>> At the northern part of Tophet Kingdom is the location of Gehenna. An acre of land around 15,000 kilometers, this place has been known to the great soldiers and knights serving the Demon royalties.
Since the found of the Kingdom, Gehenna is the first place where the first founders live. Today, their descendants continue the tradition and culture of this land.
Gehenna is the centermost place of the Tophet Kingdom where the commercial district, the Limbo located. In the district, marketplace, pubs and brothels are aligned on each street.
Peddlers, as well as merchants are also located here. The town of Dis, where the barter trading happens by exchanging or buying products from different races located in the north-eastern part of the Kingdom.
This is the boundary where other races trade their supplies and crops. Over there is the exit on the realm and way to the wide world.
At the faraway land further from the town of Dis is the village of Citadel. This village has been established together with the Empire of Gehenna, and now currently under the supervision of Tophet.
This village has been known giving on the birth of knights serving the kingdom, and soldiers who have fought the heroes from the tales before time.
Right here in a small village is a young girl in her 10 years of age. In their village’s tradition, when a girl turns into 10, she must learn the customs of being a good wife.
At their young age, they learn how to cook, do laundry, sewing and cleaning the house. Just a typical women household chores, whereas boys turns into 10 years of age are learning the mastery of swordsmanship.
They trained under the guidance of elders of the village. From this point, a tale of a certain girl from this village will defy the custom and cuts her destiny to climb on the top in order to reach a certain dream.
“Naamah!” a loud voice calls out from the distance. In the open area of the village, a woman in her late 40’s, wearing a linen sleeve shirt and long skirt walked on the soiled road.
Her hair tied up in a braided pattern and a piece of cloth on her head puts up. Her eyes are glimmering in crimson hue while looking around. Two pair of small horns plucks on the far most of her forehead.
“Naamah!” the woman called out once more. On her expression right now shows the weary and pissed while looking around the area.
She keeps walking on the wide field as the villagers kept busying themselves from the chores or jobs they have been doing.
“Ba’al, having trouble calling your only daughter again?” passing on the blacksmith shop, a man in his 60’s called out to the woman. Ba’al, the woman who happens to be called turn to the person who called him.
Over the open area is a man showing a topless bulk body and shaved head. His horns are shown at the back with a swirl design to hook on his ears.
Thick and white as snow mustache and beard shown on his complexion and round eyes filled with life. On his hand is the sledgehammer and bolt holding the metal lying down on the anvil.
The blacksmith workshop stands distantly from the village houses. The clank sound of metal hitting by the sledgehammer in the anvil heard clearly.
“Yeah, that troublesome daughter of mine is too handful. The elder told me she skipped the class again...”
Ba’al’s voice gives exasperation from what happened. Right today, she went to the house of the elders to fetch Naamah, only to find that girl went somewhere and ditch the study again.
It has been quite some time now since this happened. Every time the studies approach, Naamah always skip the class and go somewhere.
This alarms Ba’al about the future of her daughter. Apparently, she has two sons and a daughter. The eldest son, Lucifer and Abbadon as the second, both now working as soldiers and guard in the Kingdom.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Only her daughter who shows a little eccentric behavior in learning manly labor worries her so much.
“Hahahaha! I’ve been heard she wanted to be a knight to serve the kingdom.” The blacksmith blubbered out as he replied.
Ba’al felt that as well. It’s uncommon for a girl to get an interest in manly labors. “My two sons have been served the Kingdom as guard and soldier... Naamah should practice what she needs to.”
Though, her reply seemed calm but Ba’al feels the concern growing inside her chest. “You should look over Amon’s place. He’s the one in charge of looking after the boys.”
Pointing forward, the blacksmith told to Ba’al. “Thank you.” she nods for the gratitude and proceeds on walking.
Not quite far from the blacksmith workshop, the loud cries of young men and boys heard from the distance.
Ba’al reached the area where the young men and boys trained to be a good soldier in serving the Kingdom.
Groups of different individuals gathered together while holding wooden sword crafted with rope for the boys, and real sword, as well as spears and maces for the young men.
“Come on, is that all you can do? Even if you are a girl, I won’t hold back in fighting you.”
Loud clamors and cheer heard from the group of young men circling around.
In the open area, Ba’al noticed the group and briskly walked forward. Her hitch as a mother lurks as she heard the young man said that a girl in his match.
“Excuse me! Make way!” giving her way to the crowd, the audiences took glances of annoyance and bewilderment. However, Ba’al didn’t pay any heed from it.
Instead, the hitch she’s having inside her chest grows further. Her breathe becomes hoarse while getting nearer the open area. The crowd cramped the passage of her way but still, she did keep passing through.
“Naamah! Naamah!” she utters nervously, and finally, reaching the exit... her eyes got bewildered from what she saw.
