Chapter 1
Martin and Mabel were married for years without a child. They lived in a cagy hut in the heart of kingdom Crystal due to their being inpecunious. Martin was both a wood cutter and a hunter. Mabel on her own was a fruit seller. She used to sell fruits in one of Crystal's markets. The couple were loved by the people of Crystal because of their hardwork and virtues. Even with all their needs and lack, they used to give. They were considered as the happiest couple.
Martin was a skilled hunter and fighter who had been trained by his father, a reputatable warrior of the kingdom who died on returning home from a bloody war that put an end to the kingdom that fought them. Martin's father was one of the men that brought the victory and when the king called so he could reward him, the men brought the sad news that he was dead, he and two others. The king then decided to reward Martin by making him one of his knights but he refused, saying that he does not possess the skills of a warrior. The king felt he was rude for rejecting such an enticing offer that a lot of men could die for. So, the king left Martin alone without rewarding him for his father's great deed. Mabel was already eight years married to Martin before she got pregnant. The couple were overjoyed and the people were happy for them.
When it was approaching a year and there had been no sign of delivery, they got scared and more scared when the nurse claimed she had just one life growing in her, she even guessed that it was a female child.
Truly, when it was exactly one year, she gave birth to just one child but a male one.
The child was mysterious. The whole of his body was hairy. His hair was long and both toenails and fingernails were long. He was too ugly that the couple were immediately advised by the nurse to end the baby's life. Martin and his wife rejected the nurse' advice and promised to shower all love on their son.
Later, it was not just the nurse, everyone started advising them to get rid of the strange child but the couple refused, not only because they had no other child but also, they would not kill an innocent child. They named their son Maxthon.
Maxthon had no friend. No mother wanted her child to play with a child as bizarre as Maxthon. Maxthon would cry to his mother after being insulted by his mates. Later, he resulted into staying indoor. He would cry all day and his parents had to think of what to do in order to bring smiles to his young face.
Martin went to him doing one of his crying hours, he made him sit on his lap while Mabel stood at the door.
“Daddy, are you ready to tell me why I am so bad?” Maxthon asked.
“No my prince, I want to tell you that we will be going hunting together,” Martin said.
Maxthon turned to look at his mother in surprise, “mummy, is that true?”
“Yes my son,” Mabel answered. “Just to make you happy."
“So you also have to make us happy,” Martin said.
“I will!” He shouted happily as he clung to his father's neck.
“That's my boy,” Martin said with a smile.
“I really do not know why you like hunting,” Mabel said as she left.
“Daddy, you'll also teach me the fights?”
“I will.”
“Love you daddy.”
“I love you too son.”
Maxthon was so happy that he ran out to his mates. He found five of them in the forest. Three were swinging birch branches while two were shooting wooden arrows.
"I'll be going hunting with my dad," He said happily.
Barry and Noel hissed while the other three laughed.
"Fool, you don't even know what's next," Allan said.
"Don't mind him," Noel said and eyed Maxthon, "you'll be going hunting when we have started war practice on the palace' training ground," Noel said.
"Wow that's nice. I'll also love to join," Maxthon said.
They convulsed with laughter.
"Who will recruit a zombie?" Fash asked.
"But seriously, you should try. If an enemy faces someone as ugly and unpleasant as you, I'm sure he'll flee,"Jack teased.
Maxthon was surprised that their insults had no effect on him, "I know I may be bad but you're not better than me, all of you."
They laughed more.
"But I wonder why your dad is foolish to the extent of planning to take a beast along to hunt beasts. Does he not know that you're enough to scare the beasts away?" Jack asked.
"How could you say my dad is foolish?"
"Isn't he?" Jack asked.
"Then your dad is equally foolish, he's a senseless man."
Jack slapped his face and he returned his. Fight broke out and when others saw that Maxthon had overpowered Jack, they joined hands and beat Maxthon up.
Maxthon returned home with bruises. He met his mother cooking.
"I've told you not to go to those boys again, can't you do without them?" Mabel asked as she helped him to treat his wounds.
"He called my dad a fool."
"You called for it. Why did you go to them?"
"Aw," He winced in pains.
"Your daddy will be crossed when he returns."
"I said I'm sorry."
"It's alright."
The next day at dawn, father and son set out on hunting. Maxthon hung the rucksack to his back while Martin hung his arrows to his back. When they were near the palace, Maxthon remembered what the five said.
"Daddy, Jack and the four said the king is recruiting we young ones. Why don't you let me join?"
"My prince, will you be able to cope?"
"I will. I want to be a knight."
"Maxthon I want your happiness and I know you can't be happy there."
He felt bad, "Daddy, why am I so bad?"
"My prince you're not."
"I am! Look at my face, I'm as hairy as a monkey, my nose is too pointed, my eyes are like that of an owl, my mouth like nightingale's beak, my -"
"Stop it!" Martin butt in, "I already told you that I'll teach you fights, so don't get me angry or I'll have to send you back home to your mum."
"I'm sorry dad."
"Okay son."
Martin was surprised at his son's skills in archery. He had never seen him using arrows before because he had not permitted him to use more than catapults and slings. So seeing him hunt two birds of prey with just three aims made him marvel. He was also astounded at the speed with which he runs. He outran a deer and strangled it with his fingernails. Martin had to hide his wonder so as not to get the child suspicious since he did not count all he did as strange.
"Daddy, when are you going to start teaching me fights?" Maxthon asked on their way home.
"Dear don't be so anxious, we'll start tomorrow." Martin said.
He smiled, "thanks daddy."
Mabel was all smiles when they got home.
"Easy darling" Mabel said as her son ran into her arms.
"Mummy, daddy said I'll start fights tomorrow."
"Wow, that's fine, isn't it?" Mabel asked.
"Yes mum."
Mabel turned to her husband, "I visited the nurse concerning the symptoms I've been having."
"So, what's the outcome?"
"Honey" Mabel called as he held her hands, "I'm pregnant."
He looked into her eyes, "what did you say?"
"I'm pregnant."
Martin was overjoyed. He lifted her from the ground into his arms. Maxthon watched with excitement.
The war practice started the second day. Maxthon counted the first week's training as exercise. He did yoga, sprinting, run-up, bark flaying, aiming, stick throw, muscle flexing, swift manoeuvre, body jerking and others.
Strange things started happening to Maxthon since the first week's training. His face grew more ugly, his hair and nails grew strangely longer in a way that got his parents scared. They were scared that the unborn child would be just like him. Maxthon himself became unhappy in a way that he stopped training and returned into staying indoor.
Martin and Mabel did all they could do to get their son out of depression but it all proved futile. Maxthon grew more ugly and scary. His colour darkened and the white in his eyes turned red. His body was strangely full of hairs and his teeth grew longer and more sharp. He refused to eat and this scared his parents.
“Maybe we should just have did as the nurse advised us when we gave birth to him,” Martin said as he comforted his wife who refused to leave Maxthon's door after he had locked himself in, “It's clear that he will even blame us now for not ending his miserable life at infant.”
Mabel sniffed, “I love my son. I love him the way he is.”
“I know. I love him too but -”
“No buts. I can't afford to lose him.”
Martin rubbed her hair with his palm, “Honey, you know I equally love him. You should have no doubt about my love for him and I'm not saying we should kill him. I'm just saying we should have, it would have been of help to him.”
Maxthon left the door after he had eavesdropped part of their conversation. He felt bad for how he had treated his parents. They loved him. They had even been advised to kill him. He decided to make his parents happy. Maxthon put smiles on his parents' faces when he started taking his meals but he could not continue his training due to his scary look .
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