The Liberator (Kalon readopt form)

[VoidRinkusu]

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What is my passion?
Define passion.
Something you care about? Something you’d fight for? Something you’d die for?
Something you’d live for?
My answer is the same no matter which you are asking.

Revolution

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[VoidRinkusu]

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Username: VoidRinkusu
Name - Lysander (Ly) meaning “The Liberator”
Age - 16
Gender - Male
Personality - A very soft and noble boy. Would choose death before dishonor but he’s a little scared of both. He rarely yells, instead, he raises his voice slightly to prove the point. Ly prefers not to get his emotions involved when he feels like he has something to prove, he thinks it affects his chances and he just wants to show people what he can do. Otherwise, he isn’t ashamed of expressing himself. He thinks the world of his adoptive dad, Hawking. He really wants to make him proud.
Hobbies - Reading, whitling, sword fighting, and just about anything to do with the revolution.
Likes - Fresh pastries, books, sunrises, quality father-son bonding time, and working hard to be the best him that he can be.
Dislikes - Inconsiderate people, when people don’t try to understand someone else’s point of view, oppression, neglect, and complacent people.
Fears - Being left behind or forgotten, not being enough, and failing to do something if someone else has made a sacrifice to give him that opportunity.

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[VoidRinkusu]

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Playlist:
The Ends and The Means - Robby Hecht
Take It All Back (2.0) - Judah and The Lions
False Confidence - Noah Kahan
Finale - Madeon
A Sky Full of Stars - Coldplay

A song from him to Hawk:
King and Lionheart - Of Monsters and Men

A song from Hawk to him:
I Will Wait (for You) - Mumford and Sons


“If I am able to hurt myself, does that make me too weak or too strong?”

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[VoidRinkusu]

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The queen had given birth to four healthy, beautiful kits. They were taken at once to be cared for and inspected by a small group of servants. Those servants reached the room they would use and looked around. They inspected the kits and cared for them for about an hour.
Then the mission began. They locked the doors, drew the blinds, and turned up the lights. The head of the group looked over the kits and took one of them, then calling over two assistants. The rest of the group continued caring for the other three kits. The leader wrapped the selected kit in a blanket lined with fur and gold. He told one of his comrades to start writing the note and the other to get the basket. He then took a stolen necklace off his shoulders and lay it on the sleeping kit. It showed the royal symbol: a crown and an arrow. As the basket was brought to him, he gently lowered the kit into it and packed a few bottles of milk before covering the top with a simple cloth, careful to leave a gap for air. His other assistant returned with the note they had written. He read over it, making sure all of the necessary information had been included, then slipped it into the basket. He told the group to take care while he was gone, and to wish him luck.

The queen was told later that day that one of the kits didn’t make it.

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[VoidRinkusu]

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The meeting was interrupted by a knock at the door. Murmurs rose from the group as they collectively acknowledged that everyone was already there. Hawking, their leader, opened the door himself. He was taken aback for no one was there. He glanced around and his eyes landed on a basket on the path outside. He approached it with caution and was intrigued to see it stir. He knelt beside it but could not see in the dark.
“One of you, bring me a lantern.” He called to the building behind him. The one who did so was accompanied by a group who were curious to see what was happening. Hawking took the lantern and looked into the basket. The others could not see from where they stood but watched as his expression changed.
“What is it, Hawk?” Asked one, breaking the silence.
“It is a young kit. Come and see for yourselves.”
There was silence as the group gathered around the basket. Hawking picked up the small kit and read the note that came with it. The air was heavy with anticipation. He then turned to address the others.
“This kit has the blood of the king and was sent to us from an inside source. He will be able to provide leverage and hope for our cause.” He paused and looked into the kit’s sleeping face, it was as noble as it was peaceful. “I will raise him myself, with the assistance of all who are willing.” He continued through the buzzing silence of his comrades.
“The Liberator, Lysander, will be his name. For our people and for the revolution, let us welcome him as one of our own!”

