Staying in the small town of Horace (named after its founder, Horace Hayman) got very dull after a while. Nobody new ever came to Horace; nearly all of the people who lived there were descendants of Horace Hayman himself. 'Horace' was a family name, and there were many men under that name, even some women, too. Many people who lived in Horace liked routine and disliked change, but Annika was different.

Annika didn't like the thought of staying in Horace forever and following a routine. She was spontaneous and adventurous, even though her family wasn't, and they disapproved of her personality. Annika didn't care. She liked visiting other villages and learning about foreign cultures. 

Porifora was one of Annika's favorite travel destinations. She went there more often than any other place. Annika's little sister, Shannon, liked it there, too. 

Shannon wasn't a trailblazer like Annika, but she quietly wished she was. She liked to fit in and be normal, but she also loved to travel every now and then. Annika sometimes persuaded Shannon to come with her on her trips. Porifora was the first trip Shannon ever went on, and she fell in love with the village's stunning culture, charm, and landscape, just like her sister.

Annika's trips to Porifora were nothing new, so no one in Horace paid the strange explorer girl any mind when she left for the village once again. Annika had a feeling this would be a specially amazing trip, and she'd told Shannon that, but her sister still declined. She used school exams as an excuse. Annika always thought Shannon took school too seriously. What was the point of learning all that stuff inside of doing what you loved? 

Annika sometimes felt lonely on her trips, and she really wanted a companion on this special trip to Porifora. She even asked her Shannon's older brother (Annika's younger brother), Horace, if he wanted to come, but he, too, took his schooling very seriously. He rudely turned Annika down and suggested aggressively that she should reenroll in Horace University and start preparing for the future.

Annika wasn't one to be easily discouraged, though. She even offered her parents, Horace and Jane, the opportunity to visit Porifora, but they angrily told her to go to Horace University and stop poisoning young Shannon with her outgoingness.

So Annika finally packed up, asked Shannon if she was completely certain she wanted to miss out, and went out the stables. Her black and white piebald stallion, Compass, nickered happily as she entered. Annika strapped her bags to Compass's saddle, saddled him, and led him out of the stable. Then she mounted and urged the eager young horse on. 

The wind whipped through Annika's hair as she rode away from Horace. She found herself wishing Shannon's chestnut pony, Villa, was riding alongside her.Oh, come on, Annika, you don't need her! You don't need that boring town of Horace anyway - you deserve a beautiful, rich village like Porifora, where you can nurture all your talents and passions without ridicule! If Shannon would rather stay in that gray town where different is terrible, so be it, she thought.