caught up in this." This kindness surprised Han-Lei, the Storm cloaks had shown none so far but this imperial had. With his muscles slowly working their way to warmed he approached the growing crowd of those doomed for the block.
###
Steel snapped his bindings and ran the moment the very large dragon landed on the roof and started roaring fire. Unsurprisingly the Argonian Han-Lei was close on his heels, strange indigo scales dully gleaming in the burning light. They raced for a tower, Steel hit the door and tried to open it only to find it locked tight and cursing his lack of lockpicks.
"Move ash-walker!" Was the only warning Steel had before a scaled foot kicked the door hard, shattering the small amount of stone surrounding the lock and kicking the door inward.
"That works." Steel muttered as they raced in, the Storm-Cloak leader and a few of his followers following them in.
The tower shuddered as rubble came down, revealing the sky a floor above them. Han-Lei ran for the opening, Steel following while the Storm-Cloaks stood panicking, Steel trusted this Argonian far more than the Storm-Cloaks for getting out alive. The Argonian ran for the opening, right before he could make it the dragon landed on the tower and looked in the opening. Steel watched shocked as the Argonian just ran faster and leapt over the Dragon's head, barely missing getting scortched.
"Well here goes nothing!" Steel muttered to himself as he ran and leapt over the dragon, narrowly avoiding getting eaten by the snapping jaw.
"By Sithis Ash-Walker you have balls!" The Argonian remarked as Steel landed next to him, Steel looked at him blankly.
"The brotherhood does not permit the weak to join." Steel watched the brow scales rise in surprise.
"Well my brother time to leave, I may be willing to die for our dark lord and unholy matron but I still have a mission to complete so I am not dying here!" Steel gapped at the reveal, this Argonian was a shadowscale.
"Alright let's go!" Steel agreed, together they ran out of the building and through the burning village.
They were nearly in the clear when the beast landed in front of them. "Down!" Han-Lei yelled tackling Steel to the ground, making the claw that should have removed his head only gouge the left side of his face.
"No time to lay there bleeding Ask-Walked, now is time to be running the fuck away!" Han-Lei yelled dragging Steel through a burning house to avoid the dragon.
###
Han-Lei with the help of the imperial who had been kind, dragged Steel into the keep just as the fire from the dragon washed over the doors. Han-Lei laid the Drummer in a near by bed before looking at the imperial who had helped him, the man was carrying a trio of bags with him. One bag Han-Lei knew at once, it was his kit and it was full to bursting, his armor peaking out.
"I would like my bag please, I have medicine in there, I can use it and my magics to get or Ash-Walker back on his feet." Han-Lei asked, Hadvar handed over the bag and Han-Lei began his work.
