The forest was thick and green, with moss and shrubs covering the ground and trees towering over them. As they wandered through the forest in silence, Mars could only hope that their kingdom could pull through this. The darkness hadn't had a handle over the capital since the first hero, and their security has increased dramatically since then. As the hero, and the princess, they both were sworn to protect the citizens, but all Mars could feel was regret. Mars looked back at their companion, who was allowing them to silently drag her away. The shine that used to be displayed in the hero’s eyes was replaced with despair and fear. Anita hasn't been silent since Mars met her, but now it made them uneasy.

"We have to get to the mountains," Mars repeated. Anita did nothing but nod. At this point, they'd been walking for about an hour, as the sun was setting. Mars felt they needed to somehow reassure Anita, but had no idea how. As the sun set and the moon rose, Mars got an idea. Dragging Anita over to an open field, they sat down. This gained recognition from Anita, who looked at Mars, confused.

“Sit. Even we need a break sometimes, right?” Mars questioned, patting the spot of land next to them. Anita sat, holding her knees to her chest. “Look up at all the stars, they're beautiful, right?” They both stared at the sky.

“Yeah, they are,” Anita responded. Mars took her hand.

“Look Anita, there was nothing we could do. The darkness took us by surprise, and if we didn't leave..'' Anita looked over at Mars.

“It would take us too,”  Anita whispered. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes.

“There was nothing we could do at the time. When we get to the mountains, we can fix this.” Mars reassured. Along with Anita, she was trying to tell herself.

“I made a vow,” Anita started, “and then I left. Even if it wasn't what I wanted, even if I didn't want to, I still made it. Now all those people..” Pulling her hand away, Anita wrapped her arms around herself and tucked in her head. Even as the first tears started to roll down Anita's cheeks, Mars pretended to not hear a thing. Mars kept reminding Antia that there wasn't anything they could do, but they were still trying to believe it themself.

Mars woke to the sun shining on their face. They were laying, curled up in the grass. Their cloak was underneath them, protecting them from the wetness of the grass. Anita didn't have the same luxury, not that she minded. Anita has sprawled a few feet away, softly snoring. Her clothes were dampened, but she looked as comfortable as usual. As Mars got up to stretch, they realized the first problem of many. Out in the forest, they had no sustainability. No shelter, no food, and no clean water. They took some basic survival classes, but Mars was royalty, they never thought they would have to use it. Mars decided that they should try to find a town. As the mountains were mostly unmapped territory, there was nothing they could use to find their way to any shelter. At this moment, Anita started to wake, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“Oh, I'm outside… oh.” Mars watched as Anita remembered last night’s events.

“I should call you the princess, sleeping so long,” Mars remarked.

“Some of us don't have meetings all day, I need it after all your training, '' Anita snapped back. She unbraided her hair, combing out the leaves and dirt with her hands. Somehow, even damp from the grass and dirt-covered, her hair looked soft. Mars could not relate.

“I decided that we should go find a town. It would give us temporary shelter, and we can ask for food and supplies.” Mars continued. Anita nodded.

“We can also ask for information about the citizens.'' With this, they got up and started walking east. As they walked, Mars tried to start conversations to keep Anita focused. They usually just ended with a nod. After several minutes, Mars couldn't take it.

“Okay, Anita, you lead.” Mars stopped walking. Anita looked up.

“What?”

“Lead us, find a way. Follow the sun or a river. Do something other than sulk about yourself!” 

“I think we both know I'm not fit to lead,” Anita argued. “I was better working at a tea shop, not fighting the darkness. The citizens-”

“The citizens, right now, are back there!” Mars shouted. “My Mother is back there, my friends are back there! And right now, they don't need you to sulk and hate yourself. They need you to be a hero.” 

“You don't get it! How am I supposed to be a hero? Fighting bad guys isn't in my nature. I've already abandoned who I swore to protect, and now we're lost in the forest with nothing!” Anita finally looked up at Mars. “I barely know who I'm supposed to be anymore, or what I want to do, how am I supposed to save people when I couldn't even save myself.”

“You did make that vow, so you should know who you are. You are the hero of Malovora.” Mars wiped the tears welling in their eyes. “So be the hero you pledged to be, and lead.” Anita’s eyes were wet, but she sighed and continued to walk, Mars trailing behind. They continued through the forest. They were able to forage for some mushrooms and berries to eat. That night, they took shelter in the base of a tree. In the morning as Mars woke up, there were berries next to them. Anita was sharpening her sword on a river stone.

“Did you find a bush?” Mars asked. Anita looked up.

“The sleeping princess is finally awake,” Anita said. Mars flushed. “I did, near a river up north. If we follow it downstream, we should eventually hit a town.”

“ You found all of this out when I was asleep?” Mars asked. Anita went back to sharpening her sword.

“I couldn't sleep much, so might as well do something productive.” Mars focused on Anita more closely. Her sleeves were rolled up, revealing her lower arms. There were dirt and grass stains all over her clothes. Her hands were a little rougher than usual, no doubt to trial and error with sharpening Rune. and There were bags under her eyes, softly sagging despite her determined look.

