The Knights of Haxyr

CHAPTER 10 - ORIGIN

1. WARTIME

He was one of many. About five hundred young elves approached the battlefield that morning. Haxyr was but one of them, he had been trained for six months and still had doubts if he was ready for what was going to happen. The elves outnumbered the Kamea five to one, but they would not give up without a fight.

Haxyr looked at the soldier next to him. The young elf was clutching his sword tightly. A general rode past the troops sporting a red banner. This was the signal. Haxyr pulled an arrow out of the quiver and tightened the bowstring. Five hundred arrows pointed at the opposing army of Kamea. As a battle horn sounded and five hundred arrow glided trough the air. The Kamea took cover behind their shields as the second volley of arrow approached.After the sixth arrow Haxyr's hand dug trough an empty quiver. There were no more arrows. As he put down the bow he unsheathed his sword and charged in.

"Free Acthaliar!" He yelled in unison with at least fifty other soldiers.

Out of the pile of death Kamea came several Kamean soldiers. Haxyr held his sword forwards and ran into the first Kamea that came into reach. As his sword went straight trough the Kamea. The creature hissed as it opened its mouth.

"Die already!" Haxyr said twisting his sword.

¨You die elf!" the creature responded.

After those words the Kamea bit deep into Haxyr's neck releasing its venom into his veins. The Kamea let go and fell backwards closing its eyes. Haxyr felt the venom rushing trough his body. As his knees became weak he fell to the ground.

2. THE SICKNESS

Haxyr rested on the field bed. The doctor had tried to heal his wounds but there was no way to counter-act the venom. A woman rushed into the tent.

"Haxyr, are you here?" she called out.

"He is over there." one of the other bandaged elves said.

The woman approached him.

"Son, what have they done to you?" she asked.

"One of the Kamea bit me mother." Haxyr explained.

"And what do the doctors say?" his mother asked, "When will you come home?"

"They have no idea how to extract the venom." Haxyr said.

"I am not loosing you to this war the same way I lost your father." she said.

"Mother, there is nothing they can do." Haxyr said.

"They may not, but I can pray to the gods." his mother said.

Without waiting for a response she said down next to the field bed and folded her hands together.

"Dear lords of all that is holy. Please keep my son from the afterlife." she prayed, "I will give anything I have to keep him from death."

"Mother, stop this foolishness." Haxyr said, 

"The gods can't go granting wishes like that, the world would become a mess."

"Do not say that!" his mother cried.

"I will come home soon enough." Haxyr promised.

3. THE CURSE

Haxyr's recovery was astonishing. Within weeks he was up and running again, within a month he asked if he could return to the army.

"Son, do you really want to do this?" His mother asked.

"I feel fit enough to return to duty." Haxyr said.