The Paragons

Chapter 59: A Failure Of Royal Proportions

The phantom chuckled.

"I'm a ghost, so I really don't know what you plan on doing to me with that handgun of yours," he added, appearing to point at it with his head while keeping his arms raised.

"It always pays to be prepared," The Viper replied. "Besides.....I'm mostly using it to keep him in check. He tried to pull a fast one on me earlier." She paused briefly before coming to a realization. "Wait.....did you say you were Malcorchus's father?"

"Correct."

"Did you train him to be like this? If so.....you've got some nerve."

"I did no such thing. I merely taught him to be a good leader for our people, and did everything in my power to ensure he would be ready for when he took the throne. And now......look at the destruction around you. The Shimmering Plane has been brought to ruin because of his reckless actions. I am just as disappointed in him as you are."

The heroine raised an eyebrow, still remaining a little skeptical. Regardless, she put down her weapon. "Explain."

"I'm afraid I will have to pass," Raalmus replied. "All I ask is that you step aside and grant me a chance to speak with my son."

But she declined at first. "I can't do that."

"Please. Surely family must be important to you, right? I promise that you will learn everything you need to know.....if you will just let me through."

The Viper tentatively looked back and forth between Raalmus and the heavily-injured form of Malcorchus, then came to a decision. "Fine," she said begrudgingly. "But I'm keeping an eye on both of you."

She sheathed her pistol and stepped aside, folding her arms as Raalmus walked past her towards his wounded son and took a knee at his side.

As she stood by, the two kings conversed with each other.

"Father....." Malcorchus sputtered. "All I did.....I did to make you proud....."

But Raalmus could do nothing but shake his head in disappointment. "What have you done, my son.....? This is not who I raised you to be....."

".....But.....you told me that kings look after their own! That they protected their people and ensured their well-being at any cost! What did I do wrong?"

"You focused too much on that, Mal.....you have forgotten something else. I also stressed the importance of free will and honor. What is the point of preserving the Shimmering Plane's survival.....if an entirely different species must be sacrificed to do so?"

"Nothing else worked!" Malcorchus spat. "I realized the need to act quickly, so I did what I had to do....."

"No.....no, you didn't.....there could have been a better way. Freedom is everyone's right.....even for those who are not our own," Raalmus admonished. "Enslaving humanity to rebuild the dimension.....unspeakable....."

He continued tearing into his son, his voice somehow dripping with anger, sadness, remorse, and sorrow all at once. "Before my death, I trained you feverishly.....all I wanted was for you to become a good king. And now.....your foolish quest to assimilate our dimension into Earth has resulted in its destruction, as well as the loss of its inhabitants."

Malcorchus's lips quivered and his irises twitched as he continued to be condemned by his own father.

"You let me down, you let the Opulent down, you let the Enlightened Ones down, and you let all of the Shimmering Plane down. You are no son of mine.....I shall leave you to her mercy," Raalmus finished before standing back up and turning his eyes towards The Viper.