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| - he sun smashed down upon the poor settlers of Diamond Ridge. Their hearts beat faster than their worn hammers and axes. Molding, beating, and chopping. All in the life of the villagers. Their sweat irrigated the weary land they stood upon. Despite these influences, each man and woman went home knowing they had a good day. Amongst these hard workers was young Avion. He was around ten years old but with every tree that he fell, he gained maturity. Even though he was growing older, nothing could revive his youth like a good story. Avion and most of the men would loiter around a weak fire deep in the night. They would talk story until their throats burned. Every person somehow came up with new material. This night was slightly off though. The men were shaken by the presence of an uncommon member. Edward the old man that lived up the hill in an abandoned looking house sat with them. This didn’t interrupt the conversation but every person wondered what Edward had to say when his turn would come up. Eventually he spoke with a voice that cackled like the nearby fire. His neighbors listened intently. “I used to live in a faraway town. Far from here. Far from the most diverse destinations. To the world it was a small insignificant source of life, but to us it was the greatest city of them all. Travelers were rare. As was communication with the outside world. This allowed us to keep many secrets. One of them I will share with you now.” The guests leaned in closer. “Amongst the variety of our people, there was one that someone want to kill Edward? He’s held no grudges since he traveled here. Of course the lack of social interactions may have raised questions but to take the life of a stranger for not greeting you on a daily basis; that’s absurd. The glint of the fire still shined within his eye. As the melancholy wreck of the cottage slowly dissolved into the humid morning air, Avion said his goodbyes and left the sickening scene to dwell upon its reason of birth. He stumbled into the forest, paying more attention to his thoughts then the scenery around him. Gleaming moss, aged trees, and birds lingering about the soft vegetation; to a distant traveler this would be something to remember. To Avion, it was home. The forest provided a sanctum of piece and independence. He continued near unconsciously wandering throughout the fortress of nature. It was about daytime when life returned to his young bones. His eyes focused upon the low lying stream before him. A relaxed looking frog lounged on a soft patch of grass to his right. “Dear fellow, how can you loiter so?” he pointlessly asked the frog. The absence of worry in the amphibian’s face soothed Avion. “I think I will join you” he said. His weary eyes glanced up at the merciless sun and the sky around it. As soon as the light and warmth came though, an unnatural darkness followed with a viscous strike at the boys head. Avion was then dragged into an irregular sleep. If he could think, mystery would cloud his preoccupied mind. As faded and fictitious images escaped into darkness, a realistic scene overcame the boy’s eyes. He was no longer lounging in a melancholy forest setting but was awkwardly laid against a jagged rock. Severe muscle pain prevented great movement so he stay put. It would seem that he was resting in a cave. Back home his settler friends were cautious of caves. Their deep, gaping structures allegedly withheld great misfortune and misery. Caves were always said to be dangerous but Avion didn’t fear. For there was nothing he could do. A mass of shrubbery near the edge of the cave was the only sign of life. Suddenly, a shadow appeared before the warming sunlight. It cast upon the dark setting that Avion was restrained to. The figure approached him with a worn and coarse voice. “You there, I want answers!” Avion was at a loss of words. “What have you heard from that babbling fool?” the man shouted. Avion kept calm and hid his fear. “I…I don’t know what you’re speaking of.” Anger overcame the slender man. “You know what I am talking about!” The boy tried to keep from stuttering. “My ears fell mercy to mere maiden tales!” “Nothing more!” he squeaked. The man’s voice lowered. “Those are gracious stories for someone of your stature!” The man maliciously introduced himself. I am Cayden, a name of which some have spat at, and some have knelt before. You may choose which side but I would take caution. I don’t take insults well. “Now to talk about your future.” he sputtered. “I know you have heard something of which mortal men don’t deserve so you are now owned by me.” Avion’s eyes widened. “It was a fairy tale!” he whimpered in disbelief. “It seemed fake.” Cayden knelt down to the boys low level. “It would seem so but I have taken so many precautions, you better believe it’s real.” “You can try and run but you won’t find home and will die of exhaustion.” He managed a rusty chuckle. “So as informal as it is; Welcome home!” *** Avion awoke in a cramped position on the same jagged rock. He was no longer restricted by his lack of strength so he looked around for the slim figure of Cayden. No sign of movement emerged from the mouth of the cave. He wanted to investigate his "new home" so he got up in an unpracticed bound. The cave seemed more like a prison than a home. The unkempt and rocky floor was littered with ashes and discarded bones from age old meals. He moved towards the well-lit exit. The light hurt his sophomoric eyes. After the scenery came relevant to him, he slowly moved down a small pathway to where he assumed Cayden was. Avion heard a loud smack as axe hit wood. It was a familiar sound to him. He could hear the spectral sounds of his distant comrades ringing in his ears. He resumed his leisurely stroll and greeted Cayden with the hint of a grin. "Hard at work eh?" he mocked. Cayden released the axe from one hand and it pounded the Earth with a mighty thud. "I have been up since dawn while you were fast asleep!" he spat. Avion returned an apologetic shrug. Cayden then calmly then asked "Why don’t you clean up the cave. I have to make it sufficient for two now." Avion slowly nodded his head then turned back to the earthy grotto. Hard labor was nothing new to him but doing it for no personal gain was a brand new concept. He let out an accepting sigh and got to work. "Hey Boy!" Cayden's voice echoed through the mountainous landscape. Avion popped his head up from the bed of twigs he had set up against a rock. Cayden shouted again, this time with more aggression. Avion stumbled to his feet and tripped over to his master. "There you are!' he exclaimed. “I need you to pack up your things." This was a curious idea. Avion wondered why they had to leave so soon. He eventually gathered the courage to ask. "Cayden..." he shuddered. He still was not the most comfortable around the cave dweller. Something about him seemed to stand in the way whenever he felt most comfortable around him. No amount of time could alleviate his sense of suspicion. He continued "Why are we moving? What are we running from?" Cayden shot a quick glance at the inquisitive youth then returned to the sight of the dusty Earth below. "You will learn soon enough son." This seemed to leave Avion with more questions than answers. He was swimming in a sea of thoughts but was interrupted by a faint sound. Much like the distant cries of lonely animals in the thick woods near his antecedent home, this sound was a minor interruption in the tranquil soundtrack of nature. Suddenly, Cayden grasped his arm and exclaimed "Go! Now!" As a reminder that they were not alone, they took the opportunity to get some rest. They stumbled into the weary looking town, a lamp dangling from Cayden's side. They were not wanted here, made true by relaxation of their presence. Feeling as if he couldn't withstand another minute of movement, Avion slowly trekked to the nearest inn and was instantaneously comforted by the warmth of the fire and the welcoming grin upon the keeper's face. He found himself and drifted into a sleep while Cayden investigated. As all criminals do, he couldn't help but wonder what his next move was. Obviously their chase scene meant they were not safe here but he felt as though they could
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