In the annals of the Kingdom of Cicada, few deeds are recounted with such import as that of Sir Cimex who, by Divine Providence, did rid the land of a scourge that had long plagued its people. This tale, though one of battle and victory, is also a story of weakness overcome and hearts made strong. It is the chronicle of a knight whose name was known far and wide, but whose true courage was to be proved not upon the field of battle, but within the soul itself.
In the Year of Our Lord 1123, the Kingdom of Cicada found itself sorely afflicted by a blight upon its lands—a vast and unyielding plague of tiny, voracious insects, which did despoil the crops and unsettle the peace of the kingdom. Despite all efforts to quell this pestilence, no solution was found, and thus the King, in his wisdom, did summon a noble knight, Sir Cimex, to lead a fellowship to slay the beast that was believed to be the source of the blight. This creature, known in legend as the "Beast of the Swarm," was said to be a foul monster of great power that had taken root deep within the forests.
From the outset of the journey, there was a great heaviness in the air, as though the very forest itself did conspire against the fellowship.
As the days passed, the fellowship pressed onward into the heart of the wilderness, but with each step they took, the air grew thicker with the stench of fear. The swarm came without warning one fateful night. A great and shrieking mass of tiny creatures descended upon the camp like a cloud of death, their bites sharp as the sting of a serpent. It was not the great beast they had expected, but the very plague that had haunted the kingdom.
In the heat of the attack, Sir Cimex, stood valiantly and without fear. He slighted the beast single handedly, with one strong swipe of his shining sword. His retinue agreed that he showed his valor and bravery that day, that would make his long heritage proud. This creature was one similar to the great beast that plagued the forest and village, and stood as a test as what was to come.
Upon the eve of the fellowship’s arrival at the creature’s den, they discovered, to their astonishment, that the Beast of the Swarm was not a single monstrous creature, but a vast hive of the very insects that had beset them. Sir Cimex, though shaken, led his men with courage, rallying them with a cry that stirred the hearts of even the most reluctant. Together, they fought as one, and through his strength, the hive was destroyed.
In the aftermath, when the last of the swarm had been vanquished and the kingdom was freed from its pestilence, Sir Cimex stood, battered but resolute, and had proven himself a true leader, and a great swordsman.
Thus, the tale of Sir Cimex and his fellowship became legend. The Kingdom of Cicada, now free from the pestilence, would forever remember the bravery of this man, and Eldrin’s chronicle of their deeds would be passed down through the generations.
Sir Cimex was celebrated as a true knight, for his valor was not simply in his deeds, but in his courage. And Eldrin, did immortalize his story, to account the great deed he did for our nation that has been recorded in these historical accounts.