Hidden behind a large and expansive forest and close to a series of looming mountain ranges was a tiny, isolated village where life came full circle. Most people stayed there forever, opting never to leave. After all, why would they leave? The village contained everything one needed to survive and be fulfilled and even if you got past the question of 'why', there would still remain the question of 'how'. The journey to another town or village would not only be arduous but it was also nearly impossible. The transportation they had was extremely primitive and nobody in the village possessed nearly enough magical power to make the trip either.
That's right- there was something that distinguished the village from other places in the world and that was it's magic. Magic wasn't completely unheard of but it was far from common and that village was the only settlement in the entire world in which every single occupant possessed some type of magic. Whether it was the strong natural energy or just the genetics of the founders, no one knew for sure. With such great potential, one would think that plunderers would have fully exploited the place already but because of how remote it was, barely anyone even knew of its existence. The last time someone came there attempting to make a map about a hundred years ago, they had died two weeks later from the exhaustion of travelling.
Some historians argued that if a person with magic tried to make the trip from the outside that they would succeed but at the end of the day, all they were doing was speculating. They would probably never get beyond speculation either and that was for one simple reason- there was an irony in their specialty. The further away a person went from the village, the more their magic power declined.
Magic could be compared to energy and like energy, it needs to be replenished. There are many ways one can replenish this energy whether it's by using items with good resonance or by returning to the place they were born and brought up. A person's energy also depends strongly on their emotions or in other words- their 'will'. The reason someone could replenish energy by returning to their home was because of natural resonance but also partly due to the positive emotions associated with a 'home'.
The village was without doubt- a home. Crime rates were extremely low since everyone knew each other and because everyone had magic. Cooperation was high because they needed each other to live well and couldn't just leave whenever they wanted. Moreover, once a person's magic level depleted enough, they would lose control of themselves and go berserk. That's why leaving in groups was also a lost cause. Magic items were pointless because of how dense the energy around the village was nullifying the effects of items to basically zero.
Combining the numerous physical and mental factors, preventing a person from leaving- there had been no outside visitors since the map-maker nor had their been any exits from the village. Unless of course you counted 'him'.
"Hey, do you think he really exists?" A girl of about 9 years looked up at her grandmother with wide eyes. She was tall for her age and dressed in a light blue robe. Her long brown hair was tied into braids and she walked with a skip in her step. "Does he really? Does he?!"
Her grandmother looked back at her with a slight smile, holding her hand tighter as they walked to the marketplace. "Not everyone thinks so, my dear but...just between the two of us-" She lowered her voice into a whisper, "I'm sure that he does."
"Wow!" It didn't take much to convince the child and she was instantly bewitched by the idea. There was one exception to the rule mentioned earlier but not everyone agreed with that notion. 'His' existence was still debated heavily with some sure that he was a child's tale and other's being vehement followers.
"Have you ever seen him?!" The girl practically shouted, shaking her grandmother's hand with the typical frenzy of an energetic kid.
"Well..." Her grandmother paused, lost in memories from many years ago. Her eyes seemed to be looking at a point far away from the present. Gently prying the girl's hand away from hers, she pointed at the tell-tale sign showing they had arrived at their destination.
"I'll tell you later. Look- we're at the market."
"No, tell me now!" The girl whined, clearly displeased by the break in narration. Her grandmother merely shrugged as if used to her tantrums by then.
"If you collect all the items on this list then I'll tell you that and another secret."
"A secret!?" Won over by the promise of a secret, the girl grabbed the list from her grandmother's hand and rushed off to find the items.
"Using your grandchild to do your chores for you? That's low, Laura." A middle aged woman with silver hair, sharp brown eyes and a round face teasingly remarked.
"Don't be ridiculous. I'm perfectly capable of doing them myself, Yana." Laura replied, clearly offended by the accusation. Many years ago, Laura had been in the running to become the next village head but she had chosen not to by marrying a clay worker and starting a family. She had claimed administration would only ruin her life and so the position had gone to someone else. It had been years since then but someone once in the running for such a prestigious position was not to be taken lightly.
"Oh? So that means you just wanted to send her off."
"Well..." Laura grumbled, unable to refute that. Yana laughed- a loud and airy laugh that seemed to garner everyone's attention for Yana seldom laughed.
"You haven't changed one bit in all these years, you know?" Yana finally said once she was done with her outburst, still wiping away tears from her eyes.
"I could say the same about you!" As the two of them continued talking about random things from their past and present, they didn't notice that the sun was going down rapidly and that a certain someone still hadn't gotten back from her errand.