[]-x-[] RAVEN FEATHERS []-x-[] CHAPTER I []-x-[]

Instructions

-x- A raven on his windowsill was not what Theo was expecting when he woke up. Or, maybe not woke up. More, ‘stopped lying in bed trying to fall asleep,’ but the point still stood. So did the raven. The raven was doing a very good job of standing on his window and staring at him in a vaguely menacing way. He sighed and opened the window, letting the bird deposit a folded piece of paper in his waiting palm, then dissolve into nothing but air. Internally, Theo rolled his eyes. The guildmaster was always one for theatrics. Although this seemed important, he noted as he opened the letter, because the guildmaster only used his shadows for urgent, classified missions. However, the letter was not helpful in the slightest, bearing only one command: to come to the guild hall. Great. Ten minutes later, he was standing in a lavishly decorated office, staring at the man who was lounging behind a desk, examining a piece of paper. “You asked for me?” Theo raised an eyebrow, leaning back against the wall, his arms crossed against his chest. The man, Horus as he liked to be called, smirked slightly, finally meeting Theo’s green eyes with his unnaturally gold ones, the shadowy flecks giving away Horus’s not-so-human nature. “You,” he started, leaning back in his chair. “Have been specially requested for a mission. One that pays well. Very well.” “Define ‘well.’” Theo said flatly, and Horus chuckled. “You don’t have any emotions, do you?” He smirked, placing a small coin purse on the table. “Go on, take it. It’s yours. If you accept.” Theo walked over, picking up the pouch. He didn’t show it, but his eyes widened slightly at the weight. “How much is-” “Five thousand gold. And that’s just what you get now. They’re offering twenty thousand more upon completion.” The guildmaster smirked as Theo blinked. “What will I have to do?” He asked carefully. He didn’t want to rush into this kind of job, because the amount he was getting paid meant there was almost certainly a catch. Horus shrugged. “They want you to travel to the Injiharas Kingdom, get rid of the king, take the crown, and get out. Pretty simple, if you ask me.” Theo silently raised an eyebrow. So an assassination coupled with a heist, huh? Not too bad. “What’s the catch?” Horus paused at that, looking slightly sheepish. “About that… They want you to have a partner. One specific partner.” “Okay… who is it?” Theo was confused. He’d had partners before, how was this the catch? Then he heard a voice behind him and his blood ran cold. “Seriously?” A girl was standing in the doorway, her hood down to reveal dark eyes against warm brown skin, her face framed by her dark brown wavy hair. And she was glaring at him. He glared back before looking at Horus in disbelief. “You have got to be kidding me.” -x-