Pendalia: Malik - New Beginnings

Malik - New Beginnings - Prologue

"He won't die."

"Ever?"

"Not Ever. The Brekarion will always bring him back."

King Startonias lifted the pale, squabbling baby from the cradle. He covered its mouth.

"You will never cry again after today," he threatened. Across the cradle, Lord Mephis pressed his lips together tightly in an unpleasant grimace and bounced on his heels, bringing his fingers together in a delighted tapping motion. "And of course, an immortal child isn't without it's... expenses, yes?," he smiled with rotten, brown teeth. King Startonias gave him a disgusted look, reaching into his pocket and tossing him a cloth sack with rubies inside.

"Now, my child... you're going to be a fine eternal king for Pendalia."

~~~~~~

"The throat, Malakai," King Startonias placed his hand over his son's. Malik's small hand gripped the knife wavily, his arm convulsing in dread and indisposition. "You start at the throat, and then down the sternum," he urged his young son's hand, poking the blade into the rabbit, who started kicking and wailing frantically. "Dad, no! It's just a rabbit...," Malik cried, his own white, cotton ears drooping behind his shoulders.

"Malakai!," his father's voice came loud and clear, causing Malik to freeze his teary eyes. "Don't you let a single tear fall, boy, or I swear it'll be your  tail next," King Startonias held his son's hand tightly, forcing the blade through the rabbit's throat. It slowly stopped wriggling around as the blood pooled out of it and onto the table. He led Malik's hand down the rabbit, cracking it's sternum in half and splitting the now lifeless body apart.

~~~~~~

Sixteen years of age, and a lifetime to go. Malik stood firm before his father, his cold presence dominating the warm study room. "You don't seem to be very happy with me, son," King Startonias commented rather calmly as his son placed his hand over his scabbard. "Don't call me that," Malik's voice was low and somber as he stepped forward. The King put his hands up by his shoulders and shrugged. "Well, I did adopt you, I fed you, raised you, taught you-" "No! No... you ruined me!," Malik interrupted and elicited his sword.

King Startonias grabbed his scabbard, but hesitated to draw his own in return. "Malakai-,"

"It's Malik."

"Malik, Malik yes. Malik, put down your sword, I'm sure we can...," as King Startonias had taken a step forward, Malik didn't falter to thrust his sword directly into his father's heart.

He chuckled, and Malik's face dropped. "Why? Why are you laughing?," Malik demanded to know, his face reddening in anger. His father looked at him with a bloodied smile. "I always knew you had it in you- a killer. I knew that you would overthrow me one day," King Startoniass' laughing turned into a coughing fit, and quickly his body fell limp to the sword, sliding off the tarnished blade.

Malik threw the weapon aside, gritting his teeth as he stared down at his lifeless father. "No- no you weren't supposed to die happy! You were supposed to suffer- you were supposed to cry!," his low voice became a howl, and he threw his arms over his father's desk, hurling everything off of it and onto the floor.

He vowed to never be like his father.