The Temple of Ammorack

So I have decided to write a novel, a great objective to complete in my gap year.

I sat down not long ago to work through a mountain of thoughts that I had regarding the novel. What genre, if an will it be, what is the story about, who is/are the main characters, where is the novel set etc...

After a while I realized I was a huge fantasy fan, why not attempt to write a story about a particular genre that I frequently engage reading. and so was born the concept of The temple of Ammorack.

and, so I sat and I begun to figure "stuff" out.

Now my question is; Would you keep reading this and why. I hope you enjoy but if you don't I would sincerely like to know why.

                    ~

         The land of Valhalla was a peaceful place, there were no wars amongst its inhabitants, no fights of over material belongings; be it land or handmade items. It was the perfect place to live, at least as far as the people of Goldhiem, a realm in north-eastern Valhalla, were concerned. They lived in harmony with all living beings; they were at home living in the forest, sleeping on the ground under the stars, or on the sandy beaches on the banks of Boatman’s River.
         The City of Goldhiem itself was quite the marvel to gaze upon, being just a mythical as the lands in which it had been born, lovingly crafted by the hands of it’s people. Tall buildings of stone and wood rose out the ground, towering over a vast array of streets that wove their way carefully between them. It was a city of beauty, containing all that was necessary to live in luxury, so that they would never venture further than the fields in which they grew their food.
         They had The Viracoy to thank for their immediate prosperity. He was the supernatural creator of the earth, the ruler of the divine powers in Valhalla, and father to all the people of Goldhiem. He was a firm god and, while having no direct link with his people other than divine intervention, the people all lived to honour him, praying every night, asking for advice and thanking him for his blessings. The Viracoy was overwhelmed with his creation. Pity then, that such testing times came from the happiness he had bestowed upon them.
         The Viracoy had given the people of Goldhiem everything that they could possibly desire. They had peace, prosperity, they where not bothered by others in Valhalla, nor by the evils of the land. The price that they paid was, as far as the majority were concerned, innocuous; they could not stray beyond the sight of the city, a distance of no more than twenty leagues in any direction.
         For the most part, the people of Goldhiem looked to the borders with disdain and loathing, knowing of the dangers of leaving the realm would bring upon them. But sometimes, a child’s longing for adventure is never outgrown, lingering in the back of their mind till either old age takes them or it drives them crazy with desire. One such person was Carden Tyr.
         Carden longed to venture beyond the walls that had been placed before him by his teacher. He was not allowed to leave the school, nor was he allowed to express himself as he choose. He felt suffocated by the horrible rules he was subjected to. He was not boy who greatly desired to break the these rules however, his was afraid of the consequences, but from the very first time he was told of the borders of the realm, he had decided that, even if it took him his entire life to achieve, he would be the first to explore the world beyond them. What Carden did not expect, nor any of the other citizens of Goldhiem for that matter, was that he would that he would get his chance to explore beyond the border sooner rather than later. 
         Two days before his tenth birthday, Carden and his mother had taken him into the fields to the east of the city to collect some blueberries for his birthday dinner. His mother, unaware of Carden’s burning desire to be an explorer, asked him if he would like to play in the fields while she went home to prepare the nights meal. Pouncing on this fortunate opportunity, he readily accepted his mother’s offer, immediately setting off for the forested border.
         Upon entering the forest, Carden felt every bit of the king of explorers, his eyes searching for every twig, leaf and insect that he could manage to find, and sometimes more, tripping over on gnarled and knotted roots that littered the ground while he looked skywards; for there was no path to speak of.
         After what felt like many long hours of adventure, Carden began to feel uneasy, what he could see of the sky, above the canopy made by the tallest of the trees had become dark and stormy, filled with unfriendly clouds. Thinking that it would be as good as anytime to turn around and head back for the city, he turned on the spot, facing the way he had come. The blood drained from Carden’s face. He had been caught.
          There, in the same place that he had stood not 2 seconds before stood an old man, hunched over, leaning heavily on staff, as if that if he let go he fall. The man stared up at him. Carden looked into the mans eyes. The man looked back. He smiled politely.
         “Welcome to the forbidden forest, my son.” Carden just stared blankly at the man, as if he didn’t move the man might not see him, a childish reaction by anyone’s standards.
         Not Deterred by the boys clear and utter lack of respect the man slowly shuffled around the boy and headed east, the direction that the boy was travelling before he had turned around. No more than ten seconds had passed before the man called over his shoulder.
         “Come on lad, don’t just stand there, its not much further on now.” the old man grouched at the boy no more than ten seconds after passing him. Carden turned and  sulkily followed the odd man further into the forest.