"The dust rises in the east, let's head west!" Lucas shouted frantically, grabbing the reins of Ariana and turning towards the west. The enemy was clearly attempting a frontal encirclement from the east, aiming to trap them tightly. Ariana, bouncing on the horseback, was already breathless. She glanced to the east, and the thunderous sound of hooves faintly echoed from that direction. Gritting his teeth, Lucas turned the horse's head and galloped towards the west. Sweat beads covered Lucas's face. Glancing up at the circling falcons overhead, he couldn't help but curse his misfortune. Once these guys set their sights on you, how could you possibly escape? Given the current situation, they might not last until nightfall!
The two rode west for a short distance, only to find that the dust from the west was rising again! Helplessly, they buried their heads and ran straight ahead. In the blink of an eye, they had covered thirty or forty miles, but the pursuers were getting closer!
On the horizon behind them, the plumes on the pursuers' helmets were faintly visible. Approaching ominously! Suddenly, Lucas's warhorse let out a mournful cry and collapsed to the ground with its front legs giving way. Lucas was thrown out. He rolled on the ground, stood up, and looked back at his horse. The horse, they snatched, was lying there, foaming at the mouth, its chest heaving violently. It seemed completely exhausted. These horses were just newly acquired, still quite tender, and couldn't compare to the well-trained horses of the hunting troops. How could they withstand such an all-out long run?
Ariana's horse charged ahead, and seeing Lucas fall, she gave him a deep look, then accelerated her horse's pace, quickly disappearing into the distance. Lucas was left there with a bitter smile, feeling a chill in his heart. It seemed that despite his daydreaming, in the eyes of others, he was nothing special.
"He turned to face the direction from which the hunting troops were approaching, drawing his sword. Damn it, let's just fight! He didn't know what bad luck he had run into. Thrown into this era, this place, and now even ditched by this girl! Would the misfortune end if he died? Could he return to his original time? Seeing the pursuers on the horizon, half of their bodies emerging, the group of silver-armored figures becoming increasingly dazzling, Lucas calmed down and firmly gripped his sword.
Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves rang out again behind him, followed by the breathless voice of Ariana, "Mount up!" Lucas turned around in surprise and saw Ariana gritting her teeth, rushing back! Even in this panicked and helpless moment, her face was still as clear and beautiful as ice and snow in his eyes! He vaulted onto her horse like a bird, tightly embracing Ariana's slender waist. The girl yanked the reins and turned, galloping away.
The wind rushed past their ears, and the warm saliva from the horse's mouth splattered continuously on Lucas's face. Unable to hold back, he shouted loudly, "Why did you come back to save me? This horse is about to give out, carrying both of us, we won't get far!"
Ariana, not turning her head, shouted back loudly, "Whether we die together or not, I'd rather repay you for your kindness. I don't want to carry the favor of a foul-mouthed refugee forever!" Before their conversation could continue, the remaining horse let out a miserable neigh and collapsed with a resounding crash. Seeing Ariana about to be thrown off, Lucas forcefully grabbed her waist, tilting backward and bringing the girl down heavily on top of him. Although they tumbled and rolled, their eyes met deeply in an instant, exchanging a thousand words in the blink of an eye.
"Alright, no one owes anyone anything. Let's just die together, that's not bad." Lucas smiled faintly. In the midst of this nightmare, having this fragrant, soft, and beautiful proud girl in his arms didn't seem like an entirely unacceptable situation. He stood up, placing Ariana behind him, once again tightly gripping the sword in his hand. "Come on, damn cavalry!"
Watching as the last horse also collapsed from exhaustion, the pursuing Great Persia hunting troops erupted into a thunderous cheer. In an instant, their ranks pressed forward. Lucas finally saw clearly the guy leading the pursuit for a day and a night – a massive body with a face deeply hidden behind a mask! Even from this distance, one could feel the chilling aura emanating from him.
The cavalry slowed down, slowly closing in. A day and a night of pursuit left them and their horses drenched in sweat. Silver armor was covered in dust and dirt. The leading general dismounted, landing on the ground like a massive boulder. Standing there, Lucas could only now fully appreciate his tall and robust stature – seemingly almost two meters tall!
"Princess Ariana, The Saintess of Great Persia... hand over the sacred treasure of Persia. Come with me obediently, as long as you bow your head. Your Uncle Cyrus will ensure your safety."
