Shili was conscripted into the army almost as soon as she was an adult. Her country, Nyxandria, was fighting a war against another over some hole in the ground, a million miles from nowhere, in which someone had found some magical crystals or something. No-one really understood it. Obviously Nyxandria had rights to that patch of ground since the Nyxan Empire a thousand years ago, right? So why did the Kingdom of Zegretia claim that they owned that land? Still, Zegretia and Nyxandria were fighting, and had been for ten years. Neither side were close to winning.
Shili quickly showed an aptitude with swordplay which was quite remarkable for a new conscript, especially a tiny goblin. She also proved a decent tactician, and so was quickly promoted, reaching the rank of captain in only a couple of months. One of her skills that few others possessed was the ability to, in the heat of battle, drop her sword, treat the wounds of herself or a companion, and pick her sword up again and hit an enemy, all in the span of a few seconds. It was like magic... except done entirely using the contents of an average healer's kit.
Six months after she was conscripted, the war was over. Neither side won, instead someone managed to take all the crystals from the cave whilst the two nations were too busy fighting to pay attention. Shili then retired from the army, wishing to choose her own cause. On hearing about another world beyond the distant ocean, she set off, taking a ship across the ocean, then traveling by donkey across an entire continent, then by ship across another ocean to a mysterious portal.
All that was left was to step through, to a new life. A new life... Beyond the Portal.