Logan's Journey: Chapter Two

WRITTEN: 29 November 2012
==Chapter Two: Ten Years Later==
Ten years had passed since King Sparrow’s death. For five of the ten years, Logan remained at Serenity Farm. Every day Walter would do melee practice with him and help him realise his true potential. As he trained, his only contact to the outside world was through Jasper and on several occasions when Walter left the camp. Then came the day when Logan finally decided that he could no longer remain locked safely away, and after much arguing with Walter, he was finally allowed to go and do what he had always planned to do with Sparrow… track down and remove all the trolls from Albion.
This took him five years. At first he was exhilarated to finally be free of Serenity Farm and to do as he had always dreamed, but as the years went on, it lost most of its excitement. The trolls became even harder to find and he was slowly growing tired on all the travelling by himself, not to mention all the energy it took to defeat a troll with only a hammer. Logan was pleased to say that he was a lot more talented at defeating trolls than Sparrow. When he had finally defeated the last troll with his mother’s hammer, he returned to Serenity Farm.
He found Walter sitting outside, sharpening his sword, looking troubled.
‘Walter, is something wrong?’ Logan asked, collapsing to the ground next to his godfather, who jumped slightly at Logan’s presence.
‘Logan, you’re back!’ Walter exclaimed, dropping his sword and embracing his godson. ‘Are you alright?’
‘I’m fine, unless counting the fact that my muscles are aching and I’m exhausted,’ replied Logan. ‘So why do you look so troubled?’
‘It’s nothing –‘
‘Walter, I’ve known you my entire life, I know it isn’t nothing.’
‘You are as perceptive as your father,’ Walter sighed. ‘Have you heard anything about your sister on your travels? Or at least mingled with the people?’
‘No, my travels took me mostly to remote areas of Albion. I’ve had hardly any contact with people for five years. Why, what’s wrong with her? Is she sick?’ Logan was beginning to get himself worked up with worry.
‘No, she’s not sick, at least in the sense of illness,’ Walter grumbled, picking up his sword and sharping it again.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Logan, Lily isn’t the sweet little girl you remember.’
‘Last time I looked, Lily wasn’t so sweet when she was sentencing me to death,’ Logan replied pointedly.
‘True, but she has become even more twisted since then. She is now Queen and is a feared and hated tyrant, and Reaver isn’t helping matters.’
‘Why, what is he doing?’
‘He is obeying her every whim pretty much, and giving her ideas as he is her most trusted adviser.’
‘What kind of ideas?’
‘In the past years since your father’s death, they the introduced child labour, have implemented unreasonably high taxes, pay the guards next to nothing, lobbing the trees in Mistpeak Village, turned the Bowerstone Orphanage and Shelter into a brothel… need I continue?’
‘No, I get the picture,’ Logan said, his eyes darkened. How could his sister do that to their people? As for his Uncle Reaver, how could he undermine everything his best friend had done?
‘I have to stop her,’ he muttered eventually.
‘You are right. It is time you step up to be the Hero you were destined to be,’ said Walter.
‘I must go and speak to her.’
‘What? No! If you go near her she will have you killed!’
‘I have to try, Walter.’
‘No, what we need is a revolution.’
‘Do you know how many lives would be lost by doing that?’ Logan argued. ‘No, it is best if I can speak to her first. See if I can make her see any sense.’
‘Logan, she will kill you!’ Walter said, trying to express his point. ‘She has turned into the heartless creature your father once was! Rumour has it that she financed this cultist’s expedition to reopen an old abandoned sacrificial chamber or something along those lines. She goes there once a month to watch people being sacrificed!’
‘That is even more reason that I have to try.’
‘Fine, but don’t come back to haunt me if she sacrifices you,’ Walter huffed, giving in.
Logan looked at him suspiciously. There is no way his godfather would have given in that easily. He was right too. 
When he woke up the next morning he saw that his weapons were missing. He suspiciously walked downstairs to Walter, who was currently making them breakfast.
‘Walter, did you take my hammer and gauntlets?’ he asked.
‘Yes, and I’m not giving them back until I know that you have abandoned this fools quest of speaking to your sister,’ Walter replied as he put breakfast on the table. ‘I know you are a man now, Logan, and that you are old enough to make your own decisions, but I cannot sit back and watch as you walk to your death. You barely survived the death penalty last time.’
‘Last time I was young and naïve,’ Logan argued. ‘I know the meaning of stealth and I am more skilled with weapons than ever before.’
‘I’m not letting you go,’ Walter said stubbornly. ‘Now sit down and eat your breakfast.’
Logan grudgingly did as he was told. He wasn’t in the mood to argue. Besides he had to think of places where Walter would have stashed everything.
After breakfast, Logan went outside and began to search for all his belongings. He searched high and low for the rest of the day, but he could not find his weapons.
‘Are they even located on this farm?’ Logan demanded as he and Walter sat at the dining table eating dinner.
