Swamped

"Pretend you're sick," you whisper back. "And hand me your ball, if they didn't take it."

Mary slips her ball towards you. It's not a dangerous weapon, really, but it should be enough to catch the guard by surprise.

"Urgh," Mary groans. "Not doing too well. Dean, is that Fenguin thing poisonous?"

"Greater Fenguins?" Dean seems puzzled, but only for a moment. "Well, not in their normal habitat. But you know, they do spray sand through their gills... if this one tossed swampwater out, and you had your mask off, well, it's possible you could be exposed to something."

Ringer raises their bell, but Walter moves quickly and grabs it through the bars. You toss a ball at Ringer's head, distracting them long enough for Walter to deliver a good punch.

"That'll buy us a little time, but we'll have to answer for it later," Walter says, going back over to the loose bars. "So let's get this loose quickly."

"Right," Dean says. He grips the lower portion of the bars. Jackson pulls out a length of rope from his sleeve and ties it around them, then pulls. You and Mary support him.

It's enough to make a small hole in the bars.

"Right, that should do it," Dean says. "Now I'll hurry to the roost."

"Get back quick, Dean," Walter says. "We'll have enough trouble if you aren't caught."

You're Dean now. The roost isn't far from here, but obviously, that other Marshguard will be coming back soon with backup.

Will you just head for the roost, or is there some way you can delay the guards first?