Ravenguard Ch1-3

“It started with his room and was kept secret at first. The captain was quite strict and they say the sergeant feared being reprimanded for defacing public property.” Phineas raised a single eyebrow and attempted his best impression of a man imparting a secret to another.

“Oddly enough, when the captain of the guards discovered the sergeant's redecorated quarters he did not get upset. The captain complimented the work and suggested he train others in his hobby. Soon after the officers mess was dotted with a number of crude carvings.

While few had the gift of the sergeant, they continued practicing. Eventually others took up the chisel and unofficial training sessions began in the quiet off hours within the officers' mess hall. The caliber of the carvings improved as more skill was discovered, or so the legend goes.”

Phineas remembered hearing the tale while waiting in line to pay his taxes. A guardsmen had been explaining a rather crude carving in the excise office. A merchant had asked why the outside was so beautiful while the inside was quite the opposite. The guard had explained that the first carvers had started on the inside, and only the best were allowed to work on the outer facade.

He had to agree. It made sense. The official buildings were quite boring from an architectural perspective. However, the elaborate carvings did a wonderful job of illuminating the otherwise gloomy structures. Phineas's favorite was an ancient carving, still beautiful despite being worn down by the sandy eastern winds. It consisted of two falcons soaring over a forest. The detail was exquisite and their eyes seemed to glow in the morning light. It reminded him of his youth, escaping from the great hall and playing amongst the trees. The reprimands and whippings were well worth his afternoon hours spent daydreaming in the groves of the dryads, when dryads had still inhabited those woods. He recalled with a fond melancholy.

Phineas's gentle reverie was shattered as he was plunged into darkness. After a