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[VoidRinkusu]

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“Ly, come here!”
I put down the piece of wood I had been carving and started towards the call.
“What is it, Hawk?” I asked.
“Breakfast!” He responded, energetically. “The most important meal of the day.” I had entered the dining room by that time and chuckled at his enthusiasm. I helped set the table and pulled up a seat. He was whistling the whole time and seem to radiate with liveliness.
“Say, what has you in such a good mood?” I asked him with a confused smile as he walked off in to the kitchen.
“Oh, a few things.” He answered nonchalantly, grinning as he returned carrying the nicest pastries I had ever seen. I was gawking slightly at the treat, blinking as though I expected it to be some sort of illusion that would dissipate if I waited long enough. Hawk laughed a little at my shock and cut himself a piece of Danish.
“What’s the special occasion? Surely there must be some event that warrants a breakfast like this.” I queried. Hawk’s smile turned to one of determination and sincerity.
“Victory, my boy! In two day’s time, our preparations will be complete and we can advance to the final stage of our revolution. In two day’s time, we can claim what is rightfully ours!” He announced. My expression of shock quickly changed to one of euphoria.
“You mean it? Two days? That’s wonderful!” I said, shock leaving me somewhat short on breath.
“Indeed it is!” He replied, his voice was muffled by the pastry in his mouth. He noticed so and swallowed before continuing. “So eat up, we have the final portions of our planning to do and we need that intelligent brain of yours to be fueled and ready to work.”
“Yes sir!” I responded, waving my fork, before cutting myself some pieces of the elegant pastries. To think that the end would be so soon! Two days and all of our hard work would pay off. The revolution was started for fairly common reasons: an absolute monarchy with a history of using its people for its own benefit and a people who were growing sick of it. Our goal was to replace the current king with a parliament and a constitution. In the transition period, Hawk would lead as an interim king. He was the leader of the revolution, and thus could be trusted. They had been going at it for years but Hawk only became their leader a year or so before I was born, when the previous leader resigned. Back then, the revolutionaries worked outright and in the face of the public, for all to see. They were planning to overthrow the king much like we were, but they failed. Because the king was so set on remaining in power, he had spies infiltrate their ranks and thus knew beforehand. He let them come and caught them off guard at the last minute. His elite swordsmen easily defeated the ragtag rebels and he had many of them killed to prove a point. That’s why the last leader resigned. He realized that if he kept using his methods, more of his comrades would die. So he passed the role on to Hawking, knowing that he would be more cautious about the procedure based on his ideas during planning. The revolution moved much quicker back then, and it probably could have progressed a bit faster than it did afterward, but Hawk wouldn’t take any chances. We worked in secret so that the king would assume that the revolution had disbanded. But we had kept going, and now our preparations were almost complete.
The plans. The resources. The reinforcements.
We just needed to finalize our strategies and figure out what to do if we failed.

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[VoidRinkusu]

