A SORROWFUL LEGION FUELED BY VENGEANCE

You murdered her. What have you done!” Henry tried to shout for help. And then Logan swiftly gagged him and bound his hands and legs with a rope.

“Darius and the others... they still don't fully grasp the seriousness of our situation. And the extent of the sacrifices needed to overthrow a kingdom. Unlike them, I am ready to do whatever it takes for the greater good.” Logan explained his position.

“This is what happened.” He continued “You took advantage of this girl. She tried to fight against you. Fighting, struggling to fight against her, you knew if she escaped and called her father, he would retaliate. Knowing she was his only child. So, you grabbed a knife and slit her throat to silence her. In front of everyone here on the farm, Julius will avenge his daughter by taking your life. Then, Julius and his men will have no choice but to join our cause.”

He punched Henry, knocking him out, then set the barn on fire and dragged Henry outside. A commotion ensued, with Titus and his men coming out to see. They aimed their guns at Logan.

Darius, Hans, Tom, and Peter stood in the dark, planning their attack. Logan held a knife to Henry's throat, who was unconscious.

“It’s over! There is nowhere to run. This is it for you and your friends. We’ve known each other for a long time, surrender Darius and I might decide to let you live!” Threatened Titus

Julius, “Logan, what the hell are you still doing here? Release the master!”

Logan, “Do you know what this bastard has done to your daughter? I heard someone screaming from the barn. When I came to check what was happening, your daughter was already on the ground dead and this bastard was setting the barn on fire.”

Julius, "What...what are you saying. Rosie!" Julius immediately ran inside the barn to look for his daughter. He found her dead, laying naked in the hay. He fell to his knees and started crying.

The other guardsmen who worked with him ran inside to check what was happening. They clothed Rosie and dragged them both outside, out of the fire. Julius came to his senses. Clouded by rage and anger, he took his gun and walked over to Henry, determined to shoot him then and there.

There was nothing more Avarora wanted than to avenge her daughter. But she knew the lives of her other two children were threatened by that crucial moment. Unfortunately, before she could stop her husband, he pulled his trigger and shot Henry in the left hypochondriac region.

Before he could take another shot, Darius and the others arrived and managed to take the gun away from him. The other guardsmen just stood watching, without stopping him. They all loved Rosie. She was a cheerful girl who spoke of her dreams to everyone at the estate. It was not just her father, any worker at the farm was ready to avenge her even if it meant putting their lives on the line.

You shot your master! Do you have any idea what you have done? You killed the only son of major Fred Wellington! You’re all dead, all of you!” Titus warned them. He was not aware that his words actually made them realize that they no longer had anything to lose if the Major was going to kill them anyway.

Julius and his men on one side and Titus and his vanguards on the other. They were pointing guns at each other.

Titus, “Put your guns down! Do you think you’ll get away with this?”

“You put your gun down Titus!” Logan replied

“How dare you!” Titus got furious upon being disrespected by his former servant

Logan, “Look around. You’re outnumbered! You’re not in charge here Titus.”

Darius intervened, “Guys! Let’s all calm down and think rationally. Mr. Harrison, you need to stop this! My life is always hanging on a loose wire. I don’t even know if I’ll get to live another day and see Katherine again. My love for her is all I’ve got. You need to understand I love Katherine…”

“Alright, alright. Darius, let me handle this.” Peter intervened. “Titus, you have two options here. You can either chose to fight us in which case you’ll clearly lose. Or you can surrender, get to keep your life and let us leave from here in peace. Peter offered

"You think I can trust the words of a band of lawless thugs!" Titus rebuffed

Darius, “I promise. For the sake of Katherine, I won't allow them to harm you!”

Titus saw this as his sole recourse to survive another day and exact his revenge. Consequently, he commanded his men to surrender. Logan, dissatisfied with the turn of events, proposed eliminating Titus and his cohort to erase any loose ends. Darius, however, honored his word and ensured their safety. They bound Titus and his men, confining them within the house.

Darius and Julius, along with their comrades and trusted allies on the estate, convened to strategize their next moves.

"What's the strategy? Where do we head from here?" Anxious Hans interjected without delay.

