_shink...! shink...! shink...!_

The monotonous noise of a sharpening stone running down the length of a sword rang through the air. Holding the large weapon up to inspect it closer, Freiya let out a grunt of minor satisfaction before setting the stone aside and reaching for her scabbard. It had been a few days since she had left home to reach the capital. _Home_, she thought in no small amount of disgust as she sheathed her claymore. A minor village nearby Undercity, with barely any Paladin presence in the area. Undercity was a den of mages and other similar serpents. She had considered leaving many a times before, but something had always kept her from leaving. She could not afford living in the esteemed capital. She had no skills of trade outside her Paladin training, so joining a covenant as a craftswoman was out of the question. She was a woman of the sword to her dying breath, anyhow. But mostly the memory of her father kept her in place, despite her apparent dislike for her home.

Freiya traced the outline of her scar before scowling, taking a quick swig of drink from her wine-skin. But that was all behind her now. She would become a Paladin. One day, an Overlord. She would succeed or she'd die trying. She had a duty to the dead to fulfill. A world without mages. She'd create one somehow. The Luminous Knights were as good a start as any. They'd brought about the Age of Peace, after all. She sighed, taking another swig before looking out from back of the carriage she was hitching a ride on. The pain was finally beginning to dull a little.

Freiya sat in numbing silence, lost in thought as the paved path faded into the horizon, replaced by a cobblestone road. They were getting close. She'd be in Meridian by nightfall. There she'd see what fate had in store for her.