35 _ Attacked.

"Fire!" Pei Leng ordered the archers. They aim was to aim to wound but not to kill.

The skilled archers drew back their bows and released their arrows.

Numerous arrows whizzed through the air as it headed in Lucian's direction.

These arrows stabbed through their stallions as they went down heavily , neighing in pain.

"We have to go now!" Lucian shouted to the other two as they ran through the thick woods. Arrows zipped passed them as one caught Lucian in his arm; tearing away his skin as blood oozed out of his cut.

"After them!" Pei Leng said as he dug his spurs into his horse , making it gallop impetuously. His men took out their swords and began slashing their way through the dense leaves that blocked their path.

"Divide and Conquer." Hikaru nodded to Lucian who understood what he meant. Turning away from each other , They both began running in the opposite directions , creating a distraction so that their pursuers would be confused on who to follow.

Seeing as Lucian was their major priority , they decided to abandon Hikaru for he could be taken care of later. The head guard and his men were now in full pursuit of Lucian. Stumbling and Picking himself up and navigating Obstacles, The Prince ran more than he had ever run in his entire life .

"Hey, I see him!" One of the guards called out when he saw Lucian jump into some green grass. Pei Leng unsheathed his sword as he carefully approached the bushes. Putting one hand forward , he carefully parted the bushes only to see...

That Lucian was not there.

"You must be blind , Son Yung! Prince Lu is not there!" The head guard yelled at the man that had raised the false alarm. He turned his horse away and Lucian breathed a sigh of relief as he stood on the thick branches of a tree concealing his presence from Li Huang's men.

He jumped down from the branches and kept his sword back in place. In order to watch their movements , Lucian crept silently along the outline of the shadows Until he finally caught up with the guards. From the insignia on their chest plates and shoulder armor ,These were his Father's personal guard and that meant that he wanted Him back that badly?

In the midst of this brute men , Was kaya. She sat on the ground as she had brushed her right foot against a stone that sent her tripping.Pei Leng pressed the tip of his sword to her neck as she breathed heavily.

"Where is Prince Lu?" He asked her fiercely

'Prince Lu?" She scoffed. "I do not have the slightest idea of whom you speak about."

In vexation, Pei struck the girl on her face with the butt of his sword.

Gripping kaya's hair tightly , he raised her head up bringing his face close to hers.

A small cut lay above her eye were blood seeped out but she kept her body stiff had looked straight at him.

"You impudent girl! If you say that you have not seen the Prince, Whom are you travelling with?! And do not test my patience, girl!"

"I am all by myself. There is no one else with me.' kaya replied godly?

"You tell Lies." The head guard struck her again.

"You would prefer twisted truth?" kaya spat out blood .

Pei Leng did not deem it fit to reply as he commanded his men to tie her up. She was to stay within their sights until they found Lucian and only then could they return back to the Kanerria Dynasty; If they desired to live.

They moved out and Lucian felt his blood boiling . He knew that he could not just let them take Kaya away. Not on his watch. She almost slipped away from him the first time , but he was not going to loose her.

Not this time, not ever.

One of the guards looked around unperturbed as he heard some rustling in the nearby bushes. Brushing it off as some forest animal , he kept moving until he was dragged back into the cover of darkness.

The horse that Pei Leng rode raised its forelegs high into the sky in terror . Coming Forth out of the shadows was Lucian. He held his scabbard lightly in his hand as he stood right in front of the Guard of Soldiers.

"Oh Pei Leng , it is really you." He smirked devilishly. "You see I thought it was someone important."

"Prince Lu, You always had quite a mouth on you." Pei spoke. "You are coming with me."

"It seems that the promotion Li Huang has given you has gone to your head." Lucian folded his arms. "Know your place. Return back to the Dynasty and do not cross me again or you shall regret it."

"I apologize 'Your Imperial Majesty ' but I take my orders from the Emperor himself." The Head guard pointed his blade at Lucian. "Bring him back to me still breathing."

The men advanced threateningly towards Lucian who shook his head sternly and dropped his Sword in the dust.

"The Hard way it is then."

The guards surrounded him in order to gain a fast ground and pin him to the ground. Lucian sized them all up , looking for the weakest one. Break the weakest link and the rest would crumble.

Finding who he was looking for and seized the man by the neck and flung him to the ground. He turned back ...

His sword was still within reach.

Being destabilized, the distraught Pei Leng ordered his guards to attack Lucian all at once.

"Even he cannot ward off an all range combat." He grinned nefariously .

As the guards attacked him , Lucian used his feet to kick one in the groins as he stumbled backwards.Delivering another powerful hit that sent the man face down in the dust.

In view of the fact that Lucian was busy fighting all these men at once , Da Guan saw this as his chance to capture him. Placing his Arms around the Prince's throat, tightened his grip and pulled Lucian backwards.

Pei Leng was gratified. "The Emperor said we should bring him back alive but he will not mind if The Prince gets a few bruises. Make it hurt men." He added as he turned away stop pulling kaya who was still resisting.

His men laughed sparsely as they descended on Lucian , booting kicking , blowing. Spotting a movement in the trees behind him , a smile played on Lucian lips.

Hikaru tossed him his Sword as he stabbed his own blade through another guard.

With one swift stroke of Lucian's wweapon A clean cut was made and the man who had choked fell down holding his arm that was spurting out blood. Lucian had cut his arm clean off and all that remained was a stump that bleed profusely.

Raising his Sword , he pushed it deep into the man's chest.

kaya gasped.

The guards moved away in terror behind Pei Leng who now backed away from the man before him streaked with blood.

Lucian walked slowly towards him , a dark look on his face with Blade in hand as droplets of blood fell to the dust.