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    Shoden Briggs had lost everything. He'd grown up on the mountain Cloud Scraper in the northern region of Allworld with his mother, Erin, and his father, Gregory. All he'd known in life was raising and selling mountain sheep. The few times he'd ever been to Cloud Valley at the base of the Scraper were short trips. He'd never had the opportunity to go to school with the village boys and whenever he came through they would make fun of him and call him dense or stupid, but most of all he was known as The Fool.

    The schoolboys' words didn't hurt, though, because Shoden had learned plenty of wisdom from his father as they sheared their sheep and from his mother as they turned the wool into yarn. He'd been happy all of his life, until now.

        The village raiders from beyond Cloud Valley had come in the night and had killed Gregory and Erin in their sleep. Why they left him alive, Shoden had no clue, but that didn't matter. Now that his parents were dead no one would accept a mountain sheep raised by the last Briggs: Shoden the Fool.

    Shoden had buried his mother and father beside the house and sat in his room, on his bed, unsure of what to do. It probably didn't matter. Nothing he could do would be fulfilling. Except, he suddenly thought, for one thing.

    He picked up his satchel and packed into it his clothes and other things he thought he'd need and walked into his parents' room. Here the bed was stained with his parents' blood and the stench of the crimson invaded his nostrils.

    He went to his father's dresser and brought out the ancient artifact his father had inherited: a weapon known as a gun. On only one occurrence had his father shown him the weapon.

    It had been a rainy morning and his mother had been doing the wash. Shoden had come into his parents' room and saw his father sitting on the bed, holding the strange device in his hand.

    "What's that?" Shoden had asked.

His father looked from his pistol to his son and said, "It's called by many names: a pistol, a firearm, a gun. It was passed down to me and one day it will be yours."

    Shoden wiped a tear from his eye as he remembered that day. He took the gun's holster from the drawer and put it around his waist like a belt. He placed the weapon in the holster and left the house for good.

    As he walked outside the Lesser Suns greeted him with an unfair cheerfulness. A day like this, a day of Death, should have been cloudy and dreary. But, overhead, a family of rabbit hawks soared, their long ears flapping in the wind. Shoden cursed their wholeness and walked towards the hand-cranked gondola that led down to the base of Cloud Scraper.

    From behind came the yips of Trigger, the Briggs' sheep herding dog. It came trotting up to Shoden and nipped at his pant leg. Shoden stopped and looked down at the dog.

    "Hey, boy," He said, petting the loyal beast. "Seems as though you're working days are over."

Trigger's ears perked and he cocked his head to the side, confused.

    "I'm going on a long trip, Trigger," Shoden explained. "I'll take you to Cloud Valley, but no further. Someone will pick you up, boy."

The dog panted happily and Shoden led it to the gondola.

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    The trip to the ground took an hour and by the end Shoden could feel his arm muscles were slightly sore. As he opened the gondola's door, Trigger ran out, yapping happily and sniffing the new area around him.

    Shoden exited himself and walked down the cobblestone path towards the village. From it, already, came a couple villagers, one being Alex Fischer, one of the sheep buyers.

    "What are you doing here?" Fischer asked when he'd approached. With him were Andrea, his wife, and a schoolboy.

    "I have no time to talk, Mr. Fischer," Shoden said politely.

    "Nor the ability!" The schoolboy laughed. "Shoden the Fool couldn't talk his way out of a paper sack!"

    "Get out of here, Louis," Andrea gave the boy a push and turned to Shoden. "What are you doing here, Shoden?"

    "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I must speak to the policing commissioner." Without waiting for a reply, Shoden moved into Cloud Valley, Trigger at his side.

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    As Shoden passed through Cloud Valley he encountered more sheep buyers who wondered what he was doing in the village alone and more schoolboys who kicked mud and insults in his direction. A part of him knew that this would be the last time he'd see this village.

    When he arrived at the Cloud Valley policing station, a small brick building with barred windows and a wood porch, the policing commissioner, Ralph Anderson, came out to greet him, his portly jiggle flowing as he walked.

    "Why if it isn't the young male Briggs," Commissioner Anderson smiled as he shook Shoden's hand. "What brings you down here today?" He looked around and added, "And where's your father?"

    "That's what I came here about, sir," Shoden said. "May we speak in private?"

    "Of course," Anderson replied. "Come inside."

Shoden did and the policing commissioner shut the door behind him as he followed. He gestured for Shoden to sit in front of his desk, behind which he squeezed himself into a chair.

    "Now, son," He said when Shoden was seated. "What did you want to speak about?"

Shoden breathed deeply and began.

    "Late last night I awoke to the sound of shattering glass. I crept from my room and was just in time to see three men in my mother's and father's room. They wore short-brimmed hats and long leather coats."

    "The raiders," Anderson sighed, knowing what Shoden was about to tell him.   

    "Yes," Shoden nodded solemnly. "They were killing my parents. I hid in bed until this morning, when I buried them and came here."

    "I'm very sorry for your loss, Shoden," Anderson sighed. "May I ask why you came to see me?"

    "Commissioner Anderson," Shoden said. "Do you know where the raiders come from?"

The immediate look of apology that appeared on Anderson's face sent Shoden's heart plummeting. The authority of Cloud Valley wouldn't know.

    "I'm afraid I do not," the stout man shook his head. "But," he added, picking Shoden's heart back up again. "Tell me, Shoden, do you know the name Grimwall?"

    Shoden shook his head.

"Under other circumstances I wouldn't mention his name, but this is something different and you are the son of one of my dearest friends, gods rest his soul. Grimwall lives in the town of Lillith, south of this village. Some say he knows more than any other man. If anyone would know it would be him.  Do you know of Lillith?"

    "Only from stories, sir," Shoden admitted. "Can you tell me where it lies?"

Anderson scratched his bald head and said, "It's been a bit of time since I've traveled, son, probably since I was your age. Lillith, though, I believe I remember. It is south of here, past the grazing fields and Gray Woods. Just past the Woods if I remember so."

    "Thank you, Commissioner Anderson," Shoden said. He was about to get up and leave when Anderson spoke. 

    "Shoden," He said. "I understand what you are planning to do. I'm not going to stop you, but I want to give you advice."

Shoden nodded.

    "If you find the raiders, I want you to look in your heart before you act. Revenge is a thing that ages a person. It can cure the anger in you, but, afterwards, you might find a different disease in you. Make sure it is what you want."

    Shoden nodded and said quietly, "Thank you, sir," He got up and left the station.

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    Outside Trigger sat, his tail wagging, waiting for Shoden. As his owner came out, he yapped happily, ready to follow.

    "Sorry, boy," Shoden sighed, patting the dog on the head. "You've got to stay here." He took a step off the station porch and Trigger took the same step. "You aren't going to give up, are you?" Shoden asked the animal.

    Trigger's eyes shined with loyalty, as if to say, "Of course not, silly!"

    "Alright," Shoden gave in. "Don't say I didn't warn you though."

Trigger yipped with pleasure and the two left Cloud Valley.

Reviews

[Mercedes]

I like this. It's fairly well written, and I like the fact that you've sort of created a whole new world. However, your character doesn't seem too well developed. There's not much of a description on him, or any of the other characters, so it's hard to envision what's going as I read because I can't really see the characters. I do like the plot so far, and I can't wait to see how it develops.