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After we had made sure the coast was clear, our documents were unfolded onto the table. The group talked through the process, step by step, to make sure everyone knew what to do. The ultimate goal of the following night would be to defeat or trap the castle guards and to take the royal family hostage. We would wait ‘till morning and then announce to the public that the monarch’s reign would be no more. We would all meet up with Wylan, the lamplighter, who would not have lit the lamps by the castle and who would have the horses on which we would ride. There would be three groups. Two of them would ride through the forests to the sides of the castle and sneak in from there. A third group (Led by Hawk and including myself as well as our best warriors) would pose as a band of nobles from a neighboring kingdom who had come to discuss trade. Forged letters had been exchanged weeks in advance so that the king would expect us. According to those letters, he would also expect us to come unarmed. We all needed swords, and that’s how the argument began.
“If you have them, you’ll be caught at the gates and the whole plan will be ruined!” Argued Johann, he was one of the survivors from the revolution’s first attempt at an attack.
“You can give them to unit two and take them when we meet up in the castle.” He suggested. Hawk shook his head.
“We don’t know what will happen once we get in. We can’t be sure when we’ll meet up if at all, and we would likely be discovered before then. If we aren’t able to fight back and proceed with our mission, we’re as good as dead. The only way for this to succeed is if we bring swords, the question is: How?” He looked around for suggestions but the room was completely quiet. I fidgeted a little in the silence.
“What if we were to hide them..?” I said, feeling a little sheepish.
“We could get some maps, fake or not, roll them up like scrolls and hide thin blades in them.” I looked around to see a few nods and intrigued expressions.
“The handles would stick out, of course, but maybe we could find some sort of cap that would conceal that and, if questioned, we could say that they are to keep the scrolls rolled up.” I finished.
“That could work.” Muttered Johann, still a bit apprehensive about the idea.
“We could say that they’re maps of trade routes and farms or some other valuable resource. That way we’d have a reason for having them.” Piped up Wick, one of our newer members but a formidable strategist. This comment was met with nods and murmurs of agreement. Hawk looked at those of us who had spoken. His eyes only landed on me for a second but I thought I saw a glimmer of pride in them.
“Well, I think we have a solution.” He remarked, leaning back in his chair.
“Don’t be fools.” Scoffed Darryl, an older member who didn’t waste his energy on courtesy. “They would just tell us to use their own maps. They have all the trade routes on ‘em, I’m sure. And they’ll probably just say that we can point out whatever they might be missing.” This brought some furrowed brows and solemn faces upon the group.
“I’m sure we’d be able to come up with some sort of reasoning for having them,” I suggested. “Perhaps we could say that we’ve drawn in certain key connections between locations or added some locations that bear-” I was cut off.
“There’s no way it’ll work,” Darryl said. “Those guards won’t buy it.” I was a little stunned that he interrupted my proposal but I wasn’t about to get my emotions involved.
“How can you tell that it won’t work if you haven’t heard the whole idea?” I asked, calmly. The look in his eyes as he turned to face me was one of irritation and offense.
“I don’t need to hear it. I’m the one who’s interacted with those guys before. I know how precautious they are.” He said, conclusively. But I wasn’t about to let him throw my words away.
“If you would let me finish my idea, perhaps it could be adjusted to-” I was cut off again.
“Save it, kid. I know what I’m talking about.” The tension was palpable. I know I should have left it there but my pride would not allow it. He had made it personal.
“And I don’t?” I asked, my voice was level but a bit of emotion was starting to seep through.
“No, because you’re just a kid and you haven’t experienced this kind of stuff.”
“Darryl, Lysander isn’t a kid anymore.” Said someone else, I didn’t catch who it was as all of my energy was focused on keeping calm and winning the argument.
“Teenager, whatever you want to call it.” Responded Darryl through a scowl. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” I snapped at that. Irritation seeped from my words yet I did not change my tone.
“My opinions are worth as much as yours, Darryl. I’m just as valuable a member of this group as you are.” I replied. My face was blank but my eyes must have been staring daggers.
“Maybe we should-” Began Wick, trying to diffuse the tension, but Darryl would not have it.
“Actually,” He began, “No, they’re not. You’re not. We’ve only kept you around because you’re the king’s son and you will provide a nice safety net in case things go south.” I was completely stunned. Darryl realized he had struck a nerve, so he continued.
“What, did you really believe that you were a part of this group because you were smart or something? No. You’re just a bargaining tool. We don’t care about you.” My breath faltered. My face warped into an expression of betrayal mixed with realization. Hawk had told me that I was the king’s son. He said that I would be able to grow up and work hard for the revolution and prove there was more to having royal blood than using the people around you. I had never connected the dots. Of course, that’s why they had me there. I was just supposed to clean up whatever mess they might get into.
“It’s true, isn’t it?” I muttered, my eyes were fixated on a scratch in the table before us. Not receiving a reply, I glared at Hawking and repeated, louder this time:
“Isn’t it?” He was completely unprepared for the question and looked shocked to hear it.
“Well, er, no! Of course not, Ly, we-” It was my turn to interrupt.
“Don’t “Ly” me! You knew this whole time, didn’t you?” I spat the words.
“You lied to me this whole time, didn’t you? Why didn’t you tell me?” I paused for a minute as tears stung at my eyes. I was struggling to breathe and my throat was tight with emotion.
“Why didn’t you tell me that I meant nothing to you?” I finished, my voice cracking. My eyes burned and my vision became blurry. What hurt me most was the silence that followed. I ran to the door and flung it open, taking to the streets.
“Lysander, wait!” I heard his faint call behind me.
But I kept running.

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[VoidRinkusu]