"We have hundreds of workers here! If that man's claims hold true, all of us are at risk. We can't abandon them!" Ned, a seasoned estate worker, cautioned.

"We must arm every individual here! With our numbers, we stand a chance. If we can infiltrate Stork City, we can launch a surprise attack on the palace!" Logan proposed fervently.

"No!" Peter interjected. "I understand your anger and eagerness, but our knowledge of these people is limited. Given the history of failed coups, a direct assault is not wise."

Julius, “Peter is right! I’ve been at the palace many times now. The guards are not that many but the guns they use! One guard machine gun could take out twenty of us with these shotguns. My daughter has died an unfair death. For the sake of every child suffering at the hands of these people, we need to plan accordingly and make sure we succeed!”

Darius, “It’s clear that we need more time to prepare. More importantly, how are we going to protect everyone here from the Major?”

“There might be a way to do both. Someone in Lightshore city is taking in all runaways and providing them with food and shelter.” Ned revealed. Then he brought a worker who claimed to be a member of the revolutionary army in Lightshore

"When we learned of the oppression at Wellington Estate, our leader dispatched me to aid them. There's a covert route we use by boat to get us to Lightshore. I can guide you there," the man explained.

Darius, “Your community, can it accommodate everyone here?”

“Yes. First of all, everyone should destroy their id’s. They use them to track people down.” He continued

Peter, “That explains how Titus was able to find us. I am not sure how they do it, but it’s the only thing that makes sense on how they found us so quickly!”

Amidst their deliberations, a man hurried in with distressing news.

"Master Henry has vanished!" he exclaimed.

"What do you mean, vanished?" Julius inquired.

"Someone has taken his body!"

Julius realized, "The basement!"

They hurried to the basement, finding it locked from within.

"I forgot about this! There are individuals working for Master Wellington inside the basement tunnels. If they've taken Henry, they've likely informed Master Wellington. He might have alerted the Vanguards in Melvic City. They could arrive within two hours!" Julius delineated anxiously.

Darius, “Alright! Everyone you heard the man, let’s move out! Round everyone up, we’re going to Lightshore city!”

"Darius, wait!" Julius whispered. "I don't doubt their leader exists, but if even I'm unaware of him, it’s safe to assume he’s not powerful enough to go against the kingdom. Our immediate need is securing weapons. I know someone in Stork City who can assist."

Subsequently, Darius, Titus, and the others hastened the workers to pack essentials for their escape to Lightshore City via a concealed boat route.

While everyone was busy doing this and that, Peter took Logan aside to speak with him.

“I know what you did! I recognized your knife, I know you’re the one who killed that young woman. We’ve been friends for a long time now, don’t even think of lying to me! Why did you do it?” Peter demanded furiously

“I had no choice! I didn’t want to kill that girl. But thanks to that, we now have allies.” Logan explained

Peter, “Allies! You did that to get allies? They’re hundreds of other ways to convince people to join us. You understand and share their pain, their determination, their stories, that’s how you form a sorrowful legion fueled by vengeance.”

Logan, “Don’t be naïve. We both know something like this requires more than just an old name! Darius doesn’t have what it takes to turn an empire upside down. Someone has to do the dirty work!”

“Leave! Am not going to let someone like you fight with us.” Peter concluded, walking away from Logan

As they readied themselves for departure, numerous families implored them not to abandon their kin enslaved in underground mines. They couldn’t escape to LightShore and leave their family members slaving in the underground mines.

Julius who felt that he was partly to blame for the role he played, offered to go and rescue the servants who were kept in the mines.

No! I'll go!" Logan suddenly interjected. "This isn't your fault, Mr. Jackman. You were protecting your family. Trust me, I understand that feeling. Besides, you must escort Darius and the others to Stork City, right? Let me handle this. Once I'm done, I'll rendezvous with you."

Tom inquired, "How will you manage?"

"Don't fret; I'll find a way," Logan assured.

Peter endorsed Logan's plan. Avarora, her children, Ned, and the farm laborers departed with the Lightshore representative. Darius, Julius, Hans, Peter, and Tom set out for Stork City.

Logan and a few men stayed behind to liberate the miners, facing a daunting challenge. A dark hole of no escape