WHEN DEMONS COME KNOCKING ON THE DOOR

After riding for four days on their horses without rest, the five men finally arrived in the city of Melvic. Darius, Peter, Hans, Logan, and Tom would eventually become the face of the revolutionary army. At that moment, they were unaware of the treacherous and perilous journey that lay ahead. They arrived at the city entrance and encountered an officer at a checkpoint checking identities.

Badges were distributed to all denizens of Silvermoor. At the city gates, guards utilized scanners to detect all individuals coming in and out of the city. They referred to their employees as permanent servants rather than slaves, in an attempt to appear less primitive in their cruel ways. Whenever a worker scanned their ID for city entry, their owners would receive instant notification. The denizens were unaware of the system's functioning, leaving them ignorant of their adversaries' strategies.

They displayed their badges to the guards and patiently awaited verification.

"You're far from Rossfield! A school farm vice manager and four ranch hands! What brings you to Melvic City?" asked an officer.

"We're here on business, sir. For our employer. It's nearly harvest time, and we're here to finalize a deal with the Wellington Estate," Peter replied tactfully.

After verifying their IDs, the five men were cleared to pass the entrance and entered the city. Immediately, Titus was notified of their whereabouts. He couldn’t report them to the officers for the sake of Katherine’s and his family's honor. Despite not being fully recovered from his wounds, he immediately gathered a few men and began chasing after them.

They arrived at the Wellington estate. It was magnificent. Major Fred Wellington was a very rich and influential man. At the time they arrived it was almost dark, and workers were just finishing up in the fields. They hid their horses in a barn and ran into a young lady who was coming from the main house.

"Who are you!" she screamed in fear as they appeared gloomy and haggard.

"Young lady, please calm down! We mean no harm! I'm Tom. These are my companions. We're searching for someone who works on this farm. Her name is Avarora, do you know her?" Tom clarified.

"Avarora! Wait! Uncle Tom from Rossfield?" the young girl exclaimed.

"Yes. You recognize me?"

“I do! My mom talks about you all the time. Am Rosie Jackman, her daughter.” She introduced herself

Tom exclaimed, “Rosie, you're so... big! I had no idea Avarora got married. Listen, we're in trouble, is your mom here?” Peter then grabbed Tom’s ear and whispered, “Are you out of your mind! Do you want everyone to know we're runaways!”

Rosie replied, “My mom is still preparing a bath for young master Henry. Come to our place and wait for her there!”

They followed Rosie to the workers' living quarters and entered the largest house among them. Rosie offered them a drink as they were nearly passing out from thirst. They sat down to rest while waiting for Avarora.

"Such a beautiful house. It's so spacious!" Peter remarked.

Rosie replied, "My dad is a foreman. They assigned us this house last year when Tyron was born."

"Tyron! You have another sibling?" Tom inquired.

Rosie answered, "Two! Weddy and Tyron. Weddy is out playing with his friends somewhere. Tyron is with my aunt Jessi."

"And your dad?"

Rosie, “He’s away. Out of town, running an errand for the master. He’ll probably return tomorrow!”

While chatting, Avarora arrived and was surprised to see her cousin Tom with strangers in her house. After greeting each other, she took Tom aside to talk to him.

Tom explained his situation and asked if they could stay with her.

"I want to help you, but having five men suddenly living in my house, the master won’t allow it! Also, if you’re on the run, they'll put up your posters all over town!" Avarora explained.

Tom replied, "Just until we figure out our next move."

Avarora questioned, "Why did you do this, Tom? Those guys in there don’t seem to have any plan!"

Tom responded, "We’re all tired and worn out. Just let us stay here and think of something. You won’t even notice we’re here, I promise."

It was late and she too was tired to continue the exchange of words. So after they ate, she gave them a room and they all went to sleep comfortably. Then the following day, they slept in until around 9am. Having rode horses for days with barely any rest, they finally felt alive again. At the estate, workers only ate lunch and supper. But fortunately for Tom and his company, Avarora was the heard maid of the house and got special privileges. She’d occasionally sneak out food from the main house for her family.

As they say down eating breakfast with Rosie and her two younger brothers, baby Tyron and Weddy. They couldn’t help but notice something, about how Weddy and Tyron looked.

“How come you two look so…” The quick tongued, Hans attempted to ask. He was immediately stopped by Peter, the articulate. “Hans! Let’s mind ourselves, yea! We’re not here to pry about!”

“What’s that noise! It’s been going on the entire night.” Darius asked

Rosie, “Electrical generators. They have these machines down in the basements, they require a lot of power.”