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I made my way to a river that cut through the woodland outskirts of the town. There was an old dock that hung over the water and I took a seat at the end, my feet swaying in the open space. I sat there sniffling for a little while, occasionally rubbing my eyes or wiping a stray tear off my face. The place was beautiful, even at night. The moon shone faintly between the trees on the other shore and reflected off the water. Some fireflies had appeared and made the setting almost magical. I smiled weakly. It was like something out of a storybook. I heard slow footsteps on the dirt path behind me and I turned to face their owner. There came Hawking, looking thoroughly humbled. The tapping of his feet turned to creaking as he crossed the narrow deck. He sat next to me when he reached the end. His legs were long enough to stir the water if he so chose. We sat in silence. Hawk sighed gently and closed his eyes.
“I will leave if you want me to. I just wanted to tell you that it’s not true.” His eyes opened and his gaze fell on the opposite shore. “I really do care about you.” His voice was gentle and showed clear remorse. After another minute of silence, he began to rise.
“Please stay.” I said, reaching a shaky hand towards him, my voice was hoarse with emotion. He sat back down and looked at me. I did not look back. Instead, my eyes followed the steady ripples of the water. Having him sit here after I had spat accusations at him like that mere moments ago... It bothered me. He didn’t even want an apology. My body convulsed as I held back tears, forcing myself not to breathe because I knew that I would start sobbing if I did. I didn’t want to look that weak.
“You don’t have to hide any of your emotions, Ly. Sadness is just another feeling that we should embrace.” I took a sharp breath at his comment. He wrapped one arm around my shoulders but was careful to leave some space between us. I shook with a sob and flung my arms around him in a hug. He wrapped his other arm around me and sat there in silence while I cried like the world was ending. Once I started calming down he leaned back and wiped a tear off my face. He gently ruffled my hair and smiled genuinely.
“Feeling better, my son?” He asked. I replied with a small “Mm-hm” and a nod. I was breathing normally now but tears still rolled down my cheeks. He looked around.
“Remember when I showed you how to fish here? Such fond memories we made. That’s why you came here, yes?” Of course I remembered. How could I possibly forget? We hardly caught anything but when I reeled in my first fish, I felt like a real champion. He had congratulated me and since it was big enough, we had brought it home to eat. I rode on his shoulders all the way back and I had beamed with pride every time Hawk had seen someone he knew and waved the fish in the air, calling out:
“Look at what my son has caught! And on his first day fishing!” I smiled at the memory and took a moment to acknowledge Hawk’s presence in my life.
“I suppose I came here because this place reminds me of how good of a father you have been to me. After what Darryl said, I just wanted to feel like you cared. I just wanted him to be wrong.” I admitted. Hawk smiled at that, clearly touched by my statement.
“You may have become one of us because of what you are, but you have remained one of us because of who you are.” He said. I don’t think I will ever forget those words. There was a moment of silence.
“You know those letters that I keep on my desk?” Asked Hawk. “My favorite is one from you. You wrote it when you were very young. The school was teaching you about how letters were historically important or something, do you remember?”
I looked at him with a confused expression, I couldn’t recall what he was talking about.
“Ah, too long ago, I suppose.” He said, understanding my look. “I memorized it. Not on purpose, but because I had read it so many times.” He then recited the letter.

Hello Hawk,

We have an assignment to write a letter to someone we care about, so I chose you. You are my dad, after all! They said we should write about what we are doing in school right now. My classes are pretty normal, but we learned about how birds get different feathers depending on where they live and that’s really interesting. In writing class, we are doing short stories about our favorite memories and I’m going to write about that time when you took me hiking. It was super fun, even if I did get really tired.
Talk to you soon!
-Lysander

He chuckled when he finished. “Not your best work but I loved it nonetheless. It was one of the first times you referred to me as your father, you’ve always been in the habit of calling me Hawk. It warmed my soft old heart to see that you cared about me.” He continued. He was staring off into space with a distant smile. I was honored and dumbfounded to hear how much he cared about such a simple message.
“Whenever I leave town and you aren’t coming with me, I take that letter so that I can have some part of you. I’ve never really cared about anyone outside of the revolution, and I never thought I’d need anyone else, but you mean the world to me, Ly.” He finished, looking me in the eyes. “So thank you.” I was in shock at this point and was feeling very lightheaded. I chuckled, more to force myself to breathe than anything. I had made him proud.
“Now, let us go home. We have an eventful day ahead of us and we had better get some rest”
We rose and started home together along the narrow deck.

