Logan's Journey: Chapter Four

WRITTEN: 5 December 2012
==Chapter Four: The Hollow Men Legion VS. Albion Soldiers==
An hour or so later they arrived at the Mistpeak Monorail Station.
'I can never get over this place,' Walter admitted as they waited for the monorail. 'Twenty years ago, it was just a damp, murky void in the middle of nowhere. Now people cue up to get dangled across it in a steel box... and here it comes,' he added, looking out into the distance as a big metal steam thing came around a corner attached to the rails above.
As Logan and Walter watched the monorail approached they both realised that something was wrong and before their very eyes they watched as it broke away from the rails above and plummeted down to earth, before exploding in flames.
'No!' yelled Walter while Logan’s eyes widen in horror.
'Come on. We have to get down there,' said Walter, leading the way, down the platform and over to an elevator. 'This must be the way down. We have to find those people. See if there are any survivors.'
Logan nodded and walked into the elevator, not expecting to find any survivors. Turning around, he saw Walter taking several deep breaths before joining him in the elevator.
'Let's get down,' muttered Walter. 'I don't want to spend any more time in this box than I have to.'
Walter spent the entire ride down with his eyes closed and the moment they reached the canyon floor, he was the first one out saying, 'It fell somewhere up ahead, come on.'
'I'm coming,' Logan said, hurrying along after Walter, before half stopping as he heard someone laughing, and an evil laugh at that.
'I'd know those sounds anywhere,' muttered Walter. 'Maybe the monorail falling wasn't an accident after all.'
'If it was done on purpose, then those that did it are going to pay with their lives,' Logan growled, drawing his hammer.
As they arrived closer to the wreckage site, the laughter got louder as did the banging of steal. Walter drew his gun and as they rounded the corner, they saw a group of small hobbes running around on fire and playing on the wrecked monorail with dead bodies around them. Logan’s blood began to boil as he looked at the faces of the dead children that had been on the monorail. 
Walter's blood must have been boiling too for he said angrily, 'Hobbes! I knew it! Don't leave any of the little bastards alive!'
'Don't worry, I won't,' Logan growled, striking the closes hobbe with his hammer.
Within minutes, the dead bodies of the hobbes they had just slaughtered surrounded Walter and Logan.
'That's it,' Walter panted, leading Logan along a railway bridge and through the cavern, 'but there'll be more. That's something you can count on with hobbes. There's always more.’
'Right, so tell me again why we are going to Mourningwood?' Logan asked as they started fighting more hobbes. Walter was right about there always being more.
'We're going there to find some old friends,' said Walter. 'Let's just say that I wouldn't want to go into any battle without them on my side.'
‘Well that answers my question,’ Logan replied sardonically, making Walter laugh. There were times where the Prince sounded like his mother.
As Logan and Walter walked deeper through the cavern, they became more and more weary. They had gone too long without seeing a hobbe.
Maybe they ran away, Logan mused as they walked passed a large group of barrels.
Then, without warning, the barrels exploded and out jumped a number of hobbes ready to ambush the two unexpecting warriors.
'Oh, bloody hell! Almost gave me a heart attack! Oh, you'll pay for that, you sods!' exclaimed an angry Walter as Logan knocked one to the ground before squashing it with his hammer.
'And that, Logan, proves that ambushes and the element of surprise don't matter when you've got talent,' said Walter with all the hobbes now defeated.
'But it can help.’
'Yeah, it can help,' Walter agreed, heading back through the dimly lit tunnels.
The two of them continued to walk in silence, being cautious of their surroundings, but they came across no more hobbes, until they reached a large opening.
'I wondered why none of the buggers had charged at us for a while,' said Walter, glaring across a canyon at the hobbes standing on the opposite side, guns at the ready. 'They've been waiting to pick us off from a distance. It’s surprisingly clever.'
'Actually, it's stupid,' Logan disagreed, surprising Walter.
'And why is their plan stupid?'
‘They are surrounded by barrels of explosives,’ Logan said, pointing them out. ‘If you were to shoot them…’
‘I get where you are going,’ Walter chuckled. ‘Are you going to help?’
‘Walter, you should know better than anyone that my aim is terrible.’
‘Good point.’
Logan momentarily disappeared to the Sanctuary and returned with his father’s rifle. Walter took Logan’s rifle and began to shoot the explosives. They killed all the hobbes.