‘I am not saying, Logan,’ Walter replied calmly, ‘but I will give them back to you tomorrow as we make our way to Mistpeak Valley.’
‘Why will we be going there?’ Logan enquired.
‘There are people there who would make great allies,’ the old soldier explained. ‘They won’t offer their allegiance easily, but they despise Lillian, and if anyone can persuade then, it’s a Hero.’
‘You’re serious about the revelation, aren’t you?’ Logan groaned.
‘Of course I am. It is the only path.’
‘No, the other option is that I go and speak to Lily –‘
‘Don’t start that again. You know why you can’t. It’s too dangerous!’
‘And starting a revolution won’t be because …?’ He trailed off expectantly.
He had Walter there.
‘Fine, just make sure you meet me at the Dweller Camp,’ Walter sighed with a warning.
-----LOGAN’S JOURNEY-----
The next morning, Logan set out for Bowerstone Castle. He managed to leave Oakfield unnoticed and his journey through Rookridge was no hardship. He only had to deal with a couple of men from the old bandit groups, but they were nothing compared to the trolls he had been eliminating for the past five years. It was when he arrived in Bowerstone that people began to take notice of him. 
A few people shot him curious glances, while others began to whisper about him being a new adventure. However, the more perceptive and intelligent citizens gasped as they realised that he was Prince Logan. With these people, they ended up having mixed emotions. Some were overjoyed to see that their Prince was still alive and that they may soon be rid of their tyrant queen, while others were still furious over Logan murdering Sparrow.
Aware of all the stares he was receiving, Logan turned into a nearby alley, before climbing up onto the roof of a house on the alley. He then made his way to the palace, via the roof tops, unnoticed by all below. When he arrived at the edge of Bowerstone Market, which announced the beginning of the castle grounds, he jumped off the roof and into the palace’s gardens. From there, he dodged guards and nobles, making his way to Lillian’s bedroom.
Getting into the palace and getting into Lillian’s bedroom turned out to be a major challenge for Logan. There were miserable guards and servants everywhere, not to mention some soldiers dressed in dark purple, who turned out to be the Queen’s personal soldiers.
When Logan entered his sister’s room, he looked around sadly. He could see that Walter was right when he said that Lillian was no longer that little girl he used to know. Gone were all the pinks and purples with flowers covering the walls and in their place were reds and blacks. All the stuff toys and dolls he remembered were also gone, and in their place were luxury jewellery and perfumes, and, much to Logan’s horror, condoms.
Figuring that he was going to be waiting a while, Logan sat down on a luxury, but seriously uncomfortable, chair. He ended up waiting all day until Lillian returned, though she had a number of guys following her. Some of them were eagerly following her while others were reluctant to what they were about to do. Logan noticed that all the men were young and were good looking. He also noticed that Lillian had a look of satisfaction on her face.
‘We’re going to have some fun tonight,’ she purred, taking the chin of a reluctant teenager. ‘You should smile. It is a great honour to be chosen to pleasure a queen.’
Logan’s eyes widened. His sister had turned into a slut.
‘I do not blame him for not smiling,’ Logan said, getting to his feet and making his presence known.
The other occupants jumped and turned to face the Prince. Lillian’s eyes narrowed dangerously as she pointed her dagger at him.
‘Who are you?’ she demanded.
Logan didn’t answer her; instead he turned to the other men in the room. 
‘I suggest you go home… now,’ he said.
The reluctant men practically ran from the room while the willing prostitutes grumbled and reluctantly left the room. As they left the room, Logan and Lillian looked each other up and down.
If he wasn’t in Lillian’s room, Logan wouldn’t have recognised the girl before him. She had long, silky, black hair, and dead, ghost white skin making her look as though she was part vampire, though it wouldn’t surprise Logan if she did drink blood. Then there were her eyes. Her black eyes showed that she harboured a soul without a glimmer of light.
‘Logan?’ Lillian question as she looked at him closely.
‘What happened to you, Lily?’ Logan asked. He still couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
‘I could say the same thing to you, murder!’ Lillian said coldly. ‘And don’t call me Lily! It’s Lillian!’
‘I hear one could call you a murder not to mention a feared and hated tyrant,’ Logan replied.
‘You’re point? But come now, surely you didn’t just come here to insult me?’
‘No, I’ve come to talk to you. You need to give up this life you are currently living. You are making our people miserable!’
‘Not my problem. It is just like Uncle Reaver always says; people just don’t know how to enjoy life.’
‘How can they when you have brought poverty upon this kingdom?’
Lillian didn’t reply, instead she asked, ‘Why are you really here, Logan?’
‘I already told you –‘
‘You wouldn’t surely risk being captured by the guards when you have a death penalty on your head,’ she interrupted before her eyes widened. ‘I understand now. You are here to kill me and take my place as monarch!’
‘Don’t be absurd!’ Logan snapped.
‘No, it is true! I see it know! You murdered Father to take the throne and because I ruined your plan, you’re now going to eliminate me!’