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[VoidRinkusu]

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The six of us in unit three stood on the cobblestone path, waiting for Wylan to bring our horses. It was about 8:30. The sun had recently set. The time had come. The night was upon us. The air hummed with a shared understanding of the task before us. I looked up at Hawk who stood unmoving next to me. He noticed and turned to face me with a determined grin. I glanced over the supplies we had brought. Fake maps with hidden swords, ropes, simple hooded cloaks, and lanterns. We were already wearing the cloaks. I then looked at our group. It consisted of Hawk, Wick, myself, and three more of our best swordsmen whose names were Jailen, Tak, and Ryan. Hawk was going to play the role of the leading noble, Tak was going to be the mapmaker, I would be his apprentice, Jailen would be an experienced merchant, Wick would be a young trader, and Ryan would be the lead negotiator. Of course, none of us would have to play any of these roles, we just needed to know them in case the guards questioned us. Finally, I thought through the plan at its simplest. The whole process would be measured in phases based on the chime of the grandiose clock tower built into the castle.
The clock strikes nine- Approach the castle, go through questioning, drop off horses, be led to the negotiating room. At this point, units one and two would be inside the eastern and western wings of the castle and would begin wiping out the guards. The king was expecting us at ten.
At 9:45- Give or take five minutes, the time is looser on this one. We would go when Hawk deemed the coast was clear enough. We would take a guard or servant hostage to find out where the king was and make our way to his location. Units two and three should steadily be making their way to the center of the castle, split evenly among the three floors. Every time they find guards or servants, they are to bind them or lock them up somehow. Their orders were not to kill unless they absolutely had to. They would each dispatch some members to barricade the doors and make sure that no one would escape. If anyone did, Wylan told us he would find some reinforcements to monitor the castle from the outside.
Around ten: We would find the king. The rest of our unit would fight his guards and capture him while I run off to find reinforcements and to direct those from the other units to their location. Groups two and three should have reached the center of the castle and scattered by then so as to be easy to find.
If all goes as planned, the ordeal should be over by 10:30 as we wait until morning to announce our victory to the public.
I sighed and adjusted the cloak on my shoulders. In two short hours, the dreams this group had worked so hard to achieve would become a reality. I wondered what Hawk and I would do once all of this was over. My thoughts were interrupted by the sight of Wylan coming down the street carrying his lamp-lighting staff and leading six horses. He was a year or two older than me and was known for having plenty of valuable connections. Once we packed the maps on the horses and got on them ourselves, Hawk began talking to Wylan.
“The lamps surrounding the castle have not been lit. I passed your people when I was in the area and they seem to be making good time.” Said the lamplighter.
“Good. Were you able to gather any recruits to watch the outside of the castle?” Asked Hawk.
“Yes, a small band of bounty hunters whom I know well. They are reliable.” Wylan replied.
“Good.” Repeated Hawk. “Thank you for your assistance.”
“No thanks needed, I’m glad to see the revolution rise again. Good luck.” And with those well wishes, we were off.
The ride to the castle was fairly quiet. Ryan started whistling after a while and it made for some good ambiance. Some of us would join in when there was a tune we recognized and there were a few songs where we all sang, none very well. We grew silent as we reached the area around the castle that Wylan had not lit. The stars and moon illuminated our path as the horses marched on. It was the first time I had seen the castle so close. Even in the darkness, intricate golden designs could be seen embellishing the walls. I was certain that it must have shone beautifully when the sun was up. Even the bridge over the moat surrounding it was gorgeous. It was made of some sort of white marble and pieced together like a puzzle. I couldn’t help but stare. At the end stood two armored guards with spears. As we approached, the first of the two stepped forward.
“What brings you here?” He asked.
“We are the representatives from the committee of trade whom your king has asked to speak with.” Replied Hawk. He spoke with the gusto and importance of a true noble. The guard seemed to know we were coming, for after he glanced over us, he looked at Hawk with tired disbelief.
“If you are the nobles you claim to be, how come you wear such simple cloaks?” He asked.
“We did not want to attract the attention of robbers or peasants on our way.” Answered Hawk. He was really getting into character, the real Hawk would never refer to the common people as peasants. The younger guard who had not spoken looked satisfied with the answer, but the older was still suspicious. He carefully inspected our faces and his eyes rested on mine.
“Why do you bring such a young lad with you?” He asked again. He seemed determined to expose us as frauds, and while I kept my expression flat, I was worried that he would catch onto us. This time it was Tak’s turn to speak up.
“He is my apprentice. I brought him to help set up and direct the maps we have brought.” He responded, nodding at the oversized scrolls that were slung at the horses’ sides. The guard furrowed his brows at the supposed maps.
“Why have you needed to bring maps? The king has plenty.” He asked, directed again at Hawk, who pointedly looked at his watch before responding. This seemed to have made both of the guards nervous of keeping the monarch waiting.
