Gaga was once an ordinary Raven.
Like all its kin in the Silent Death Mountain Range, Gaga's life was routine. At dawn, it would fly from its nest to find food—Insects, carrion, wild fruit, and on a lucky day, even an injured small beast.
Before nightfall, it would return to the ancient tree where the flock lived, squeeze in among the dense branches, listen to the Clan Leader's grating lectures, and then drift off to sleep.
Its days were as bland as the morning mist, repeating endlessly.
Until that afternoon.
Gaga remembered it clearly. That day, it had flown a little farther than usual, hoping to find something different to eat.
In the shade of a valley it had never visited before, it saw a short tree bearing two bright red fruits. They were so red they looked ready to drip blood, standing out starkly in the gloomy gray of the forest.
"CAW?" Gaga landed on a branch, tilting its head in curiosity.
