King

  The day was dark, bringing a vague, yet strong sensation of dismay throughout the island. With a sufficient lack of positivity flourishing throughout the area, a lot of citizens were oddly dismal.. There was no fallible way to explain any of the emotions other than the cloud-infested environment.



  Even he wasn’t all too benevolently optimistic at the current moment, as he looked into the sky just as gloomily as the rest of the citizens. It didn’t take a mad scientist to decipher his depressing disposition in the slightest. He gazed into the dark abyss above, watching as the many clouds slowly traversed on their route in the sky. With each passing second, his expression gradually worsened and worsened. With his crown slanted at a sloppy angle, it could also be easily noticed that he wasn’t particularly caring towards his appearance at the current moment. He openly expressed himself, and nothing seemed to notice/care.

 
  “Hello,” he quietly mumbled to himself… “is anybody there?” After several moments of silence, he knew nothing could hear him. Regardless of the quick and exaggerated assumption, he was instantly overwhelmed with a strong feeling of loneliness and dread. Looking down onto the metallic, royal surface before him, the clouds continued to reign high in the sky; looming over the entire civilization. He didn’t notice; he didn’t care. The shadows casted by the clouds above depressed him regardless.


 “Honey, if you can hear me,” he began mumbling, “I love you, so much…”


 His head lowered once again, and thunder roared ahead.



 “Wherever you are, me and Quest miss you… so much…” He continued.
 “You might be gone, but your heritage will live on in this dynasty… I promise, pumpkin…” As he continued this sentence, his voice began to slowly break down. His voice cracked, stuttered continuously, and had strings of hopelessness integrated into it. He was a mess.


 “Pops?” said a younger voice behind him. “Are you okay?”
 “Quetestine..?” With his son’s sudden presence, he was forced to quickly come up with a lie to keep his son reassured, yet so shamefully. “Y-yes, I’m fine…”
 “Your… your face is red… You don’t look fine to me, Dad.” Quest said in a concerned tone. Upon Quest’s statement, his eyes instantly began to dart around, unknown what to say next.
 “No, I am fine, son.” He attempted to say sternly. His voice was still broken down, and he was still in a fit of depression.
 “Dad, seriously!! Don’t lie to me, please! If you’re seriously distressed, you gotta let me know!!” Quest exclaimed.
 “Quetestine, I’m fine. I-It is okay…” He managed to sputter somewhat harshly…
 “N-No, it’s not. Dad, what’s wrong… C’mon, I want to help you…” Quest implored, still concerned.
 “What makes you say that?” He questioned curiously, yet somewhat dismally as well.
 “Your expression, your voice; I literally just heard your words of grief, Pops. You.. you miss Mom, huh?” Quest explained.
 “Quetestine…” His voice began breaking down gradually, and Quest looked at his father, scared; concerned. “Q-Quest…”
 “Dad… Is there something you need to tell me? Like, is she dead? Or..?”
 “Quest… please, do not question anything.” He stuttered, his composure slightly regained.
 “That practically TELLS me you’re hiding something!! What is it, man!?” Quest spurted out loudly, yet still in a concerned tone.

 ...He paused. He didn’t know what to say…
 After several long, tedious moments, his head lowered down. His face was shrouded in the casted shadow of his horns and upper head.
 “...Do you really want to know?”
 “Yes, of course!!”
 “Are you mature enough to handle this truth?”
 “Yeah!!” His head then lowered once more, looking down into the glassy, metallic surface.
 “You are right.”
 Quest suddenly stared at his father in awe, and a bit of surprise, as well. “Wait, what?” Quest’s eyes slightly widened, and by instinct he staggered slightly. “I.. I was right?”
 “Yes.”
 Several moments were dismally silent.


 After the ominous pause, he continued. “I have told you, y-you cannot handle it…” He said, his voice breaking down once again.
 “Nono! I-I can, I just.. I just want to know how she died…” Quest questioned.
 “Quetestine, It is hard to explain…”
 “Well, t-try as hard as you can!” Quest encouraged weakly, still stumbling. With that said, a watery shine appeared in the casted shadow over his face, and it traversed to the floor… Reflecting much like its environment.


 “20 years ago, before you were born, I had met someone very close to me, and someone who would eventually become my lover over a span of 2 years. Eventually, she became apart of our monarchy, as the Ion Island queen. She and I were very, very happy together. We were described as… ‘inseparable’...” He said. Afterwards, his head began to lower, hair and horns shrouding his face partially. “But, one day… she…” He began to stammer once again. “She.. disappeared without a trace during one of our travellings…” After finishing his sentiment, his face was darkened further.


 “That’s r-really great, Dad… What’s her name?” Quest asked.
 “...I would… rather not say.” He said.
 “Well… a-alright then..!!” Quest replied, voice still stuttering adequately. After Quest replied, the two were put under an awkward; albeit ominous silence…

 …
 …
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 …

 “Hello?”