“Well, don't get tired later, we still have to walk a lot today,'' Mars replied, inspecting the berries before eating one herself. Mars found themself watching Anita work with interest. The way Anita sharpened her sword was rough but worked well enough. Her arms moved slowly and repeatedly, sliding the sword’s edge onto the rock. Her eyes were focused entirely on the task at hand, only looking at the blade. When she was satisfied with the result, Anita wiped off the stone and sword with the edge of her shirt. She looked up at Mars, who quickly looked away. Anita raised an eyebrow but ignored the reaction.

“We should get moving, Let's go, princess.'' From the tree, they headed north to the river, then followed it until they reached a town. Both of them were so relieved to get a town, they ran right up to the sign. That's when they realized something was wrong. The town seemed completely deserted. There were lights that hung from each visible building, but none of them were lit. It seemed every door and window was closed and locked shut.

“The town of Arden.” Anita read. “I wonder, was it always this... Dark.”

“I used to hear stories of the Mountain cities from my father.” Mars spoke. "they were up near the mountains, sandwiched between them and the forest. Miners and lumberers made lots of money and could rival the capital in luxury. He described them as the land of lights.” Looking around, the streets were quiet and still. The only sign of life was smoke from chimneys. It felt like a ghost town.

“We should at least go find someone, and try to take shelter for the night,” Anita suggested. They walked into the town and knocked on a door. No answer. They knocked on another. No answer. At the 7th door knocked, someone finally opened the door. It was a child, no older than 6. He had dark skin and his hair was twisted into thick dreads. He looked up at them in wonder.

“Hello, mams. I am Kai of Arden.” he puffed his small chest out as much as he could and smiled with pride. His face seemed to light up the drab town if just a little.

“Hi Kai, I'm Mars and this is my friend, Anita. I was wondering if one of your parents was here.” Mars asked. On cue, a woman rushed to the door. 

“I told you not to answer the door for any reason, Kai, Now please leave-” the woman stopped speaking. After a few seconds of shock, she seemed to regain her nerve. “I'm sorry, Princess. I didn't know it was you. Royalty has not visited these parts in a very long time. Please, come in.” The lady moved out of the way, allowing Anita and Mars to enter the house. There was a small sofa in the room and two chairs. The coffee table was a black wood, and sitting on top were a few candles and a radio. A small square table sat in the other room. Anita and Mars awkwardly stood in front of the sofa and the woman locked the door and scolded her son. Finally, she seemed to realize that they were still there.

“I apologize for your majesty, sit please” the woman gestured to the sofa. “I Am Penelope Naregi, and this is my son Kai. what do we owe this pleasure.”

“I am sorry to intrude, but can we stay here for just a night?”  Mars asked. “Something happened and we don't have anywhere else to go. I was hoping to find an inn, but the whole town seems... Empty.'' Penelope sighed sadly.

“I don't think there is anyone who doesn't know of the return. Many cities close to the mountains have shut down, including ours in fear of being destroyed. I am truly sorry for your loss princess.'' Mars' eyes widened in fear.

“What loss?-” she questioned. Penelope now looked uncomfortable.

“I am sorry, princess, I thought you knew-”
“What. Loss.” Fear welled up inside Mars, as she tried to move foward. Anita gently grabbed their shoulder, holding them back. 

“The Queen. I'm afraid she was killed.” Penelope finally answered. Mars took a step back. Then another step. 

“No… no. She isn't dead, she isn't.” Mars reached out to grasp something. “She isn't…” as their vision blurred, the word started to spin. They heard words, but couldn't process them. All Mars could remember was the pain in the back of their head before the world faded to black. 

When Mars came to, there were voices around and a throbbing in the back of their head. Peeling their eyes open, they could look around. They were lying on the floor, next to the couch. Sitting on the couch was Anita, holding her head in her hands. Mars sat up, softly wincing at the headache starting to bloom. “Anita?” The hero looked up, then quickly jumped to the floor, engulfed Mars in a hug. Her expression melted into one full of relief.

“Mars, you’re okay. Penelope said you didn't have a concussion, but you just passed out”

“I'm… fine, for now. I think that the news was too much for me to handle.” Mars mumbled. Anita looked at them with concern.

“Mars, I'm sorry about your mom-”
“Don't.'' Mars stopped her. “Just don't, I can't do this right now.” Anita nodded quietly. From the other room, Penelope came in with plates.

“I'm assuming you girls haven't eaten anything yet,” Penelope stated. “Here’s some food, there’s a spare room down the hall. You can borrow any old clothes you find.” With that, Penelope set the plates down and left down the hall. Anita grabbed a plate for herself, handing one to Mars. They ate in silence.

The dish was simple, mashed potatoes and roasted chicken. it was a dish that they've had countless times before, but usually in the presence of her mom. They would never have that prescence again. Against their own wants, Mars forced some of the food down her throat, eyes blurred with tears. Halfway through, Mars couldnt stomach anymore. They left their dishes in the sink, heading down the hall to the spare room. The room was small, with one bed and a desk. There was a dresser and it held old clothes. In a small closet, a few jackets and clothing items hung up.

“So, tomorrow we can get instructions to the mountains and finish this,” Anita said, looking over at mars. Mars finished pulling a baggy shirt over herself. 

"Yeah." Mars responds. They lie on the bed, facing the door. Anita lies next to her, facing the window. Her warm hand grasped Mars' softly as they fell asleep.