The Heist in the Nest

### The Thief

Aidoa had made a number of mistakes. He had been greedy, he had been near-sighted, he had been deceitful, but most importantly, he had let himself get caught. He’d tried to steal from the wrong people, and he wasn’t going to escape this time. He’d lived a long enough, good enough life, he supposed, but he still didn’t want it to end like this. He wanted to see his daughter again, though she’d lived far from Ravniviv for many years. His ragged breath came out in great plumes in the cold air as he ran. He stumbled, swore, and muttered a prayer to whichever god would hear him. Though he’d grown up and lived in Ravniviv, a fairly reverent city in the Lowlands, he’d never been much for belief. But it didn’t hurt to try, right?

He turned around when he heard the whistling, just in time to see the silver dagger whirling towards his head. Then, out of nowhere, a nimble hand caught it by the blade, a mere pentant from his face. Aidoa turned to face his mysterious benefactor, and stopped in absolute shock. Before him stood a tall man, clad all in black, with glowing red eyes and black wings. “One for sorrow,” he muttered.

“And two for mirth,” said a voice behind him. Aidoa turned to face it, and once again was greeted by a black-cloaked figure, this one sporting rich red wings. “Isn’t that how the saying goes?”

The first figure spun the dagger around his fingers, then flicked it to the second, who admired it for a moment before folding it into their cloak. “I am the Raven,” they said nonchalantly, “and the man before you is my brother, the Rook. You belong to him now.”

Before Aidoa could argue, the Rook gestured at the ground before him. Aidoa’s body lay across the hard earth, glassy eyes staring into the void. The same silver dagger protruded sickeningly from the body’s forehead. He shuddered, and wrapped his arms across his chest, trying to process what was happening to him.

“However, my brother has agreed to lend you to me for a while. See, I’ve been watching over you for a while, and the quality of your work rarely disappoints. I haven’t seen a thief as talented and as foolhardy as you in quite some time.”

“And you need me to steal something? What do I get in exchange?”

“You’re an interesting one, Aidoa. Most people, when held alive by gods, do not ask for more. But you are right that a fair price must be paid. What do you wish for, should you retrieve this item for me?”

He thought for a moment.

“I’d like to speak to my daughter one last time.”

“It will be done.”

### The Nest

Aidoa patted himself over, making sure all the important parts were still there. He wasn’t quite sure how the Raven had gotten him here- or even quite where he was, or if he even really existed anymore- but he knew what he had to do. He also checked for his toolbelt, and to his dismay found nothing there. He looked down at where it should have been, and realized that he was completely naked. No tools, no clothes, nothing. He sighed deeply.

All around him were large marble arches, intricately carved. Most were like huge vaults, and absolutely filled with a mess of twigs and string. Somewhere within the middens, he could sometimes see the shine of metal. Some of the arches were gateways, leading further into the halls. As he kept walking, he gained the feeling that the place was constructed like a mix between a bank and a maze. The Raven hadn’t been wrong, though. They had tampered with his soul in such a way that he felt a distinct pull towards his prize, even in the labyrinth. So Aidoa kept walking, following the strange feeling through marble halls.

Then he heard a sound, the first thing to break the eerie silence in a long time- though it was far from a comforting sound. Echoing down the halls, he heard a strange, warbling kind of song, incomprehensible but full of some kind of meaning. Aidoa dove into one of the nest-like hoards and hid, hoping the rich fabrics around him would muffle the sound of his pounding heart.

She seemed to glide by as she passed his hiding place, and the way she carried herself implied a certain elegance. She was still singing. He was still terrified. He was close enough to see the white streaks in her hair, a strong contrast to the black of her clothing. It was one thing to steal. It was entirely another to steal from under the nose of a god.

His hands were still shaking, even after she was long gone. Not too long ago, he didn’t even really believe in gods. Now he had seen three. He could only hope he would persist long enough to see normal people again, and so he quickly grabbed some clothes from the pile and pressed on.

In time, he came to an archway he felt drawn to. As he passed through it, the strange attraction felt like it was tearing at him more than ever, before subsiding into what felt like a narrow beam, pointing in a very particular direction. He had entered another one of the treasure-middens that filled this place, but this one seemed somehow more organized. The twigs and strings were woven into walls decorated with intricate patterns and broad shelves. The various trinkets that filled the space were organized and free of dust, as if meticulously maintained by some curator. The beam-like pull he felt guided him towards a particular shelf, and then a particular item- a pair of gilded eight-faced dice. He reached out to grab them, but a hand on his wrist stopped him. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt the touch. He turned and saw a man, slightly taller than he was and quite handsome, smiling roguishly.

“I’ve seen my share of thieves come into this place, but usually they’re looking for my wife’s hoard, not mine.”

### The Gambler

“So tell me, thief,” said the handsome stranger, “what brings you here? Who are you?”

Aidoa stammered for a moment, caught completely off-guard. Once again, he’d been caught, and he didn’t have much chance of escape. So for once in his life, he opted to be honest.

“I am not more than a thief, sent here by the Raven. I seek not fame, nor fortune, but simply to fulfill a promise made.” The stranger laughed.