A young girl, around in her 10 years of age; has bruises on her face and arms; her left eye got shut in and battered all over.
The scruffy messed blue hair of hers and cuts into very short, like a guy’s was totally messed up. Her shirt is battered and tattered completely through.
Dirt and soil wrapped her small body and a 4-inches sword on her hand. She’s having trouble in breathing while looking fiercely at the young man on the other side.
She, no doubt, is the daughter of Ba’al: Naamah.
“Naamah!” Ba’al called out. The entire crowd halted the clamor and looked at the woman who just shouted out loud.
The girl then turns over to look at the side where the voice comes in. Her fierce looks turned shock and bewildered. It’s her mother.
“Naamah!” Ba’al called out once more, as she runs forward to the child. “Mom?” her voice utters. With such sprint, Ba’al runs towards her. Her instincts tell to dash forward and protect that frail and small body of that young one.
Reaching her out, Ba’al abruptly embraces Naamah on her arms. “What are you doing!?” she snarls out. “Wha—-What’s that supposed to mean? I’m getting trained to be a Knight.”
Without hesitation, Naamah answered nonchalantly to the question her mom asked. Ba’al loosened her embrace and looked around. “Every one of you here... why didn’t you stop the fight, huh!?”
Her eyes glare at each and every one from the open area with such loath on it. “We didn’t stop it because it’s her wish.”
From the back of the crowd, a voice clearly heard. Ba’al turns to find the one who speaks. The entire audiences give way to the person who talked out.
On the passage they gave, a man in his early 40’s appears. He’s wearing a linen shirt and trousers, as well as pair of leather boots and a claymore hanging on his waist.
His eyes, carved in round shape and has a stoned expression shows up. Thick beard and mustache designed his face with amber color on it. Pair of horns pluck around behind his head shows up and earrings hanged on his ears.
“I’m Amon, the one who supervised this match.” The man speaks out.
“Teacher Amon.” Naamah calls out. “You’re a lady, yet you did stand in front of a young man despite of your constitution.”
Amon walks forward to where Ba’al and Naamah are and faces them together. “Missus, I deeply apologize for this ruckus and for what my students done to your daughter.”
Ba’al got surprised from how this person so formal with, despite of his looks. “No, I am also at fault for this daughter of mine to get carried out of being a knight.”
“But mom, I know to myself that it’s my destiny! Despite of me being a girl, I want to serve Her Highness!”
Though beat up and all, Naamah’s enthusiasm didn’t falter out as she said her true intentions. Ba’al glares at her fiercely right then.
“Better follow your mother, Naamah... You’ve been beaten on the match. I see to you that you have potential in fighting, but I can’t let you have further here in the match.”
Amon shrugs off and leaves the two after. “Come on, let’s go home now.”
“No, I won’t... I won’t go home. I want to be a knight, and it’s my calling to do so. Please let me be, mom.”
Naamah, the young girl’s voice is firm and full of resolute while declaring that. “I might be a girl; I know it perfectly... but still...”
Ba’al felt the resolution of her daughter as their eyes meet. Despite of being beaten up, her spirit didn’t break. True enough, her daughter is quite amusing kid and peculiar in others.
Her true nature defies what an ordinary girl should act and that made Ba’al concerned out.
“As your mother, I can’t take fully that reason of yours. Especially, you’re my only daughter.” Throughout her voice shows the deep care of a parent.
However, as from what Naamah have said a while ago, that resolution is already firm and no matter how much she defies it with words, Naamah would just keep about it.
Naamah have been got an interest on this since when she’s little. She can’t deny it; the feeling of dwell into others by brute force causes her heart to race.
“I don’t want to do other stuff I can’t put my heart with. I believe that this is my calling, and...”
Her hand clenched tightly as her eyes fixed to Ba’al. “... Please let me do this, mom. Let me serve the kingdom.”
Ba’al completely understands what her sole daughter wanted right now. Despite of being young and a woman, Naamah thoughtfully wanted to say this at all.
“Mom, I’m sorry... I’m not a person you wanted to be. Though, I’m a girl but being a knight is my sole dream.”
It filled out with sentiments; her words reach Ba’al that time.
She didn’t rebut but her eyes leniently gazes at Naamah. Her daughter, her treasure aside from the two elder brothers who are already in the platoons serving the Kingdom, is the only thing she wanted to protect.
“If this is what you really want, then I guess there’s nothing I can do about it...”
Ba’al sighs in resignation as she smiles. “Really?! Thanks for understanding me, mom! I love you!”
Naamah embraces her mom tightly, as Ba’al embraces her as well. The day comes that Naamah finds her way to fulfill the task given. Though, she still doubts about what future awaits to her daughter, but she kept it inside her heart.
On that certain day, Naamah stepped ahead on her sole dream to become a knight. Ahead from anyone, and become the future queen’s sole bodyguard.