“My colleagues have made these maps to highlight the trade routes and most efficient forms of acquiring and transporting the to-be-discussed resources between our kingdoms.” Said Hawk, feigning impatience. There was a moment of silence where the younger guard fidgeted a bit. It looked as though the older guard was about to ask another question when the other spoke up.
“Let them pass, Nile. They’ll need to prepare themselves and if they’re late because of us, we will never hear the end of it.” He mumbled audibly. The older guard still looked at us with distrust, but they both moved to open the gates. As we rode through, I could feel him looking at me, so I looked back with a stone cold expression. His gaze faltered and he refocused on the ground in front of him. I did not particularly enjoy acting so superior and impolite, but I found it extremely easy, as if it were second nature.
We were met by servants, some who took our horses and some who led us inside. As we passed through the hallways, I glanced around at the art that hung on the walls and the contents of the rooms. Everything down to the carpets was of excellent quality. The room we were taken to was on the second floor. It looked very much like a living room and we were told that we would be waiting there until the king was ready. Everyone left except for one young servant boy who was to take care of us. We were brought some charcuterie which we enjoyed while waiting for the next part of our plan. Hawk checked his watch every so often and spoke up to the servant when the time was drawing near.
“You said the king had to prepare for us?” He asked.
“Yes, he has come back from hunting and should be returning his supplies to his weapons room. Then he may wait in his throne room until he is summoned.” Said the boy. This was more information than I was expecting and I wondered if this would mean that we would not need to interrogate him by other means.
“A throne room,” Repeated Hawk, impressed but not surprised. “I suppose that would be on the third floor?” The way he phrased it made it sound like it was coming from interest or boredom. Perhaps it was for fear of not adequately entertaining us, but the servant continued despite the risks of sharing such information.
“Yes, in a grand room at the very center of the floor. It is impossible to miss, nearly all of the hallways lead to it.” He replied.
“Is that so?” Asked Hawk. “How would one get to it?” The servant hesitated in his response. Perhaps he had some common sense after all.
“It does not matter,” He said, sidestepping the question. “You will be led to a meeting room in the east wing of this floor.” Hawk nodded, pretending to be pleased with this answer. Hawk checked his watch once more. He looked pointedly at Wick who had been leaning against the door frame for the past five minutes. Making sure the servant didn’t see, he glanced around the hallway and gave Hawk a nod. Hawk rose to look out a window. The way we were positioned, the servant was between him and us.
“This monarchy has been around for quite some time, hasn’t it?” He commented. Ryan and I, the quietest of the group, grabbed some rope and cloth we had hidden in our cloaks before silently advancing upon the servant boy. Hawk turned to face him.
“How would you like to be the first to watch it fall?” He suggested. The servant must have been too confused to respond. Ryan and I lunged at him, I bound his arms and legs while Ryan gagged him. Once he had stopped struggling, we all took our swords from the scrolls and hung them at our waists. Wick stood watch at the door and from his silence, we could tell the coast was still clear.
“I’m sorry to do this,” Hawk told the servant boy, who looked terrified by this point. “But it will be much nicer for you if you comply.” He drew his sword and expertly waved it through the air. The look of fear intensified in the servant’s face and I felt a bit sorry for him.
“We are going to take your gag off and ask you some very simple questions. If you scream or try to get help, we will slit your throat. Understood?” Asked Hawk. The servant boy nodded emphatically. Ryan untied the gag and we all stood by, ready to intervene. The boy glanced around nervously.
“How do we get to the king?” Queried Hawk.
“Down the hallway to the left, there will be a stairway. Climb that and you will be in the main hallway. Follow that until you reach the library, then take a right. If you keep going, you will find the throne room where he will be preparing himself.” His reply was quiet and his voice cracked multiple times.
“And how well guarded will he be?” Asked Tak.
“Around ten guards.” Said the boy. He glanced at the floor. “If you hurry, you may be able to catch him when there are less.”
“Thank you. Now we must gag you again and hide you. We are sorry to do so, but it is necessary. When we finish our business, we will come to free you. We hope you will let bygones be bygones.” Said Hawk.
“Be careful.” muttered the boy. “Viva la revolución.” Hawk grinned at that. I suppose everyone was a bit sick of the monarchy. We re-gagged him and put him on a chair in a closet, thanking him again before starting off to the staircase he mentioned. I was the last out so I locked the door, which took me a minute because it had gotten a bit jammed. I started after the group when three soldiers rounded the corner between myself and the rest.
“You aren’t supposed to be-” The guard who had spoken noticed our swords. “Where did you get those?” He asked drawing his own. He then noticed me and sent the other two in pursuit, probably hoping to catch me and dissuade the rest. I didn’t need to be told to run. I pivoted and bolted, the calls of the guards close behind me. I was searching for a staircase or something when I heard more noise down the hall in front of me. The first room to my left led out to a balcony of sorts, so I started for that. I got outside and closed the doors, they had no lock, and I saw that it was a dead end. I looked around hurriedly. I grabbed a chair and tried to tear the leg off to jam the door.