'Ha! You little bastards weren't expecting that, were you? You've been outfoxed and outhobbed!' yelled Walter.
Chuckling at his godfather’s behaviour, Logan took the rifle back to the Sanctuary, before the two men continued down the path and they soon came to some woodwork, which greatly amused Walter.
'Well, look at that, they've built themselves a little castle. Isn't that adorable?'
‘If you call that a castle,’ Logan muttered.
Together Walter, Logan and Titan continued on their way until they came to a tunnel entrance that was barricaded with hobbe magic. On the other side of the see-through, magic barricade stood three laughing hobbes. One was a magician while the other two were soldiers.
'Little sods blocking our way,' Walter grumbled. 'You'll have to get behind it somehow. Cave like this, there had to be some other way of getting there.'
'If there is another way, Titan and I will find it!' Logan said confidently, before walking off with Titan, down another passage. As he was leaving, he could hear Walter talking to the laughing hobbes.
'Think you're so smart, standing behind your fancy magic don't you? Yeah, that's right, I'm talking to you!' Walter told them.
Shaking his head, Logan and Titan followed a different tunnel until they came to a small lake. At first, Logan just stood there looking across the lake to see if there was an entrance on the opposite side. In the end, he slowly walked into the water and began to swim to the opposite bank. He heard Titan dive in after him. 
Once he reached the opposite shore, he quietly snuck up on the magician before flattening it with his hammer. Due to his sudden appearance the other two hobbes just stood there blinking stupidly, giving Logan kill one while Walter shot the other.
'Impressive,' Walter said as they continued on their way.
'I did learn from the best,' replied Logan, making Walter chuckle.
‘You know what I don't understand,' Walter continued, 'is that they're smart enough to use magic, but not smart enough to wear their pants the right way round. Try explaining that.'
'I can... they are hobbes. That explains everything.'
'Oh very funny, Logan,' Walter laughed, before looking amazed as they were heading towards some ancient ruins. 'Now this... this I wasn't expecting. There must have been a whole city down here once. You don't think the hobbes built it, do you?'
'What?' Logan laughed, trying to imagine hobbes building the ruins in front of them.
'Nah, not with those stubby fingers,' continued Walter. 'Have you noticed how quiet it all is here?'
'Besides you? Then yes,' Logan answered carelessly, entering a large arena. 'Why?' 
'It's almost like...' 
At that moment three magic hobbes appeared in the middle of the arena, through what looked like a cullis gate, while more hobbes appeared on top of the wall beating drums while others bowed.
'Yep, almost like that was going to happen,' Walter sighed. 
Logan groaned and watched as the three magicians summoned skeleton hobbes to destroy them, then putting up a magical barrier to protect themselves.
After turning many skeleton hobbes into dust, Logan managed to attack the magician hobbes as they dropped the magic barrier momentarily to summon more of their friends. It was in the short moment that Logan ran towards them, doing fancy tricks with his hammer. Walter took care of the third. It was at that moment that the remaining skeletons turned to dust. None of the other hobbes were game enough to come near them after that. Both of them turned, in unison, to continue on their way but they found their way blocked by another magic hobbe, who that put a magic barrier across the exit.
'Hmm... I don't think you're going to find a way round this time,' said Walter, looking at the little hobbe, 'but I've got some magic of my own.'
'Really?' Logan began to laugh.
'Watch and learn,' Walter grinned at Logan, before turning to face the hobbe. 
He was silent for a moment, looking thoughtful before he jumped into a crouched position and yell, 'Boo!'
To Logan’s surprise, the hobbe jumped back away from Walter and the barrier disappeared. The hobbe just stood there panting with fright before grabbing chest and fall down dead. 
'Oh,' said a shocked Walter. 'It worked. Right, let's get out of here, shall we?'
Logan didn’t reply. Now that he had gotten over his shock, he was now laughing helplessly at Walter’s facial expression.
Once outside the cavern, Logan saw that they had enter some sort of forest with trees dating back thousands of years and fog that gave the place a sense of mystery and danger. Logan was betting on the latter of the two was what he was going to find.
'Ah!' said Walter, walking confidently forward along the forest path. 'You can almost smell the sunlight. Isn't it wonderful? The damp, muggy, soggy sunlight. This is Mourningwood alright. I hope the people we're looking for are still alive.'
'Still - still alive?' Logan repeated. 'I thought you said that there was a village of sorts in this region! Wouldn't that village be well protected from hollow men?'
