>>this is the first part of a story i am writing, it doesn't have a title yet, tell me what you guys think<<

1

The towering trees made the muddy path seem even darker under the crescent moon, Leo Aviar sighed as he made his way to his run down home in the English countryside. Leo was returning from a long day of pedaling various wooden tools crafted by his father in the market square which he did every day, as he stomped through the foggy woods he examined his life in his mind, he didn’t have much to go home to, his only shelter was a crumbling stone house built by a distant relative years before, his father was a harsh man and this mother had died when he was seven, he didn’t have many friends due to his countless hours trying to sell hand tools to the people of North Shire. The truth was Leo dreamed of adventure and danger, he wanted fame and to be known for something more than a steady supplier of sturdy hatchets and hammers. Leo longed for friends and for someone to love more than anything, he wasn’t a bad looking, he had a tall, strong body for a boy of seventeen, with freckled tan skin, enchanting emerald eyes, and auburn hair. But like his father he focused on hard work and dedication, which lead him to have no one but the wares he sold.
As he turned a corner, approaching his home he heard a strange sound echoing through the barren woods, it sounded as though it was coming from the small clear water pond close to the path he was traveling on. Although there was barely any light in the forest, Leo decided to veer off the path and into the deep foliage. He stumbled his way blindly to a crystal clear shallow pond where he played as a child with his mother years ago, the pond had smooth gray stones covering the bottom that seemed to glow in the dark night. Leo kneeled at the waters edge and picked up a round, marbled gray and white stone. He swiftly threw the stone across the surface and watched it skip to the other side of the pond, where it sunk to the bottom again. Leo searched again for a suitable pebble to throw when he noticed a light coming from the middle of the pond. He grew curious and waded into the shallow water, he reached the center and looked down into the pond. There he saw a deep crimson stone, no bigger than to gold coins, and seemed to cast a red glow all around it. Leo bent down to retrieve it and held it in his hand. Just then he heard the same sound that had brought him to the pond, he quickly looked up to see two glowing yellow eyes peering at him through the bush, startled Leo fell backwards into the water as the bush rustled and the eyes disappeared. Leo quickly stood up, picked up the red stone and hastily splashed through the clear water. He rushed back to the path and slipped the stone into his soggy pocket. He ran through the front door of his weathered home and swiftly shut the door behind him.
“You’re late.” a deep voice said close by “And why are you soaking wet?”
Leo took a moment to examine Jacob Aviar, he was an strong man, but the years have taken a toll on his physical stamina, and he was not what he used to be. Jacob has always been a hard working man, he never took a day off, but always found time to spend with his wife and son before she died ten years before, when she passed a large part of him died with her and he became a stubborn and harsh man with a short temper.
“I’m sorry father, I slipped in a puddle on my way out of town, it won’t happen again.” Leo mumbled
“It better not.” Jacob replied “Go change your clothes, you are dripping wet, I don’t want you to ruin the floors.”
“Yes sir.” Leo responded. Leo quickly walked to his shabby room in the farthest corner of the house, he entered and closed the door. Leo walked over to his bed and the small three-legged table beside it. He took the stone from his pocket and placed it on the table. After he changed into a set of dry, worn clothes Leo laid back on his bed and quickly fell asleep.
No more than 2 hours later, Leo awoke to the sound of crashing wood and the smell of smoke. He grabbed everything he could, including the red stone and ran out of the room which was already engulfed in flames. He ducked down under the smoke and tried desperately to rescue any artifact from the destructive fire, as he searched for his father. The only items he had found were a small bag of gold coins, which was the Aviar family’s total worth, a back pack, an axe, and an iron dagger. He searched desperately, dodging every flame that tried to reach out and burn him, he couldn’t find his father anywhere, and he was running out of time. Leo couldn’t see anything and the smoke was stinging his lungs. He reluctantly escaped through the front door and hoped that his father was safe.

Leo quickly ran outside and collapsed into the grass 40 yards from his house. The last thing he saw was the home where he grew up burning down fast, and his father was no where to be found.

When he woke up early the next morning, he hoped the events of the night before were just a nightmare. But he sat up to find them very real. Leo rose to his feet and left the few items rescued from his now destroyed home in the grass. He ran quickly to find the remains of his home, charred and broken, still smoking. He searched the debris trying to find any trace of his father, but he found nothing. All that was left was ashes and burned wood. Then he saw his father’s pipe, lying next to a fallen beam. He hastily moved and rubble and found his father’s cold, lifeless body. Leo immediately checked for any signs of life. But found none. And all at once Leo Aviar became an orphan.


