Achromedea, Princess of Numesia

As the rancid smoke dissipates, mangled bodies lay motionless. Lifeless.
In a war-stricken country such as Numesia, this is normal.

But not today.

As the golden sun tries to peek through the cloudy sky, its ray hits something beneath the piles of mutilated carcasses. It glistens amidst the blood and grime and... it moved. Sluggishly. Like a larva crawling out of its ghastly cocoon, an armor emerges. With the aid of a spear, a figure weakly stands up and bathes upon the shimmering rays of a now clear, sunny sky.

It was undeniable. The scar across her left eye. The Ragnarok spear. The armor of Karopith.

She is... Achromedea, Princess of Numesia.

And this is her story.
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Whack!

"Ouch!"

"Your arms are stiff!" exclaimed a burly, blue-skinned man named Nergal as he lightly tapped his unique cane to a once fragile arms.

"Lightly you say if..."

Whack!

"Whats that for?"

"Stop mumbling and focus."

Armed with a long pole, Achromedea resumes her training and uses it like a tree to its branches. Moving fluidly along with the strong winds. As she continued to train, Nergal retreated to his old hut to retire for the day.

"You can go home now Achromedea. Don't wanna make King Nebu worry and hail his army just to look for his only sweet, innocent daughter," as he jokingly coughed in between words.

As Achromedea was about to leave, Nergal's voice boomed from inside the hut.

"And where do think you're going?"

"You said I can go now and... oh yeah I forgot," she clears her throat first then continues. "I am truly grateful for your wise teachings Oh Great General of The Four Kingdoms, General Nergal Sar Ussur. Blah, blah, ba-blah..."

"Begone you ungrateful brat!"

She ran childishly laughing. But in her mind she IS truly grateful for taking her in, accepting her to be a pupil of The Great General Nergal.

The Great General Nergal who valiantly fought along with Achromedea's father, King Nebuchadnezzar, to redeem the throne from King Nebuchadnezzar's wretched brother, Bel Sum Iscun. He rallied a thousand men to besiege the so-called impregnable castle of Numesia. They were joined there with General Odin and his then lieutenant now also a General, Birnam, son of King Nebuchadnezzar, rightful heir to the throne. With their combined forces, they were overwhelming hence Bel was vanquished. Given that King Nebuchadnezzar has a kind heart, which some thinks was his weakness; he banished Bel to the Forgotten Plains of Anagalmesh. They were triumphant indeed, but not for Nergal. Countless lives were lost. Along with his son, Teri. With that, it was enough reason for him to retire his sword and live a simple life.

Achromedea went through the Forest of Chrysp instead of walking along the Celes road to escape some prying eyes. Who wouldn't be surprised seeing Princess Achromedea walking alone? Why would she want to attract attention since she is just secretly meeting Nergal for her training? She knows the forest just like how she knows the palace well because she had been travelling through this forest a number of times to meet up with Nergal. She arrived just before the sun had set. The majestic palace is well guarded. But she knows a gate where she has access even without the King’s consent. King Nebuchadnezzar is adamant not teaching her the arts of war. But due to her stubbornness, which her father said she got from her mother, the late Queen Ira, she receives training from Nergal.

“Oh good Princess you are back,” Ksathra said as he raised the back gate to let the princess in. “Hurry and tidy up because the King have some visitors.”

Achromedea hurries herself in while wiping off some dirt she got while going through the forest. Midway through the stables, she heard a familiar voice.

“Look how much you’ve grown! Lovely just like your mother.”

“Uncle Odin!” she replied with a smile on her face.

-End of Chapter One-