Omari's Origin

Origin Part 1

The day was warm and bright. In the fields below the village, elop graze contently. Their horns shiver in the slight wind, the fragile bone soft like hair. A child watches on from the window of a house, chin propped on the heel of her hand. The wooden boards of the house creak as her mother moves up beside her. "What are you looking at, hun?" her mother asks softly while she strokes the young girl's smooth hair, dark hair.

The girl signs to her mother, eyes never leaving the elop's in the field. Her mother smiles happily, other hand resting on her swollen stomach. A small kick pulls a giggle from her, the baby developing in her womb almost reacting to their mother's touch. "Yes, they are beautiful. You should ask your father to take you down closer next time they are near. Maybe he'll teach you to haunt soon. You are almost fourteen." The young girl turns to her mother with an eager glint in her eye. Since she had seen other villagers take down a santer and skin it, she's wanted to help provide for everyone and her family.

And part of her is eager to feel that thrill of the hunt.

Her mother smiles. "Yes, Omari. Soon," she reasons with her. "Now, go outside and play. The weather is perfect." She answers quickly before darting out of the room. She dashes right past her shoes and jumps from the porch. Her pants balloon around her legs from the air, her shirt bunching beneath her nose. As her bare feet touch the lush grass, she hastily smooths the fabric into place. Her dark hair streams out behind her, raven highlighting flaring to life as the sunlight catches it.

The only thing that betrays her emotions is her eyes. Her irises gleam a light gray, a darker tint ringing them. Her eyes shine with pure joy as she enters the woods surrounding the village. "Omari! Wait up!" From several yards away, a young boy and girl run to her, smiling and waving to her. She gives a brief smile and slows to a stop. She takes the time it takes for them to reach her to catch her breath, the sudden run taking a toll on her lungs.

"Did you hear about the migration?" The girl asks her, smiling wide while gasping for breath. Omari shakes her head. "Momma said that it's time for Movement. For the big predators to travel," she puts her hands up in a claw motion. "The aslas are migrating!" Omari blinks at her friend.

"Keena, I don't think she gets it." The boy whispers. Keena huffs and crosses her arms. "We're going to watch them migrate. And hope we don't get our faces eaten off!"

Omari nods, signing to them.

"No, Bry was smart and told them we were going to go climb trees. If they knew what we were really up to, they'd kill us." Keena smirks.

"Knew you're up to what?" A deeper voice asks from behind them. A boy around the age of nineteen struts towards them with a raised eyebrow. "You aren't going to go poking in the wolves den, are you?"

Bry scowls. "What does that even mean? And no, we aren't going to do anything like that."

"Nope. Gonna climb trees and show Omari how it's really done," Keena grins and punches Omari's shoulder. She narrows her eyes at her friend and rubs her arm tenderly.

The boy sighs. "I know what you are going to do," he smiles wide. The three younger kids grow nervous. "And I want in."

They all pause, taking in his words. "Re-really?" Keena stutters in disbelief. "You won't tell Momma?"

"No. And I won't even tell our parents." He shoots a look at Bry. Bry chews his lip, looking down for a moment to build up his courage.

"Good! Because if you do, I won't forget it! And I'll get you back," he puffs his chest out and scowls, the diamonds scattered across his cheeks making him seem more childish than menacing like the warriors of their village. "Come on, we have to hurry if we want to see them." Bry begins to sprint through the trees, the others quick to follow him. Within minutes they leave the trees, the land slowly turning to rocky slopes and shrubbery.