Black Magic for the Journeyman

Kellye slid a long, black blade into her belt. She opened the window to see how the weather in her village was going. "Gloomy. As usual." She muttered to herself. The town of Pollen seemed to be under a hex... as everyone seemed to figure. But no one talked about it, in worry that the cause of this hex would strike. Kellye pulled a hood, hiding almost every strand of her brown hair. She opened the creaky wooden door to her family's house, and stepped onto the hard, dried mud.

You always kept a weapon with you in the woods. Weather hunting, gathering, or fishing. Because there is a elaborate circle of life in this forest, and the deer eat the grass, you eat the deer, and the ations eat you. Kellye took a long glance at the stream, searching the glistening water for movement. No fish today. Kellye finally found a fig tree. She hated the taste of fig, but it was better than starving. Her brother was already on the line. Her brother couldn't die. He was the family's only male, and each family must have a male in case of the towns attack.

A loud snap took her out of her thoughts. She glanced around, nervously. Pulling out her blade, Kellye waited. Looking up, she saw a raven. "Oh, it's just a raven." She muttered. The raven eyed her, as if inspecting the human. The raven wasn't as bone skinny as most birds. In fact, not many birds lived in those parts. The raven opened it's mouth, revealing a low, cool toned voice...