What had once been a peaceful village of happy people lay reduced to rubble as far as he could see.

He remembered the attack of the previous night.

Many had warned of the raid as reports of other villages being attacked drifted over time and again.

But the force that had attacked them was a very savage and powerful one, too overbearing for even a well prepared village to stand up against.

Arden saw his parents and other elders being roughly taken prisoner, while he, a mere boy yet to clear sixteen summers was swatted aside.

The sound of boots scraping over the debris startled him and he jumped to his feet, fists clenched, ready to pounce.