King Or Greed

• Sohan Pujar, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2014

As I kept walking down the passage I saw that ahead of me was a dim and dull light. As I approached the room I was dumbfounded. The room was massive with metre long windows and six royal thrones that were covered in dust.
‘Looks like this isn’t a great place for human habitat,’ I joked to myself.
After observing the immense room, I saw another chair. This one was the most elaborate and decorative throne in the room, and easily, the palace. However; this throne was occupied by a wealthy looking and ancient man with his hood covering his face.
‘Ah, my son, welcome to my palace,’ proclaimed the prosperous man.
‘My father and uncles have died at your hands…Klyn,’ I replied instinctively.
‘Ah but not your father.’
‘What do you mean old man?’ I asked, astonished.
‘Your father is not dead. Remember you had only found six bodies at the temple where you foolishly believed that your father and uncles had been killed.’
The wrinkled man lifted his hood. He had a burnt crescent scars engraved on both cheeks and had bruises all over his face like he had once served in the army.
‘No it can’t be. You are my father. You are the one who killed my uncles. Remember my grandfather ruled the world and gave my uncles and yourself one continent each to rule. Why?’ I asked out of grief and sorrow.
‘Why now, isn’t a father important than your lowly uncles,’ asked Osborne’s father, questionably.
I collapsed as beads of water dropped from my eyes and flowed to my cheeks.
‘I should have reigned the world. Not my brothers and their inferior wives, so I killed your uncles.’
‘You have made the wrong decision and just because you are my dad doesn’t mean I can forgive you for your negative deeds,’ I explained in a newly angered face.
‘Please. You forgive…ME!’
I slowly and nervously marched up the stairs with both hands clutched onto my sword. My father stood up from his majestic throne and drew a sword as well. It looked similar to my sword but at the hilt it had images of fire and six faces in it. I guessed that these facial images were my uncles.
‘You. Out of all people!’
‘Shut up and fight you coward. We will see who is worthy to sit on that throne and to be entitled as the king of the entire world,’ remarked father.
‘I shall only reign the land that belonged to my true father and that is… Australia!’
And in one slash I sliced my father’s neck swiftly.
‘I shall reign only Australia. We shall live in peace and prosperity,’ I declared to the citizens of Australia and… the world.