2

Leo rose to his feet and took a few steps from his father. He couldn’t even look at him, and tears clouded his vision. He turned and began to walk away from the destroyed home when he heard voices in the distance. It was the sound of two men, and throughout their conversation he could hear the clomp of horse’s hooves.
“I saw the smoke late last night above the trees, I wasn’t quite sure where it was coming from, but if we follow this path we can find it.” the first voice said.
“Good work John, if we’re lucky it was a remote house, and we may only find one weak survivor... and they won’t be a problem.” the second replied.
“Do you remember that one in Rubard? The place was a goldmine. The building was barely damaged, and only an old man was left, and he went down quick, we must have made 6 bags of gold just from that one.” John recalled. Leo suddenly realized what these men wanted and he wasn’t going to stick around to help them. He hated to leave his father, but he needed to escape, fast. He swiftly took the bag of salvaged items from his home and ran into the woods before the pair even turned a corner on their steeds.

Leo walked down his usual path into the marketplace but bypassed the square completely. He didn’t know where to go but there was no way he was staying in North Shire. Maybe he would go east into Arizen, or he could travel farther north and see what lies beyond his own small village. Leo had no known family or friends, all that was left of his old life was the small bag over his shoulder and the mysterious red stone in his pocket.

Leo had been traveling since early morning on a small dirt path, it was nearly dusk when he reached a village near the mountains. He entered the gate and searched for any inhabitant. The streets were bare except for a few merchants collecting their wares and making their way towards home. Suddenly, a boy approached him.
“You from around here?” the stranger asked. He was the same height as Leo, with cream colored skin, and shaggy chestnut hair that hung in front of his almost grey eyes.
“No, I’ve just arrived.” Leo responded.
The boy laughed, “Then you might want to turn around, there is nothing new in this wretched town, it’s the same as all the others before it, dull. I myself am leaving at dawn, I’ve spent my entire life here and I need to get out. The name is Seth, Seth Orson by the way.” He responded, sticking his hand out to shake Leo’s.
“I’m Leo Aviar, I’ve been traveling all day from North Shire on my way to better places as well.” Leo said shaking Seth’s hand.
“Well, my bag is packed and I could use someone to journey with, would you like to stay here with me tonight? We can leave first thing in the morning and never have to see this terrible place again.” Seth said enthusiastically.
“That would be great!” Leo said relieved at not having to sleep in a dark alley in this unknown place.
“ Alright then, come along, my place is not far.” Seth instructed lifting a sack over one shoulder and a load of wood under his other arm.

They walked a short distance into the woods, where they came to a clearing. Seth placed the sack and wood on the ground in the center of the clearing. He then walked to a large oak tree a few feet away and took two bags from its branches.
“Its not much but it works, Eh?” Seth called out. Leo turned to see two hammocks hanging froma pair of wide branches on opposite sides of the oak, and a small fire burning where Seth had placed the wood.
“No, this is great, how long have you lived here?” Leo questioned as he walked towards the flames.
“Ever since my parents died a few months ago, I’ve been on my own out here” Seth explained.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Leo said, taking a seat on the ground by the fire.
“No worries mate, it was a freak accident.” Seth responded, taking a raw chicken out of the sack and placing it on a small spit over the fire. “They were traveling to the grazing fields in the mountians to retrive our cattle from the pasture when suddenly the entire mountian-side collapsed suddenly and killed them both.”
“Wow, my mother died when I was young, and my father died in a terrible fire a few days ago.” Leo recounted.
“This world is a dangerous place, the only thing we can do is survive it.” Seth sighed, taking the cooked chicken off of the spit and offering Leo a thigh. Both of the boys ate in silence under the night sky.
“We’re to leave at dawn, so we’d best get to bed.” Seth suggested, rising to his feet and pouring a bucket of water over the small flame.
“Right, of course. “ Leo said, standing and stomping out the remaining flames with his boot. The flame quickly died, and both boys walked to the hammocks and reclined into them.
“Goodnight Leo.” Seth called.
“Night, Seth.” Leo responded.