Leo waited.
His father was due back over an hour ago. Standing in the alley alone, the five year old boy kept listening for someone to call his name, looking for his fathers figure. He was scared.
His father said he would come back, and they could move on from this small village. Always travelling, Leo never had the chance to make friends.
His father said it was better this way. People only let you down, or hurt you. Even the Blessed weren't to be trusted outside of a contract.
The Blessed. Leo dreamed of becoming one. He would be presented to the Guardians, and one of them would accept him, and give him their Blessing of the Gods. He knew his father would never agree to this, so it was the secret dream of childhood. Be a powerful knight, rescue a damsel. Master magics, and save the world.
But his father was late, and he was scared.
'A Blessed wouldn't be afraid,' he thought to himself.
(*crunch*)
Leo jumped at the sound of approaching feet scuffling in the dirt. He saw a guardsman behind him.
"Are you waiting for your father boy?" Leo stared silently, slowly backing away from the strange man. "Boy, I asked you a question."
'No one should know I'm waiting on my father'
"Boy, if you're waiting for your father, you need to come with me, to the temple. I... Something happened."
Leo looked up at the guard, and instead of fear, he suddenly felt sick. The guardsman quickly looked away from Leo's eyes, towards the ground. When the guardsman looked at the young boy again, tears had built up in Leo's eyes and started to fall down his cheeks.