“Unir, are you sure I am supposed to be going this way? There is nothing but a farming village near here.” Jana looked over the map again. She had only seen Menem in the history books of her studies, and forgot how much of the land was just fields or small villages.

The guardian god rolled her eyes, flipping her bright pink hair. “Yes, for the tenth time.”

“I have not heard of a Paladin living in this area.”

“I wouldn’t exactly call her a Paladin,” Unir said, distastefully.

“You have met her?”

“No. Just what I’ve heard from her god, Yula. She’s such a pain. She doesn’t even want to be a Paladin.”

Jana popped up from her spot at the fire, her face stunned with horror. “How could a Paladin reject such an honor?” Unir shrugged, finding her hair more interesting that than her Paladin’s confusion. “Why are we going to her village then?”

“The Champion Selection is coming up.”

“Yes, but if she has hid for this long, surely she has no plans to go.”

The god gave an annoyed sigh. “Lady Edona said for you to escort her to the Capital for the Selection.”

“L-Lady Edona?! You mean to say that Lady Edona gave me this mission?”

“I just said that.”

“To think that Lady Edona would task me with such a mission.” Her face flushed with excitement. “I must succeed. Otherwise, I will tarnish the trust the Great Ruler has put in me.”

“Calm down. You were the closest Paladin to the village.”

“That hardly changes the gravity of the situation. If Lady Edona chose me, then it must be critical. This Paladin must be exceptional, even if she is unorthodox. I am excited to meet her.”

Jana beamed, unclasping parts of her armor. She held up each piece, ensuring their integrity was sound. There was a sense of comfort that fell over her when Jana touched her suit. The gods created this just for her. They picked the blue and silver coloring with a feather-like design, and over the years, she never tired of it. Once satisfied, she pulled out her sword, preparing to sharpen it.

“You don’t need to sharpen something you don’t actually use,” Unir said, admiring the shine of her nails.

“I use it,” Jana replied. “And one can never be too prepared.” The mare, Lily, added her input with a small neigh, grazing in the campsite. Unir looked unconvinced but chose to not reply. “I cannot wait to introduce her to the other Paladins.”

“Don’t get too excited. I’m sure Lady Edona wants all hands on deck with tensions between the kingdoms.”

Jana paused. With peace for so long, many of the Paladins have little combat experience.

A small smile came to her face. A new Paladin. “Still, I am sure she wants to meet the rest of her people.”

“That’s quite different from what you said earlier. Whatever, it’ll be exciting. There never seems to be a dull story about Yula’s Paladin.”

A rush of shame hit Jana as she unpacked her blanket for the night. At first, she thought being placed on such a minor mission to be annoying. There was still much for her to learn as a Paladin, she realized, looking at the shield and sword that the gods gave her. Her heart swelled with determination. She would ensure that she completed Lady Edona’s request to the utmost of her abilities and make her king proud. With nervous excitement flowing through her she, laid down staring at the sea of stars above her. The moon was almost full, its brightness reflecting off of Jana’s bobbed white hair. Her pondering of the new Paladin brought sleep to her eyes, and her thoughts grew into dreams.