As they started their journey, Dalton asked, "how far is your village?"

"It's about a day's travel," said John Lockdon.

"What is your village called?" asked Weston.

John Lockdon replied, "We like to call it New Fortuna."

"Spanish for 'fortune?" Dalton Asked.

"Exactly," replied John Lockdon.

A few moments of silence passed until Weston asked, "About what you said earlier about the Island Empire's top general. You said he was a Roman. What did you mean?"

"Precisely what I said. He was a legatus legionis, or legion commander of the Roman Empire in Latin," replied John Lockdon.

"But that was nearly two-thousand years ago!" said Dalton.

"That's one of the stranger parts of the island. It seems almost as if it snatches people from their respective times and drags them here to this god-forsaken place." John Lockdon said. He let that sink in for a few minutes until he added, "as for me and my two children, we arrived here at the same time and nearly the same place, we are from the nineteenth century, and I guess that you two are from the twenty-first century, correct?"

"How did you know?!" Weston asked in shocked confusion as Dalton fainted from the immense shock of the matter which was merely too much to comprehend for his rational mind.

When he finally woke up, he saw Weston asking John Lockdon a thousand questions about what Victorian-era Britain was like until Dalton asked an awe-struck question, "What on Earth happened to you on this island?"

It seemed like John Lockdon had been waiting for this question because he replied immediately, "Sure I'll tell you about the adventures of my children and I," after a dramatic pause, he started his tale. "The three of us: me, my son Edward, and my daughter Julie, all arrived at the same time near the same spot and after a few days of barely scraping by, we began to finally build good fortifications and weapons. When we had been stuck here for only a week an a half, six more survivors end up on our doorstep: first there was a Greek general named Archion, an American doctor named George Malone, an American scientist named Rebecca Myers, a German architect named Matthias Abel, a British Explorer named John Roxton, and even my own brother Jack who was a treasure hunter and adventurer.

After three months we had managed to set up an orderly society, we even managed to rescue many other survivors until we all discovered the politics of the island. We learned that a tribe called the New Legion led by a Roman called Gaius Nerva was attempting to take over the island; and at the same time all other tribes that hadn't yet been conquered, as well as an army of dinosaurs led by a Chinese warrior who was called the Beast Queen—but I eventually learned her real name was Mei-yin—were fighting against them. We sided against the New Legion, and we fought those cowards in many battles, rescuing those who were subjugated to their rule who returned the favor with advanced weapons like guns and durable armor. We also aided Mei-yin and Helena Walker, an Australian biologist, in discovering the secrets of the ARK as we learned this place was called, specifically the obelisks like the one you saw.

We learned that the obelisks are what hold the keys to our freedom, by unlocking them with special artifacts, we were transported, first to a cave with a giant spider we called the broodmother, and the second held a giant ape on a mountain we called the megapithicus. We had to kill such beasts and by killing them, we could unlock the way home. After our combined forces killed the megapithicus however, we were ambushed by the New Legion and Mei-yin barely managed to escape when she was rescued by her raptor, Wushui. All her dinosaurs were killed, and as for us, there were one hundred of us when we fought that beast. We lost ten good men to the megapithicus and when we were ambushed only twenty of us managed to survive. Not even Jack escaped, as he threw himself at the New Legion's forces and we never saw him again." His voice had now become mournful, and Dalton could feel the palpable pain John showed.

Dalton noticed a tear run down John Lockdon's cheek and at this, Dalton said "I'm sorry."

"it's alright," said John Lockdon in a half-choked voice. He collected himself and continued, "We spent the next two days treating the wounded and readying to deliver payback when we learned they were headed for the central volcano, which held our way to freedom. We readied all our uninjured to leave for the volcano and when we arrived, we managed to ambush the New Legion. Only a few of ours were injured and the New Legion's forces, already at three-hundred-twenty were reduced to fifty. My daughter was severely injured, and my son and I elected to stay behind and care for her, and a few of the others stayed as well. The rest entered the cave and I have never heard from them again. That was twenty months ago, and just a month ago, this self-proclaimed Island empire comes out of nowhere and starts conquering half the Island, and here we are." By then they were four miles from John Lockdon's village, but it was already nearing midnight, so he said, "Okay, let's wait for day to continue our journey, we'll do shifts of staying on guard. I'll take the first." With that Dalton and Weston got what rest they could as John Lockdon guarded them.

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So, not only have you and your fellows failed at a mere scouting mission, a task so simple, a child could outperform you, but your fellows have deserted, and you have the audacity to come before me empty-handed!" said Gaius Marcius Secundus, irritated at the fool standing before him. He rested his hand on his sword, an irritated tic of his and said, "did you even acquire any information other than you had your hindquarters handed to you by the man who recruited two new people to our enemies?!"

"Sir, please, I beg of you, don't kill me and I will provide a great advantage" said the spineless toad that dared to croak before him. This man was like the people who were the causes of all that had happened to him: cowards, who may boast when their necks aren't on the line, but at a mere bluff of danger, they beg like frightened children. "I know where the Gilded Warriors are hiding."

"Where?" replied Secundus in a sudden change of attitude. Perhaps he is not so useless after all, he thought.

The man said, "When we were ambushed, I heard the man who attacked us say his name was Lockdon. And as he kicked one of my men, I attached a GPS tracker to his mount's saddle, and it shows his exact coordinates."

"Good work" said Secundus. He added, "by the way, give me your helmet." he gave Secundus his helmet and Secundus made a deep scratch on the side. He then filled the scratch with black dye. "That's strike one, and you will regret the day you were born when you reach strike three. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir," said the man. That bluff had always motivated his more lazy and careless troops into doing their jobs.

"Good, now leave me." The man left and Secundus said to himself, "I knew you could never hide forever Lockdon. When you are defeated, I can finally bring order to this island and end this living hell!"