'There is, but it's not protected,' Walter answered. 'Besides, the men we are after aren't at the village, and come nightfall, it's one of the most dangerous places in Albion.'
‘Can’t be as dangerous as Wraithmarsh,’ Logan said reasonably. He had travelled to that region seeking trolls.
‘No, but it is pretty close.’
They walked in silence for a while before Walter complained, 'I don't know about dangerous, but I'm starting to get a rash. Bloody swamp. Anyway,' he continued conversationally, 'we made a good team back in that cave, didn't we?'
'That we did,' Logan agreed.
'It's been a while since I got stuck into a real fight. It was just like fighting by your father’s side. Ah, that must be the place up ahead,' he added as they set sights on a ruined fortress up ahead. 'What I wouldn't give for a bowl of hot soup and a hot bath.'
‘Sorry, Princess, but I don’t think you’ll get that here,’ said Logan, trying not to smile.
'Oh, be quiet,' Walter chuckled, coming to a halt outside the fortress. A solider stood on the keep above, gun aimed directly at them.
'Cease your movement! Be you men, or be you hollow men?' he demanded.
'Have you gone daft, boy?' Walter demanded. 'Open up the doors!'
'Sir Walter? Is that you?' the surprised soldier asked.
'The very same. Now, are you going to let us in or what?'
'Right, yes, of course! Open the gate! Tell Major Swift: Sir Walter's here!'
Shaking his head, Walter motioned for Logan follow him and together they walked into the run-down fortress, only to be greeted by a group of excited soldiers wearing the Albion soldier’s attire. They were all excited to see Walter again. 
‘Alright, everyone back to work!’ the Major ordered as he and the Captain approached.
'There he is,' Walter smiled, taking the hand of the Major. 'The one and only; Major Swift.'
'Walter! What the blazes are you doing here?' Swift laughed. It was good to see his old friend again. He hadn’t seen him in ten years.
'We came looking for you,' Walter answered. 'I have a proposition.'
'You came all this way to proposition us?' said the Captain, who looked as though he was Logan’s age. 'And I thought you were her to save us from the legions of the damned.'
'Ben Finn! It's good to see you,' said Walter. 'I take it the legends about this place are true then.'
'I'd say,' said Swift, leading them over to a small graveyard. 'You've never seen so many hollow men in one place. We've been stationed here for weeks, trying to eradicate them. It's mainly us getting eradicated. We lost some good men last night, including Lieutenant Simmons here,' he added, pointing to a grave, 'and the buggers will be back tonight.'
‘Lillian just loves to send you on the best assignments, doesn't she?' Walter asked jokingly. 
‘I think it’s mainly because Sparrow used to send me and my men on dangerous missions,’ Swift sighed. ‘But at least he was always with us.’ His eyes fell upon Logan. 'Is this...?' 
‘Prince Logan, yes, I'll explain... but just treat him like any other pair of hands for now.'
'Fair enough,' Swift said turning to Logan. ‘You have changed much since I last saw you, Logan.
‘It is good to see you again, Major Swift,’ Logan replied, smiling.
‘You look like your father,’ Swift commented.
‘Believe me, he’s got Hammer embedded in him too,’ Walter chuckled.
'Why doesn’t that surprise me? Anyway, Logan, Captain Finn will show you to the mortar. We could use a body up there.'
‘Mortar?’ Logan didn’t look too thrilled. ‘As is a weapon you need to aim?’
‘That’s generally what you have to do with a mortar,’ Ben replied. ‘You aim and then fire.’
‘Trust me when I say my aim isn’t the best.’
‘I’m sure you’ll be fine.’ Ben clasped Logan on the back and began to lead him way.
‘Don’t destroy anything you shouldn’t, Logan!’ Walter yelled out after his godson, trying not to laugh.
‘You are not helping!’ Logan yelled back.
‘Are you really that bad?’ Ben asked.
‘I’m worse than bad,’ replied Logan. He was dead serious.
‘I’m sure you’re just exaggerating,’ Ben said dismissingly. ‘Anyway, I'll introduce you to Private Jammy, so called because he is the luckiest sod in the fort.'
‘How is he lucky?’ Logan asked curiously.
‘You’ll see when you meet him,’ Ben said mysteriously.
Moments later they were standing beside the mortar. Next to the mortar was a soldier that had that many cuts and bruises that they all blended together, as did his bandages.