Darius, “What kind of machines?”

Rosie, “I have no idea. A group of people, I think they are called gateway engineers. They keep working on them down there, day after day.”

Logan, “I heard something that sounded like explosions. Is that generators too?”

Rosie, “That’s probably from the mines. About 10km north from here, there mineral mines. They take everything they mine from there, to the capital, Stock city. I heard they’re making parts for their machines. The Master, Major Fred Wellington goes to stock city every month to get the repair parts. He’s a scientist.”

Hans, “Yikes. Serving as a Major while running such a large business. And at the same working on strange machines as a scientist. He must be a busy man.”

After they ate breakfast, Rosie relayed her mom’s instructions that they remain inside the house. They looked around and thought everyone went to work on the farms, so they got outside and sat on a shade under a tree.

Hans, “So what’s the plan here? What are we doing? I don’t know about you guys but I risked everything to come with you!”

Peter, “We all risked everything to come here, Okay! And no one forced you to come with us!”

Hans, “You’re right. But still! I didn’t throw away my life so I could come and crush in some servant’s house.”

Tom, “You ungrateful scum! What did you say about my cousin!”

Logan, “Guys! Don’t forget the reason we did this in the first place! These people need to be stopped. There is no one in our country right now who is strong or bored enough to stand up to them. It’s up to us to take the matter in our own hands. We can either stay still and watch as they enslave and kill all of us! Or, we can to do to them exactly what they’re doing to us!”

Logan’s eyes were filled with anger and hatred for his enemies as he spoke. They could all feel his passion for revenge in his words.

Darius, “I understand that you guys are furious at these people and get this, I also feel the same way. But, I am not your guy. Except knowing how to farm, there is nothing else am good at. Am not strong like Logan, or smart like peter. Am neither articulate nor passionate at this like any of you guys are.”

Peter, “What do you mean you aren’t articulate? You’re thee Darius King!”

Darius, “I was Darius king! I was so naïve. I thought I could help make things better and speak on behalf of everyone, but that’s not how this world works. I soon found out I was just another pawn in somebody else’s game.”

Hans, “Speaking of which, did they really cut off your man…”

“What are you boys doing here!” Henry Wellington yelled out. The only son of the rich Tycoon, Major Fred Wellington.

“I said, what are you doing here instead of working! Wait a minute, I don’t recognize you! Who are you and what are you doing here?” He continued

Logan whispered, suggesting they capture the rude kid then and there. They left their guns in the house. Henry was about to reach for his and shoot them when Avarora arrived before things escalated.

“Master Henry! They are new workers the master hired to help with the harvest. Sorry, I was just about to show them where to work.” She explained calmly

“Julius is not back yet?” Henry asked

Avarora, “Not yet sir.”

Henry, “Get them to work immediately there is so much to do at the farm. And get Henry to see me as soon as he arrives!”

That’s how they escaped the crows of death. Henry left and Avarora gave them her earful. After that, she gave them work and living quarters as farm workers. Working with others in the farms, they couldn’t help but notice that everyone who worked there, was extra cautious. Living fearful and anxious all the time.

One mistake and the guards would whip them. During the evening meal, they sat around together and rebuked the guards for acting harshly towards their own kin.

“Look what they did to me? Maybe we should start with them?” Tom suggested after showing his friends the blemishes they left on his body after whipping him

“You should be thankful they whipped you. If Julius was here, you’d be on your way to the mines by now.” Ned, one of the workers who sat next to them advised

Darius, “I heard about those mines. Are they that bad?”

Ned, “No one comes back alive from there. If you want a longer life span, keep your head down and don’t make any mistake. Now shut up and get back to eating before they find you speaking to each other.”

That’s when they realized they had mistakenly snuck into hell itself. Coming in was easy; sneaking out was going to be a whole different story. The guns they had hidden in the barn were discovered and taken by the guards. Instead of devising a plan to overthrow the monarch, they were now worried about escaping the Wellington estate alive.

Three days later, Julius Jackman finally arrived from his long trip. He went straight to Henry to explain the reason for his delay. His legs were filled with bruises from the constant kicks Henry would deliver due to minor mistakes. As a result, Julius was the most ruthless of all guardsmen at the farm. To protect his family and preserve his life, he had to turn a blind eye to the pain and suffering of his comrades.

Thinking he was their one-way ticket out of the Wellington estate, they patiently waited for his return. Little did they know, he was a walking disaster, betraying and destroying many lives to save his own.