"The Saintess?" Lucas turned his head to look at Ariana, muttering in his mind, "Is there a religious dispute going on?" Ariana peeked out from behind him, her gaze filled with indescribable pride. Swept by her radiant aura, those fierce knights all lowered their heads.
"I am the daughter of the Prince Farid, the descendant of Persia heroe... Instead of living in humiliation, dealing with the harassment of that lecher Ishtari, I would rather die here! Uncle Cyrus, you have been good to me since I was a child. But do you think I would disgrace my father honor? Your emperor wouldn't even spare his own niece, The Saintess of Great Persia! When my father was forced into exile, do you think I would obediently go back to be his concubine? Do you think I would tarnish the honor of our royal family? Uncle Cyrus, at this moment, you can only take my dead body back to your emperor!"
The girl's voice carried a determination and pride that Lucas couldn't comprehend. He just suddenly felt overwhelming anger. That Ishtari dared to compete with him for a woman! He vigorously waved the sword in his hand and exclaimed loudly, "Stop the nonsense! I'm not dead yet! Today, I'll show you what it means to fight one against eight ... hundred." In the last sentence, he couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy.
Cyrus stood there quietly, unaffected by Lucas's aggressive gestures. His eyes were fixed solely on Ariana. He remained silent for a while, and the anger in his masked face seemed to be quietly contemplating. He extended his hand solemnly, "Give me the sacred treasure, and you come back to Ctesiphon City with me. The Saintess of Great Persia cannot go to the Roman. As long as Uncle Cyrus is alive, you won't enter the palace. I will use my life and my family to guarantee your safety!"
Lucas immediately sheathed his sword, "That's good! Ariana, look, this great hero has given his life and family as a guarantee. What more do we need to doubt? Give that sacred stuff to him. Go to Roman or not, it doesn't matter much... Better to avoid all the shouting and killing, much more enjoyable." He turned his face, offering a pleasing smile to Cyrus, "General... brave hero, my name is Lucas. When we get to that the Ctesiphon City, please bear with my safety...", Considering the size of this guy, he might be the one against eight, not to mention his numerous subordinates. It seemed that Ariana and he had some prior relationship, everyone is being lenient, compromising on both sides.
Lucas's intentions echoed with the clarity of a rapidly tapping abacus, but unfortunately, in this situation, his opinions weren't particularly important. Ariana slowly pulled out a jade amulet that had been hanging around her neck from her collar. Standing beside her, Lucas seemed to catch a faint fragrance of daughterly sweetness from the jade. The amulet had an irregular shape, with a warm white color, vaguely resembling a bird, and the carved lines were rough and unassuming, not drawing much attention.
However, the knights in silver armor on the scene erupted into an excited cheer. Everyone dismounted, kneeling on one knee with heads bowed. Only Cyrus stood quietly, extending his hand, encased in a silver metallic glove. "Give it to me... This is a precious possession of our Great Persia, a legacy for centuries. No one, regardless of who, can take it away!"
This market stall item is their country's precious possession? No wonder they say ancient people lacked of knowledge and experiences, Lucas muttered inwardly. But he couldn't help but pray that Ariana would quickly return the precious item. Seems like they value this thing quite a bit. Can't afford to make a loss in this situation!
Ariana smiled faintly, and small dimples bloomed on her cheeks. The setting sun, about to descend behind the mountains, reflected on her snow-like complexion. Even with the inner filthiness of someone like Lucas, there was suddenly a sense of purity evident in her.
The cold wind swept by, lifting the girl's flowing hair. This aura made Lucas suddenly feel a bit inferior. "She could really be a Saintess... But if a Saintess has to resort to running away from the country, that's quite a failure to the regime..."
She quickly pulled the jade amulet from her neck, then swiftly drew the military knife that Lucas had fastened to his waist. Pointing it at the jade amulet, she warned, "Uncle Cyrus, take one step closer, and you'll only see the shattered sacred treasure and the dead Ariana!"
Cyrus shouted loudly, taking a step that covered nearly a yard in an instant. He reached out to grab Ariana! Lucas reacted swiftly, understanding that this was a matter of life and death for both of them. He had already positioned himself in front of Ariana, and his sword swung down towards Cyrus!