‘Logan, I'd like you to meet Private Jammy,’ Ben said, indicating to the mummy soldier. 'He'll be your loader.'
'Pleasure to meet cha,' said Jammy. 'It's true what they say about me you know. I’m the jammiest soldier in Albion. I’ve got seven hundred and twenty-four wounds and still standing.'
Logan felt his jaw drop and looked over at Ben.
'Don't worry, you'll get use to him,' Ben chuckled. 'After a while he's hardly revolting at all. Right, Jammy. It's time to show him the ropes.'
'Yes, sir!' said Jammy. 'Right then, my life's going to be in your hands, so let's make sure you know what you are doing, okay?'
Logan nodded.
'Right, go on and grab the mortar, so we can do some practice shots.'
'Sure thing,' Logan said nervously, taking hold of it.
'Okay, let's see what you've got,' said Jammy. 'See that scarecrow over there?'
'Yeah.'
'Blow it up.'
'Okay,' said Logan, trying to get a feel of the mortar. His first ten shot missed the scarecrow, but his eleventh shot hit the target straight on. He had the exact same trouble with the second scarecrow.
‘Still think that I’m exaggerating?’ Logan asked Ben, who was looking shocked. 
‘Maybe you should load the mortar and let Jammy fire,’ Ben said thoughtfully.
‘That would be best,’ replied Logan. ‘I’ve never had good aim. Walter says that I take after my mother in that sense. She couldn’t hit a target, with a ranged weapon, to save her life.’
‘It probably would have been helpful if you had taken after your father.’
‘True, but none of us are perfect, even if people like Lillian think they are.’
‘Truer words have never been spoken,’ Jammy commented, looking out at the eerie scenery of Mourningwood. 'Hang on; I don't remember setting that scarecrow up,’ he added.
Ben and Logan both turned and looked at him, before looking at the scarecrow, which had started to move. Next thing they knew, hollow men with appearing out of the ground around it.
'They're here! Start firing!' Ben ordered, before alerting the other soldiers, Swift and Walter.
Jammy and Logan did not hesitate. Jammy fired shot after shot, always getting his target, and Logan re-loaded the mortar nearly immediately after the load was shot. Then before their very eyes, they all disappeared.
'Where did they go?' Logan asked Jammy. ‘Do you think they just gave up?’
'I don't...'
'They're at the rear gate!' Swift yelled to his soldiers. 'Take positions!'
Jammy quickly ran down the stairs, yelling for Logan to follow him, but he just jumped off the wall instead and hurried over to Walter, Ben and Swift, drawing his weapon as he went.
'All guns on the gate!’ Ben ordered. ‘We can't let them through!' 
The two men, who were standing at the gate, threw all their weight against the wood to try to stop the hollow men entering, but it was all in vain. The hollow men succeeded in knocking the door down, killing the two soldiers as the logs from the gate crashed on top of them.
Immediately, the soldiers attacked along with Walter, Ben, Swift and Logan. 
The soldiers attacked with anything they could get their hands on whether it be their guns or swords. Logan even saw one solider fighting with his lute. Logan, of course, swung his hammer with all his might, sending zombie dust everywhere.
As the hollow men kept coming and coming, the soldier began to tire, they hadn’t had much sleep in the week they had been there. Every night they were attacked by the hollow men. It was for this reason that they began to become sloppy, including Jammy.
‘JAMMY… NO!’ Logan heard Ben scream. He turned around and watched as Jammy fell to the ground, unseeing. His luck had finally run out.
Seeing that if he didn’t act fast, the soldiers would not survive, Logan grudgingly began to call upon his Will. Once he had gathered it, he yelled out as he released balls of fire at their enemies. In moments the hollow men were gone and Logan collapsed to the ground, exhausted. He didn’t know how his father could do it. He just couldn’t understand how he had the strength to call upon his Will, unaided, and release and unspeakable force.
'Victory!' Swift yelled. 'All hail the Prince!’
‘Logan, are you alright?’ Walter asked his godson.
‘I’ll be fine,’ Logan replied with a reassuring smile.
‘That’s good. I – THERE’S ANOTHER WISP!’ he suddenly yelled, putting over to the graves of fallen soldiers.
The blue wisp went flying through the air and straight into Lieutenant Simmons grave.
'That can't be good,' muttered Ben, and he was right.
'Lieutenant Simmons!' Swift ordered as the corpse came out of the ground bearing to huge swords. Logan felt like a child in size compared to Simmons. 'I specifically instruct you to remain buried!'
