TheScryer

If you watch the stars in the sky on a clear night, the glowing river of stars seems to encompass everything in the world. Their family had lived for generations in Feathered Polis, above Kaladrasi. "Polis" was an inaccurate term, ever since the place was founded. There was only a large area of hanging tree houses and tree caves. No permanent structures here, and the inhabitants come and go. The only thing that remained was the eternal Miracle Tree, Kaladrasi. Ro's sister shouted and laughed, chasing fireflies and playing hide-and-seek with the beasts in the woods. The night watchman was keeping watch on the upper branches when the sound interrupted her thoughts. She was unable to think about the mysteries of the stars. "Come on, Sang, it's getting late." She got up from the grass and called out to her sister, "Mum and Dad will be worried if we don't get back in time." Under the star-filled sky, the two little girls disappeared into the shadows of Kaladrasi.

On the day that Ro went to the Giving Forest, she was called Preparatory Raven. She carried in her backpack a photograph of the two sisters, some plant seeds and sprouts from the neighbours, and a well-worn book of elemental magic. Ro was one of a dozen candidates chosen from all over the forest. The group would be sent to the Giving Forest where they would undergo many cruel trainings and feather fading rituals. Of all the generations of candidates, only a few had survived. If they wished to prove themselves to their parents, or to achieve beyond that - to become a true ritual Raven. Ro was skilled in all three elemental magics. But many preparatory ravens were born to master only one. When they discovered Ro's extraordinary talent, they naturally wanted to become friends with her. They would share their past and tell interesting stories about their homeland. In return, Ro tried her best to teach them how to use the other elements. And so they all became less alone. Ro was only six years old at the time.