“For heaven’s sake!” I muttered, realizing that it wouldn’t budge and that I didn’t have the time to spare. I picked up the whole chair and awkwardly wedged the leg in question through the door handles. The guards came upon it a moment later and tried to bust the doors open. Thankfully, the craftsmanship and strength of the wood in the chair and door was strong enough to take the force. I heard one of them run off and figured that they would either find reinforcements or catch me another way. The other guard must have been waiting inside to catch me. I clearly wasn’t foolish enough to fall for it, so I started searching for an escape route. There was a considerable drop to the ground below me, and the direction I was supposed to be going in was up. Thankfully, the moon was bright enough for me to be able to somewhat see my surroundings. I noticed a pillar to the left of the marble balcony that led to a second balcony a floor above. Upon further inspection, I could see there were patterns of vines built into it. I stood on the railing and tested the protruding design for strength and grip. I slowly edged onto the pillar and began scaling it. It was hard to see where I was holding onto and there were a few gusts that caught me off-guard and nearly tore me from the pillar. In due time, I reached the second balcony and shakily climbed onto it. I stood there for a minute, holding onto the railing. My muscles, unused to climbing like that, twitched and I was feeling a bit rickety from the experience. I rolled my shoulders and started jogging towards the center of the floor where I would supposedly find the king and the rest of unit three. I came upon what I guessed was the library that the servant had spoken of and heard the sounds of swords clattering. At the same time, a member from unit two rounded a distant corner and seemed to hear the same.
“Get reinforcements!” I called. He nodded and went back the way he came. I started running towards the sound and drew my sword. I entered a grand hall and took in my surroundings. Tak sat bleeding, leaning against a wall. Wick was standing his own against two guards, outnumbered but managing to stand his ground. Jailen was pushing back an advancing soldier and Ryan was nowhere to be seen. There were a few more guards and members of unit two, but otherwise it was nearly empty. At the very back, up a small set of stairs to the raised platform that held the throne, Hawk and the king were sword fighting. I started running towards them. I could see that Hawk was growing more tired and reckless as the king pressed on. I changed my course to follow the outskirts of the room so that I might catch them by surprise. I leaped up to the platform and started rushing at the king’s back. He had pushed Hawk back enough for him to stumble a little on the stairs, and at the moment he let his guard down, the king struck. Hawk didn’t have enough time to block but managed to push the sword downwards with his arm. Time seemed to freeze as I saw the blade wedged into his stomach, blood running from his torso and arm. The king proceeded to yank out the sword and kick Hawk down the remaining steps. I screamed as I came upon the king, whipping my sword at him. He was able to block my attacks but I had energy, rage, and the element of surprise on my side. I noticed the elegantly carved backguard and knucklebow on his blade. Beautiful, but impractical. I wedged my sword into the pattern, taking a shallow cut to my arm, and flung the sword from his hands to hear it fall a few feet off. He froze and stared at me.
“This is for the revolution.” I said, tightening my grip and slashing at his legs, making him fall to his knees. I hesitated for another moment, breathing heavily. I then tore a shallow slash across his chest, just to ruin his royal surcoat and make him bleed for what he had done.
“And this is for Hawk.” I finished as I swung my blade. He clearly wasn’t going anywhere and the other guards were too busy to notice what had happened, so I hurried over to see Hawk. I kneeled beside him and swept the hair from his unfocused eyes. I couldn’t tell whether the wound would be fatal or not, but he looked very weak. He shakily reached out to hold my arm and tried to force a smile, but winced in pain. I felt my anger melt into a mixture of fear and guilt. I was too late to stop this. He could die because I wasn’t fast enough.
“Don’t go, dad.” I pleaded, my chest and eyes burning. His face was contorted with pain and concentration as he struggled to stay conscious.
“Don’t leave me. Not yet.” My voice turned to a hoarse croak before dying out completely. Despite the fighting that was mere footsteps away, the room seemed silent and motionless.
“Please.” I mouthed. He smiled at me before falling back into my arms and closing his eyes. He was still breathing, though shallowly. I leaned back and observed his bleeding body, like a perfect piece of paper with an inkblot big enough to seep onto the table beneath it. Laying him gently on the floor, I rose slowly and turned. The plan was nearing its end. The rest of units one and two would be closing in at any minute.
That king would pay.
I stared down at the monarch without pity. He was worth no more than the rat he had shown himself to be. I stepped towards him. He looked up at me with an expression of fear and shock.
“Who are you?” He asked, despite everything he had done, his voice still sounded noble. I reached into my cloak to get the necklace that had been brought to the revolution with me and I threw it at his feet. He looked at it, his brows furrowed with confusion. His royal symbol splayed at his own feet feet as he knelt, bleeding in a hall filled with strangers trying to correct what he had done to them.