The corpse ignored him.
'Doesn't anyone follow orders anymore?' Ben demanded.
'I don't think orders count when they are dead,' Logan said as the soldiers began shooting at Simmons.
Simmons roar and released ten wisps, which all turned into hollow men.
'Somehow, I don't think this is an average hollow man we're dealing with,' Logan told Ben.
‘That’s because it’s not,’ Walter growled as he dodged an attack. ‘Didn’t you see one in the Reliquary?’
‘No. Should I have?’
‘I saw three when I went in with your father,’ Walter informed him. ‘They are the strongest hollow men alive. They take great strength to destroy.’
‘Good thing you have me then,’ Logan said cheerfully, dodging an electric blade Simmons had sent at him. ‘How did you and Dad defeat them?’
‘Sparrow sent a wild fire at them.’
‘Right, well, I can’t do that. Do you have another plan?’
‘Ben, Swift, the other soldiers and I will distract it and its friends. You attack it from behind.’
Logan nodded and snuck away, while Ben and Walter informed everyone else of the plan.
The plan was going well, at first, but when Logan swung his hammer at Simmons with all his strength, all he did was injure the giant hollow man. It turned angrily to him.
‘This won’t be good,’ Logan muttered, before he was blasted backwards by an electric force.
Getting to his feet, Logan waited for his enemy to come close to him so he could hit it with all his strength again, and when it did, nothing happened. It was still strong and fighting.
‘How on earth are you stronger than a troll?’ Logan demanded. ‘Unless… I’m not hitting your vulnerable spots.’
Logan dodged Simmons’ attack once more, before randomly throwing fireballs at him in order to find his weak spot. After countless dodging tricks, Logan managed to get behind the hollow man and discovered that he was weak behind the knee. With this in mind, Logan charged, striking him behind a knee. 
Simmons fell to the ground where Logan then finished him off. As he did so, Simmons’ friends exploded and disappeared.
'That was pretty damn impressive!' Ben told Logan, walking over to him. 'So, your father wasn't the last Hero of Albion after all.'
‘You bet Sparrow wasn’t,’ Walter said joyfully. ‘He always knew that one of his children would be a Hero like him.’
'We did it!' Swift exclaimed ecstatically, now joining Ben, Walter and Logan.
'Let the poets tell our epic tale. The Swift Brigade fought against impossible odds. They won. The end,' said Ben, making them laugh. Once the laughter had ceased, he turned to Walter. 'Well, Sir Walter, you didn't do too bad... for an old man.'
'Neither did you... for a buffoon,' replied Walter, with a raised eyebrow before they both started laughing.
'Ah, that was just like old times, Walter. Just like old times,' said Swift.
'So what do you say? Will you join us?' asked Walter, becoming serious once more. 'With your help we can put a stop to Lillian’s madness and bring back the real Albion army.'
'I swore to serve my queen to the death,' said Swift, firmly. 'We all did, but this isn't the way it was meant to be. The old guard has been shoved aside, and all those new soldiers Lillian has been gathering... they don't care about this land or its people.'
'And I bet they get paid more,' Ben grumbled.
'Walter has absolute faith in you,' said Swift, turning to Logan, 'and after seeing you in action, so do I. All I ask is that you make a soldier's oath.'
'And what oath is that?' asked Logan.
'Let your armies protect the people instead of oppressing them. Bring honour back to this uniform...'
'And don't forget the pay rise,' added Ben.
'Shut up, Ben,' said Walter, with a chuckle.
'I promise,' Logan vowed, 'to both the honour of the uniform, and a pay rise,' he added looking over at Ben, who grinned at him.
'Then it's settled,' said Walter. 'We're heading back to Bowerstone now. There are some people there I'm hoping will join us. We'll send for you when we're ready.'
'Then I shall bid you good luck and farewell and all that,' said Swift.
Walter and Logan nodded, and left the fortress.
Logan had to admit that he was quite jumpy as they made their way through Mourningwood. He still could not understand why anyone would want to live there, especially when he saw the state of the tiny village.
'How can they stand living here, without any protection?' Logan whispered to Walter as they passed through.
'Hollow men obviously don't come to this part of Mourningwood,' Walter shrugged. 'Besides, I'm sure these people are able to look after themselves when hollow men do attack.'
'Like the soldiers back at the fortress?' Logan demanded.
Walter shrugged and continued to lead the way to Bowerstone.