[Cards] Staff of the Black Raven (Patreon)

"What are you doing, men? Safeguard the prince's chamber!"

The two guards shot to their feet as their captain's voice—not to be taken lightly—rang out. They scrambled down the passage away from their post opposite the statue hall entrance, rounding a corner to be faced with the captain himself. Snapping to a salute, they said in unison, "Headed to the chambers now, sir! Won't be long, sir!" "Chambers? What do you mean?"

"But I hea… you said to go…"

"I said nothing! And, were I not already relieving you, I'd like to make that relief permanent!"

The guards scuttled off in shame and confusion as the captain took up watch, frowning as he noted the guards' empty key hanger. No mind; he had his own set.

He missed the flap of glassy wings as the keys, held in unseen claws, vanished around a corner.

Bowed under the weight of an unconscious serpentfolk, Alistair Rook thanked his predecessor for the crystal raven. Mimicking the captain's voice at the party earlier had been instinct, now buying just enough time for the raven to collect the keys as he dashed out-of-sight. At a new corridor, his quiet call to watch assured him of the safety to press on.

And so the Ravenheart wove out through a locked back gatehouse, aid from an old companion the tool to rescue a new one.