“I suppose a long time ago I would have called you a fool. I sought these things with all my spirit. But I too dealt with the Raven, and I know what it is to be indebted to them. What is it they have asked for?”

“I didn’t know until I arrived here, I just followed a sort of forced intuition to these dice. And even now, I don’t know why the Raven wants them.” The stranger, without releasing Aidoa’s wrist, grabbed the dice and hefted them in his palm.

“Thief, I know these dice, and they have served me well for many years. I know them so well, in fact, that I can foresee the result of their next roll. The sum of their faces will be eleven. Use this foresight well, and take these with my blessing.”

“Who are you,” Aidoa asked, “who gives gifts to a thief?” The stranger laughed again.

“I am just a man from Ravniviv,” he declared, “and a Gambler by nature. And sometimes, a chance comes along that is too interesting to pass up. Good luck, thief! Now run, before the love of my life returns!”

### The Escape

The Gambler pushed the dice into Aidoa’s hand, and he wrapped his fingers around them as he ran. The filigree was cool against his sweaty palm. Faintly, in the distance, he could hear the warbling song again, and his heart began to pound again. He continued to run, but the pull that had guided him before was gone. All he could see were indistinguishable marble arches and alcoves, filled with useless treasure and meaningless doors. So he fled at random, without any way of knowing if he was getting closer to an exit or merely retracing his steps. Then he turned a corner, and came face to face with her.

She stood a good head taller than him, clad in beautiful black velvet. Red gems adorned the tiara that held back her white-streaked hair. But what stood out the most to him were her fiery eyes. Aidoa let out a tiny yelp.

“What are you doing in my realm, wandering my halls, wearing my fabrics?” she spat. “How did you get in without my permission? And more importantly, upon which wall should I hang your head?” He sputtered, at a complete loss for words. He was already as good as dead, but he was certain that she offered fates far worse than death if he could not find a way out.

“On eleven I go free,” he muttered, so quietly it was almost inaudible.

“What?”

“Eleven,” he managed, slightly more loudly. He opened his trembling hand and showed the dice he was holding. “If I can roll an eleven, I can leave.” She squinted at him, then at the gilded dice, as if searching for a distant memory. Then she laughed, a harsh but beautiful noise.

“Then roll, fool! If I were in your place, I wouldn’t like my odds!” Aidoa tried to muster the courage to laugh with her, but all that came out was a pitiful chuckle. Then he threw the dice. They clattered as they rolled across the marble, the noise echoing throughout the endless halls. One of them settled, showing the fourth face. The other spun around on one edge for a while, before finally settling. It showed the seventh face. He stood frozen in disbelief. The faces summed to exactly eleven. The Gambler had spoken truly, though Aidoa wasn’t sure if it was foresight or pure dumb luck. He looked up at the woman, who now wore a complicated expression resembling a frown.

“I suppose sometimes luck favors the foolish. It will not be said that the Magpie goes back on her word, however ridiculous it might be. Collect yourself and your dice, fool, and I will send you away from this place.”

### The Bargain

And so by some magic, he arrived again in the world he knew. Before he could complain that his clothes and tools had not traveled back with him, he was approached by the Rook and Raven, appearing out of the darkness of the night.

“Do you have them?” asked the Raven. Wordlessly, Aidoa handed the dice over. They rolled them over in their palms, ran a finger over the filigree, and hefted their weight. Then they began to laugh. “I told you, Brother. These things are loaded!” The Rook snorted, and took the dice, and cast them. True enough, every time they were cast, they came up as a four and a seven.

“Then I was cheated,” growled the Rook.

“Aye, you were, but you accepted the terms and you accepted to use her dice,” chuckled the Raven. “She cheated you fair and square, and the deal still stands.”

He huffed, shrugged, and walked away. Aidoa watched his silhouette disappear into the darkness.

“Old Brother Death’s not known for his sense of humor, huh?” Aidoa remarked. The Raven paused a moment, then laughed.

“No, he’s not. Neither is my sister. But myself, I couldn’t live without it. Thank you for humoring us. Not that you had much choice, I suppose.”

“I guess not. Is this something you do often?” The Raven laughed again.

“Not at all. My brother is very particular about using his souls for anything interesting. But you, Aidoa, you’re a special case. Few people can match your skill, your boldness, and your luck. One of those people, though, is your daughter. I must be honest, and tell you that she is likely to surpass even you.”

“My kanna, my flower, is she alright? Can I speak to her?”

“Of course, as we agreed. In fact, I’ll come with you- though I’d love to keep them, I have to return her dice.” Aidoa’s eyebrows raised in confusion. “Yes, your daughter is the very one who cheated Brother Death himself. Indeed, cheated him fair and square, as you have kindly helped us find out. She’s quite a person, your daughter.”

“Is Death going to punish her for tricking him?”

“He’s not the kind to hold grudges, and in any case, he’s the one who fell for the oldest trick there is. No, her bargain will hold.”

“And what did she bargain for?”

“A simple gamble. Your life if she won, for her life if she lost.” Aidoa shuddered.

“So can I die?” he asked.

“Only if you get yourself killed again. The Rook will not come for you unless absolutely necessary.”

“And my daughter?”

“She can take care of herself, of that I am completely certain. Now, come. We go North, to the jeweled city, to Jogorod.”