Savoria was fatigued and unbearably hungry. Allowing her survival instincts
and training to come into play, she searched the ground for edible plants or a
small animal. Anything at this point would be a lifesaver. Her emerald catlike
eyes spotted a large rat scuttling across the dewy grass and vines, scavenging to
feed its young. Without hesitation, for it was told she was born without it, she
leaped for her prey. Having left her mind that she was completely armored and
weaponed, metal crashed against the forest floor. She sprang up, unlatching her
claws from the wounded creature, and moved swiftly away from where she was
hiding, leaving a pool of scarlet and the clanking of guards marching to her
hideout behind her. It was going to be a long journey.

Savoria was strong. In fact, she was the strongest warrior in Adikia, though
she was only seventeen. Her passion was as fiery as her mane of hair and her
strength was unmatched by any unruly monster of the land. Her kind face was
often scrunched up in concentration and her will to fight was deadly to many.
She was revered by many women in her kingdom for her knowledge of the
blade and her popularity among her people. Though the kingdom demanded the
men to stay busy with feeding and taking care of children inside their homes,
they would hurry out to meet her on her strolls and invite her to dinner. She was
the hero of the kingdom, so to speak. And this hero?s closest companion was
banished from the kingdom three years ago. Rumors have it that he committed
treason, but Savoria knew this was a lie. Lovien was loyal to his kingdom and
family and would have done anything to stay with them, though he was a dis-
grace to them all.He had the heart of a warrior and wanted to defend his home.
After cooking and cleaning lessons from his father, Lovien would sneak out to
practice sword fighting with Savoria. They were equal in skill and intellect, but
she was always stronger. That strength challenged him to become stronger and
made him grow as a warrior, leading to him becoming almost as outstanding as
his opponent and best friend. Savoria knew she shouldn’t be helping him, but
they cared deeply about each other and she believed he deserved to train as she
did. Often, Savoria and Lovien would not see each other during the day due to
them being in the School of Warriors and the School of Domesticity respectively.
Lovien was cast out for having different dreams than his peers while
Savoria grew to be the most praised and validated individual in Adikia. This
difference is what led to the night of Lovien’s banishment. While making his way
to bed, his father heard Lovien sneak out o n a silent night full of fog and lost
creatures. He followed him and watched as Lovien approached Savoria with his
sword that he had hidden from his family for years after he had crafted it in secret.
With this, his father accused Lovien of trying to murder Adikia’s best warrior.
Lovien was seized by guards in an instant and was thrown like waste out
of the kingdom gates. Savoria uttered nothing. She was frozen by the fear of
losing her life-source of praise to a night of training. Heartbroken by the pain
on her friend?s face, she barely had time to react at all before he was gone and
she would never see him again.

However, this was before Savoria escaped her kingdom undetected to find
her friend. Her heart couldn’t handle another year of grieving and guilt. She
missed her only close companion.

The only person that knew she was more than a hero and loved her as a
person. Musty air filled Savoira’s lungs as branches and thorns scratched at her
face, making blood run down the crease of her eye. She didn’t have time to
grab her helmet when she left. The twigs made a popping sound as they hit
metal and quickened their rhythm as Savoira’s desperate movements became
swifter and sloppy. She squinted through the dark liquid and trudged on, grip-
ping the handle of her sword until her hand cramped. The forest that led to the
mountains was dangerous at night and, though skilled, Savoria needed to stay
focused.