The horses’ hooves clopped on the cobblestone as we rode to the royal palace. It was pitch black out as no street lamps were lit. The atmosphere was of grim determination. Nobody knew what to expect, for there was never any mission of such high stakes as this attempted at Renegades.
The palace came into view, its magnificent towers looming over us. Team Red stopped when they got within about a hundred feet of the gate. Team Yellow rode ahead, jumped it, then scouted ahead. Me and my team went around to the West side of the castle (the front of the castle is facing South). There was a large tree on top of a hill that I had spotted for a lookout position.
Once in position, I took my bow and nocked an arrow. I found the window where the target was staying and watched as the Team Red members took out their giant “advanced” extendable ladder. It was made of wood, so it splintered as it extended and I imagined it was rather heavy and hard to extend. Nevertheless, Lana, being the lightest one, scaled the ladder to retrieve the target. I saw her break through the glass and not a minute later return with the target. It was hard to make out what the target looked like. All I could see was a rather small figure, but that might be because I had the usual expectations of a cruel monarch, large and overbearing.
I was really afraid Lana was going to fall from the way the target was squirming. I couldn’t exactly see, but I think she knocked it out. It stopped squirming, at least. Once she was on the ground and the target was secured on a horse, I was given the signal to return and regroup at home base.
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“Team Red left a note regarding our demands in the target’s quarters. The King should make a public announcement regarding this soon. For now, we’re holding the target in a cell below here. We’ll hold it for as long as we need, so I’m going to need you all to decide amongst yourselves a rotation for cell duty. Dismissed,” Desmond announced.
We decided to draw straws. I lost.
“Cell duty for the night, huh,” I said to myself on my way down. To be honest, I was curious about the target. Maybe I’ll question ‘em, I thought. I had never had any contact with royalty. Are they like the stereotypical, prissy, entitled brats? Or are they the type we’re sworn against, the cruel and discriminatory? Eh, either way, I thought. That was, until I walked through that door.
Arms shackled to the wall above her head, her limp body half-curled on the ground, I saw her. “Lib,” I managed to whisper. I didn’t know how. I didn’t know why, but I rushed to the cell bars. “Lib!” I said louder, but not to alert anyone still hanging around. She must’ve still been knocked out, for she wasn’t moving. I didn’t know what to do, so I just took my position in the chair beside the cell and slept. It had been a long night, you know.
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“Dude! Twice in a row! Not cool.” I awoke to Andy’s voice and a hand shaking my shoulder.
“What? What?”
“It’s time for the switch! I’m up next, you go back to the inn and take a bath. You smell like crap.”
“Alright, alright.” I got up and headed out the door, but not before one last glance at Libby, who was still unconscious. I knew I had to do something, but I didn’t know what to do. But I did know that it wasn’t right. Abducting an innocent girl. Even if it is to get at a monster, it isn’t right. I’m going to go speak with Desmond about this, I thought.
I knocked on his office door. “Come in,” he said in a dry tone. I opened the door and was rather surprised. It was just a shabby room with a plain wooden desk and a lamp atop it. I sat in the chair opposite his. “Luke Olsen, the best archer in Renegades, if not the Kingdom. What brings you into my office?”
“It’s about the prisoner. Isn’t it a little unethical to go after an innocent girl? Even if it is to-” I was cut off by him.
“Don’t talk to me about being unethical! I am bringing about change! When the kingdom is under my control, I will turn the tides!” He sounded like a madman. I didn’t know what to do. “Get out!” That helped.
Once outside his office, I let go of a breath I didn’t know I was holding in. This isn’t right. He’s not the leader we thought he was. I need to do something, I thought, but what? I walked down from his office and unconsciously walked straight into the room where Libby was being kept.
“Luke?” I snapped out of it and heard Andy say, “What’re you doing?” Just then, I thought of something. It was very simple and yet so dangerous, I was debating whether or not to tell Andy. No, he’s a good person, he’ll do what’s right, I thought.
“Andy, I need your help with something.” I glanced over at Libby, still unconscious. That worried me, but I saw her chest rise and fall, which somewhat reassured me. “This, kidnapping an innocent girl, this isn’t right. I’m gonna break her out tonight, and I want you’re and Lana’s help. Could you do that for me?” He looked at me with a shocked, skeptical look, and I was afraid of what would come next.
“You’re crazy, Lu-” I cut him off and started spouting out all of my thoughts at once.
“You know this can’t be right! Andy, Desmond isn’t in his right mind. I just talked to him earlier and he erupted even saying the kingdom would be ‘under his control’, Andy you’ve gotta believe m-” This time, it was him who cut me off.
“I get it! I believe you, so take a breath. Here, siddown.” He got up from his chair and gestured at it. I accepted his offer and took some deep breaths. For a second I thought he was going to turn on me. “Well?” he said.
“What?”
“What’s the plan?” he asked with a smirk on his face.
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