A scream from the sky, the sound of eagles, echoed from afar. Hundreds of elite Persia hunters, clad in silver armor, raced forward with determination. Their horses were pushed to their limits, each knight accompanied by a spare horse to save time in case of a wrong turn. To act quickly, Cyrus selected a thousand men with double horses to pursue at the fastest speed. By noon, they found the horses abandoned by Lucas and Ariana, and the aerial falcon had been circling to track them. Cyrus reacted swiftly, immediately dispatching five hundred men on foot into the mountains for a search, while another five hundred continued along the road, racing towards the Caspian Sea ferry. Ariana and the other were likely to descend from the mountains and attempt to cross the largest lake. The soldiers might be able to intercept them at the mountain pass! The Saintess and the Sacred Treasure of Great Persia must not fall into the hands of the Roman. The situation in Persia was already precarious, and losing the Sacred Treasure would be a sign of the nation's demise. For many, the loss of the Sacred Treasure would symbolize the end of Great Persia's destiny. All these Empires had ruled over the world for centuries, thanks to these Supreme Sacred Treasures—an ancient myth that most people believed in!
These cavalrymen were pushing themselves to the physiological limit, with horses foaming at the mouth and striving desperately. Some were already slumped over their saddles. However, gazing at the general sitting tall on the horse in front of them, no one dared to utter a single complaint—only gritting their teeth to endure. Suddenly, the small dots circling in the sky ahead, the falcons, began to hover in a specific area. The falconer accompanying Cyrus shouted in excitement, "My Lord, we've found Princess Ariana's whereabouts! The divine falcon has located Princess Ariana!"
Cyrus abruptly lifted his head, and the glint of his eyes behind the face mask burst forth. "How far? Where exactly?"
The falconer looked up, carefully estimating the distance. There couldn't be any room for error in the numbers, especially considering the fate of falconers who miscalculated in the midst of the military campaigns. By his side was Cyrus, the Grand General of Persia, Commander-in-Chief of the military forces in the west region. He was also their clan leader of Cyrus family, a man known for his unwavering enforcement, thunderous authority, and unyielding strength.
Trembling, the falconer finally uttered the answer, "Not more than forty miles away, likely in the vicinity of Yazd Town!" Cyrus spoke coldly, "They've actually left the mountain pass? Their actions are remarkably swift... Change horses, and let's ride the final stretch to catch up with Princess Ariana!"
At this moment, Lucas felt like he had jumped from one trouble into another in this era. The horse beneath him was galloping at high speed, clearly a well-trained steed with a quick response to the reins. The surrounding scenery was rapidly changing, and he still held the reins of another horse. In his arms was the slightly panting Ariana.
However, there were still seven or eight guys chasing after them from behind!
Turning around, those several guys were exceptionally skilled in horse control, yelling as they caught up. Each of them had unsheathed the weapons. Unlike himself with a two-person mounted situation, and with Ariana currently unable to switch horses, the distance was closing in. Several horsemen passed by them, forcing him to pull the reins in another direction. These guys seemed accustomed to such situations; seven or eight of them formed a strategy of encirclement, compelling him to weave in circles. They refrained from attacking, seemingly waiting for their larger group to catch up.
At this moment, Ariana in his arms looked up at the sky and exclaimed, "Look! The divine falcons have caught up with us!" Amidst the rush, Lucas raised his head and indeed saw several falcons flying above them, continuously circling! The hunting troops were also getting closer!
Lucas lowered his head to look at Ariana. The girl's legs were wrapped around his waist, embracing his neck. Her golden hair fluttered in the wind, presenting a captivating pose. However, her expression was filled with panic and helplessness. Lips tightly pursed, even her dimples seemed pale. In this brief moment, Lucas abandoned the thought of getting rid of this troublesome girl in his arms.
She might be troublesome, but she was the only person he was familiar with in this world.
"My trouble," Lucas exclaimed, releasing the horse he had been leading. He gritted his teeth and drew his sword, no longer avoiding the encirclement and onslaught from those guys. He adjusted the horse's direction and charged straight ahead. In an instant, he approached the two guys blocking his way. The two men, looking fierce, swung their longswords towards him. Lucas reversed his wrist to meet their attacks. With a loud clang, the two men were surprised at the strength of Lucas. Their sword grips were shaken open, and their swords flew far away! Then came two horizontal slashes from the left and right. The two guys, clapping their hands, could only move aside to avoid the blows. At this moment, the pursuers from behind also caught up. One of them, agile, flipped his wrist and sent a sword strike towards the large bag on Lucas's back. Before Ariana could scream, Lucas had already turned around, exchanging a sword strike with the attacker! The guy knew that Lucas had great strength and exerted all his effort. The sword didn't leave his hand, but it was already covered in blood. With a shake on the horse, the guy tried to attack again. However, Lucas, fierce and quick, took advantage of the side saddles on both horses and swiftly struck the person coming towards him!
At this moment, Lucas's hands and feet reacted much faster than his brain. With his left hand gripping the reins, he swung it around and slapped the guy who was pouncing towards him. The people around stared in disbelief as the guy's body was sent flying! It seemed like he even sprayed a mouthful of blood with broken teeth in the air.
His good luck came to an end. The other two guys, having lost their swords, imitated each other and fearlessly pounced. One collided with the horse's neck, while the other landed directly on top of Lucas and Ariana. The immense force caused Lucas and Ariana to fall off, and their frightened horses neighed and knelt down. Despite the disarray, Lucas, with eyes burning red, paid no attention to his own fall. Ignoring the chaos, he quickly got up, grabbing Ariana, and aggressively pinned the guy who had pounced on them. Dismissing the fallen sword, he unsheathed the army knife, lifting it high to deliver a fatal blow!
A crisp cracking sound echoed as a heavy whip struck Lucas's wrist. He felt a sharp pain, and although the army knife hadn't slipped from his hand, there was a momentary pause. The guy who had narrowly escaped death quickly rolled away. Then a clear voice rang out, "Reckless little thief! Move aside! Let me deal with him!"
With a swish, the long whip had already retracted like a nimble serpent. Lucas turned, helping up the dazed Ariana, and turned to see the owner of the whip.
Dozens of mounted individuals had surrounded them, a few rushing towards the guy Lucas had knocked away. The rest encircled a black horse. Seated on the horse was a girl dressed in black, no more than 18 years old. Her well-tailored robe accentuated her slender and vigorous figure. Sitting on the horse, she was half a head taller than the robust men around her. In her right hand, she held a whip about three to four meters long, while her left hand rested on her waist. Smiling, she looked at the two of them.
Oh no, why do I always run into beautiful girls? Lucas thought groggily. The slightly squinted eyes of the girl exuded an indescribable charm. Her perfectly blended feminine and masculine qualities made Lucas, who had just fallen in a chaotic situation, forget what kind of predicament he was in.
Looking at the disheveled boy with messy short hair staring blankly at her, the girl on the horse couldn't help but blush slightly. "Idiot thief, what are you looking at?"