Lucas descended the dungeon stairs with heavy steps. Hearing the movement at the door, Ariana, who had been anxiously waiting in the darkness, rushed forward. In the faint light, she saw Lucas fully armored, holding his helmet.
His charging jacket and jeans had been replaced with the battle robe of the Ashina warriors. He wore a neck scarf and a cowhide-backed armor. His hair was still short, giving him a somewhat peculiar appearance. The sight left the girl wide-eyed and speechless.
Lucas chuckled, "Don't look at me like that, I'm as surprised as you are. Cyrus, that bastard, is bringing a large army our way. He not only targets you but also wants to take down the Ashina. We can't predict our fate yet. The Ashina has decided to resist... that lord of theirs, he's probably out of his mind. He ordered me to join their night raid against the Persian at Sentry Heights. I didn't have a choice... Beauty, stay here and rest assured. I will take you to see your father."
He reached out, caressing Ariana's face through the iron bars. Glancing at the guards who followed him down, he quickly spoke in a low voice, "Take care of yourself! Mishe holds a deep grudge against you Persian. Wait for my return!"
Ariana quieted down, gripping Lucas's hand against her face. At this moment, it seemed that all that was left for the girl was to wholeheartedly rely on Lucas. Both of them were now without the power to choose their own fate, all they could do was accept it. She whispered, "I'll wait for your return... take care of yourself. Your injuries..."
Lucas forced a smile, "You still don't know how my body is? Alright, I won't die." Ariana looked somewhat melancholic, suddenly took off the Stardust Amulet hanging around her neck, swiftly handed it to Lucas. He muttered softly, and his palm immediately began to heat up, he quickly clenched his fist. Despite his efforts, a silver light flashed, drawing the attention of the surrounding guards! Lucas hurriedly hid his hand in his sleeve. With his right hand, marked by the imprint, he directly grasped the Stardust Amulet, experiencing a different sensation – first, a sharp pain, followed by a sharp yet gentle force spreading from the palm to the top of his head!
He shook violently, strange scenes flashed through his mind. It was as if he stood somewhere other than the dark cell, and Ariana's beautiful face was no longer present.
In the blink of an eye, he seemed to arrive atop a high mountain peak, overlooking a group of people in strange attire and crowns, igniting massive piles of bonfires, singing and worshiping in the swirling smoke. The lengthy chanting seemed to fill the space between heaven and earth. Six people surrounded an elderly man in the middle, each holding irregularly shaped treasures. Among them, a young man with a solemn expression held the Stardust Amulet!
The scene changed again, and he found himself in the pitch-black night sky, looking down at the scattered firelight on the ground. In the blazing fire, countless figures engaged in a desperate battle, fighting to the death. A cavalry clad in robes stormed into the hastily constructed camp, throwing spears and a rain of arrows towards the already chaotic opponents. The shouts and killings filled the entire night sky! The battlefield was a gently sloping hilltop at a convergence point of two canyons not far away. He stood in the air, clearly seeing a group of horsemen silently surging forward in a canyon. In the distance, the burning firelight flickered, revealing the colossal figure of Cyrus! He looked up at the sky, and the furious warrior on his mask seemed to have discovered Lucas, who was overseeing everything from above!
He suddenly woke up from the shattered images, and the sensation he felt when he first touched the Stardust Amulet was gone. His body was covered in a cold, sticky sweat. In the low voice of Ariana, he heard, "I always feel that the Stardust Amulet guided you to come to my side. At this moment, I can no longer accompany you. Hopefully, it truly possesses such magical power to keep you safe... Lucas, I'll wait for your return!"
Quietly, Lucas tucked the Stardust Amulet into his embrace. The guards around were chatting in low voices, seemingly unaware of him acquiring the Stardust Amulet. His mind was in chaos, unsure of what he was thinking. The Stardust Amulet and that peculiar circular ring were now both in his embrace. Could it be that there was truly something guiding him here, entangling him in all of this? Waiting for him was an uncertain fate. He put on his helmet, dressed in military attire, looking somewhat heroic. In a low voice, he said, "I'm going... Actually, I don't mind having a battle with Cyrus, even if it's for those civilians."
He took large strides toward the exit of the dungeon, and two guards who had come down with him quickly followed. Ariana leaned against the railing, watching his receding figure.
Inside Javanshir Fortress, the air was filled with the sounds of shouting and neighing horses. Hundreds of torches crackled and burned, their flames distorted by the howling cold wind. On the training ground between the outer and inner city, the knights were gathering, leading their horses in an orderly and solemn assembly. These knights were not very young, most of them being the backbone inherited by Mishe from the Turkic Qaghan. Each of them had experienced dozens of battles. As they assembled, there was a natural aura of seasoned warriors, veterans with countless battles under their belts. As the ones who had followed Mishe the longest, they had their own subordinates and territories around Javanshir Fortress. What was plundered and burned by the Persian army was their property! Each of them was organizing their armor, polishing their weapons. The horses were well-fed with high-quality fodder. These strong and robust horses appeared vigorous. They snorted, pawing at the snowy ground with their hooves.
The resounding sound of hooves echoed, and several vigorous horses galloped onto the training ground. At the forefront was Mishe, wearing a black cloak. He was clad in dark armor, his face cold and stern, and his eyes flashed with a sharp and piercing gaze that everyone in the field could clearly see. In his hand, he gripped a heavy halberd. Upon seeing this weapon, the entire assembly of knights couldn't help but erupt into a thunderous cheer: "Qaghan! Qaghan!"
Following closely behind him were Orhan and Lucas, both also neatly equipped. Orhan had an equally frosty expression, with two long and heavy spears slanted on the saddle. Lucas, serious-faced, carried a large sword on his back. Lost in his own thoughts, he was startled by the sudden roar!
Mishe raised the halberd in his hand and proclaimed loudly, "Soldiers, the Persian are attacking again! They have severed the connections of Javanshir Fortress to the outside world, and their vanguard has taken control of Sentry Heights! Our people are being slaughtered and plundered, and the hard-won homeland we built is being burned. At this moment, we can only show the Persian the might of our swords! Squads one, three, and four, follow me forward. Squads two and five, under the command of Orhan, provide support. Let the Persian taste the edge of our swords years after! Forward!"
In his hand, the halberd seemed to be the signal for battle. Lucas noticed that the gazes of those knights never left this blood-gleaming long weapon! Mishe turned back and cast a cold glance at him before urging his horse forward. Lucas quickly followed. Squad after squad of knights poured out.