‘Do you even hear yourself?’ asked Logan. ‘I have no desire to be King! I never have!’
‘Don’t lie to me!’ Lillian screamed, before sending a blast of black electricity at her brother. 
Unprepared, Logan got full blast of her attack and fell to the ground, screaming in pain. When the electricity left his body, he knelt there panting.
Lillian walked towards him calmly before sending another wave of black electricity at him and kicking him onto his back. Over and over again she electrocuted him, enjoying the sound of his screams and the look of agonising pain on his face.
Lillian bent down and grabbed Logan’s chin with her claws, forcing him to look at her through his half opened eyes. She smiled coldly down at him.
‘You were lucky once, dear brother, but this time I’ll make sure that you receive the sentence you escaped ten years ago,’ she informed Logan, before calling out to the guards.
By the time the guards arrived, the Prince was already unconscious.
-----LOGAN’S JOURNEY-----
When Logan awoke, he found himself chained to a wall in a prison cell.
Just fabulous! he thought bitterly. Walter is never going to let me here the end of this with the “I told you so”!
Logan immediately began to struggle against his bonds, not expecting to achieve anything, but he did give a slight yell as the bounds released him and he fell ungracefully to the ground.
As he painfully got to his feet Lillian entered the cell with two of her purple soldiers.
‘You took your time waking up,’ she informed her older brother.
‘Have you come here to finish me off?’ Logan growled.
‘And where is the fun in that?’ she replied with a cruel smile. ‘No, I just came here to inform you that you have been resentenced to death via firing squad tomorrow morning. Don’t worry, though. You won’t have to face the firing squad alone.’
Logan looked at her suspiciously and bewilderedly as she clicked her fingers.
Moments later, three people were pushed ungracefully into the cell; two women and a man. Logan managed to catch one of the women as she fell.
‘How gallant of you,’ Lillian said disdainfully, ‘but even your graciousness won’t save these traitors.’
She then turned and left with her men.
‘It’s times like these I wish that I was an only child,’ Logan muttered, walking over to a nearby bench and sitting down.
‘Wait, you’re Prince Logan?’ the man exclaimed.
‘Unfortunately.’
‘How did you get caught?’ asked the woman who Logan had caught.
‘I thought that I could try and talk some sense into her, but I see know that common sense has eluded her. I hadn’t realised how far she had fallen.’
‘She is worse than your father was,’ the other woman informed him. ‘He, at least, still had ethics in sense that he never raped anyone nor did he take pleasure in hearing a child’s agonising pain.’
‘Lily – er – Lillian called you traitors; why?’ 
‘We are minor rebel leaders who help the Resistance leader, Page, try and over throw the Queen,’ the man replied. ‘It is a cause we have all gladly risked our lives for.’
-----LOGAN’S JOURNEY-----
That night, the prisoners had a visitor. At first, Logan thought that it was only Lillian coming to torment and inflict pain upon him so he pretended to be asleep. That was until the other male prisoner shook him awake.
‘My Prince, wake up. We are free!’
‘What?’ Logan sat up and wondered if he had heard right.
He then blinked as he saw two guards and a hooded figure in the unlocked cell. He knew that it wasn’t Lillian under the hood as the person wasn’t tall enough to be her.
‘Prince Logan, this is the rebel leader, Page, we have been telling you about,’ the male rebel leader continued as Page removed her hood.
She was an average woman with dark skin with brown dreadlocks and gorgeous brown eyes full of suspicious. On the whole, Logan thought that she was quite attractive, even if she was staring at him suspiciously.
‘Pleasure to meet you, Page,’ Logan greeted, getting to his feet.
‘Don’t know if I could say the same thing about you,’ she replied, looking him up and down. ‘After all, you are the reason this is happening.’
Logan raised his eyebrows. He could not believe she had just said that.
‘How is this my fault?’ he demanded.
‘If you hadn’t murdered your father, than we wouldn’t have had your sister destroying our land.’
‘Actually, you probably would have!’ Logan snapped, temper flaring. ‘A year before my father’s death, I informed him that I had no desire to take the throne and that he should have it that Lillian is the next successor.’
‘Well, it doesn’t matter what you want anymore. You need to overthrow your sister.’
‘I already know that!’
‘Then you must come with us now!’ Page grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the cell. ‘We must work together –‘
‘I’m sorry, Page, but I am needed elsewhere,’ Logan apologised pulling away from her grasp.
‘What do you mean?’ Page stopped and looked at him. ‘Where are you going?’
‘I promised my godfather that I would meet him at the Dweller Camp in Mistpeak Valley.’
Page sighed and nodded her head.
‘Then I hope our paths cross again, your highness.’
Logan nodded and hurried off in the opposite direction to find his weapons while Page led her fellow rebels to safety.
With his weapons in hand, Logan used his Guild Seal to travel back to the Sanctuary. From there he went straight to the Mistpeak Valley Dweller Camp. He found Walter waiting anxiously outside with Titan.