“Hello, father.” I addressed him. “I am your son, Lysander.” I raised my sword to be level with his eyes.
“The Liberator.”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:* 　+　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

[VoidRinkusu]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:* 　+　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Well, what then? Did the revolution work? Did Hawk live?

Yes, Hawk survived and his fur grew over the scar from the stab wound. The revolution went pretty well, actually. Just a bit after our story leaves off, a bunch of recruits from unit one and two rushed in, some tending to Hawk’s injury. They bound up the king and everyone else in the castle, counting how many were there. They got varying numbers because it’s hard to accurately count such a large body of kalons and so Lysander asked Wylan if the bounty hunters he had recruited had caught anyone who escaped. He replied by saying that they did, but no one got very far. When asked what reimbursement they would need he shrugged and said that they took the bodies as payment. When asked, none of the guards or servants reported anyone to be missing, though. Weird.
The next day, the revolutionaries gathered outside the castle as Wylan rounded up the people for a meeting. Hawking told the people what had happened and what was to come, which was met by much support. The transition to a new government was pretty smooth, as far as they go. Because of all of the planning that had happened leading up to it, they were able to make the change in just a year.

So, what happened to Hawk, Ly, and the rest of the revolutionaries?

A lot of people just went on with their lives, nothing special. That one servant boy who helped out during the night of the revolt lost his job because of the end of the monarchy, but showing an aptitude for getting places quickly and not asking too many questions, he was hired to be a messenger, and a good one at that. After his help during and after the revolution, Wylan was kept in closer contact and utilized as a source as well as becoming Lysander’s friend. The constitution and parliament were accumulated rather quickly and many members of the revolution were elected, Hawk being one of them. He started the committee of public and foreign relations which took care of business with neighboring kingdoms and would occasionally host small events and such to make sure the people were happy with the government. Lysander became an apprentice in this committee and showed a lot of people what he was capable of despite his age. Hawk continued to be extremely proud of him, so I guess not everything changes.

Speaking of change, now that the revolution is over, what about Lysander’s passion?

Well, their kingdom may be free, but almost none of the neighboring ones were. The covert overthrowing of nearby kings became a lesser known duty of the committee. There’s nothing quite like infiltrating another kingdom’s government for the benefit of the people, you should try it some time. Lysander and Wylan grew quite good at it, both for their own reasons. So, his passion may have changed a bit, but his revolutionary nature is still with him, and his passion has expanded to almost any claim of power for the common folk. He remains grateful for what they had been able to achieve after those years of planning.

Because they no longer spend all of their free time plotting how to usurp a monarchy, Hawk and Lysander have had a lot of time to do the things they dreamt of doing after the revolution ended. They’ve gone hiking, fishing, adventuring, exploring, roaming, negotiating, revolting, mastering the art of swordsmanship, and all that other good father-son stuff. They go back to that rickety old dock every once in a while, Hawk bought the land just to make sure it could stay the same as it had always been. They usually come at night in the summer or spring when the crickets or spring peepers can be heard and lightning bugs can be seen. When the water is just the right temperature to stand in and feel the ripples fall against their ankles. Though it is old, unusable, and overcome by nature, that place is valued highly by both of them. It is a symbol of everything they have become and overcome. A symbol of the happy ending that they had waited so long to greet. The dawn of a new day trickling over the horizon after an enduring and tiring night.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:* 　+　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