The Search Begins

LEGEND OF THE OMNIMAGI
Chapter 1: The Search Begins

Len sighed in relief as he stepped out of the woods to the sight of a small village. He’d been wandering through the trees for hours, ever since the path through the woods had ended abruptly, and his normally clean white hair was now green with the leaves and twigs stuck in between his locks.

Despite the quaint, rustic look of the place, Soldier’s Respite was a fairly new village, having been erected only 50 years ago. According to the rumors Len had heard, a group of soldiers during the infamous Kellar Conflict betrayed their commander, who had gone mad with his obsession for victory, and set up camp at this spot, reluctant to return home and face almost certain death for their mutiny. After smuggling their families out of their kingdom, the base camp was transformed into a small village almost overnight.

So this is the place, huh? He thought to himself, trying to pick the loose foliage from his head. Doesn’t exactly look like a gold mine of information...but it's better than nothing. After shaking out the last of the leaves and dusting off his traveling robe, Len made his way into town.


All of the buildings were made of wood, designed for efficiency and sturdiness more than style. People walked through the streets with the sounds of hard work, all of them looking happy and at peace, while the children ran around laughing and smiling. Len couldn’t help but smile as well at the sight of it; he almost felt the urge to extend his visit for a few days.

After a quick look around, he found someone, a man looking to be near his fifties, to talk to for information.

“Excuse me!” called out Len. “Do you have a minute?”

The man turned around quickly, surprised by the unfamiliar voice, and walked over to him. “Hello there! Who might you be?”

“Name’s Len. I’m new to these parts, and I need a little help getting around. Do you know anyone that could help me out?”

“Hmm….” After a few moments of deep thought, the man looked up at the stranger. “…I suppose I could. But I’ll need to see your papers first.”

Len stood puzzled. “Uh, papers?”

“Well, yes. I don’t know if you know our village’s history or not, but we prefer to be cautious when it comes to outsiders.”


Trying to conceal the sudden wave of panic, Len’s mind raced. Papers? Crap! I didn’t know about any papers! Did I forget or something? Why would a village this small even need official documents? Aw man...what do I do?

“Um…I, uh, I’m afraid I don’t have any,” he finally said slowly. No point in lying...I hope.

The older man came closer to Len, as if his aging blue eyes were looking deep into the young man’s soul for something. After what felt to Len like a very long time, the villager looked up and smiled.

“Heh heh heh, you pass. Welcome to Soldier’s Respite, Len!”

"...I’m sorry, what?”

“We’ve worked hard to remain separated from the rest of the world, and the last thing we need is more 'official government business' ruining our lives. I just wanted to make sure you were on the up and up, so to speak."


Oh, thank the gods. "I, uh, imagine so. Had me scared there for a minute."

"I'm sorry about that. So, Len, what can I do for you?"

Len cleared his throat, trying to recollect his thoughts. "Well, I'm actually looking for someone who might be able to help me find something. A...friend of mine said a man with a blue tattoo of crossed swords would be in this village. Do you know anyone like that?"

"A blue tattoo, you say?" The man looked at Len for a second with the same searching gaze, then chuckled. "Well, if you're just looking for a man, then you're in luck." The old man shifted his right shirt sleeve, revealing a pair of crossed swords tattooed into his arm with blue ink.

Len's face lit up with excitement. "Wow! Lucky shot, I...wait. What do you mean, 'a' man?"

"Heh, well, this is the crest of all of those who went AWOL during the Kellar Conflict. It was the symbol of our company. You'll find them on just about every old-timer in this village. Did your friend say anything more descriptive?"

"...oddly enough, no, he didn't." And the way he charged me, he better pray I don't see him again.

"Well, maybe I can be of help. What is it you wanted to talk about?"

After a moment of thought, Len sighed and began asking questions.

---

"Hey, you! Stop!"

Two figures sped through the forest with remarkable speed. One, a smaller figure, dashed between the trees with a natural grace. The other did not seem as agile, but managed to keep up with its target in spite of it.

"Run all you want! It's only a matter of time, you know!"

The chase continued with neither side gaining any distance, until the edge of the forest was in sight. Beyond it lied a small, quaint village...