"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Lowe enthused as he held out his sword at his prey, who stood flabbergasted in front of him. He smirked as he took a good look at the two men he and the other members of Asra had been looking for all this while.

This was the first time he was meeting both men. The previous time, when the Asra had attacked the Queen and the King of Zalana, he had been entrusted with another important task. Although he had not met them before, he had heard great things about them, especially about the formidable knight, who right now was glaring at him as he shielded the young prince.

"Sir Lukariah, I have always wanted to meet you," Lowe said, his tone filled with sarcasm. "I have always wanted to find out myself if you were as skilled and great a warrior as the world says you to be or...." He stopped for a moment as he eyed the man with ridicule. "If it is all fluke."

Lukariah did not react. He was still stunned to find the Asra here, this quickly. Never had he expected to be captured right when they were about to reach their safe haven.

Even though he was outnumbered, he did not surrender. He had to protect the young prince and make sure he reached Vatham even if he had to give up his life for it. It was his duty and his promise.

"And, Prince Mael." Lowe examined the young man, who was staring back at him with hatred as he clutched a torch in one hand and a rapier sword in the other. "It is a pleasure to meet you, although the circumstances are not the one I had expected for our first meet."

Mael was not a fool to not understand that the man was satirizing him indirectly and the abhorrence in him was on the verge of bursting out. He clasped his sword tight, ready the battle it out if necessary.

Lukariah sensed the changes in the young man even without turning to look at him. His prince was livid, he could perceive it and if Lowe did not shut his loose mouth, it would not be long before the young prince lost himself to his fury.

Lukariah instinctively moved in front of Mael, blocking his sight completely and the young man stared at the knight's back, startled by his sudden actions. But it did not take him long to discern why the man had done so and what he wanted to achieve in the end. Albeit it being difficult, Mael tried as hard as he could to curb his anger and allow the madman to continue with his nonsense.

Lowe did not notice this small interaction between the two. He kept provoking them, using all the painful memories linked to the prince and the knight to get a reaction out of them. But when they stood still with their lips raised as though they were staring at a jester, Lowe's expression changed and his eyes glowed with wickedness.

He could not wait for his commander to arrive. He had to handle the two people before they escaped from their clutches again. With that thought in mind, he smiled at them again, looking as sinister as ever in the dark night.

However, Lukariah remained unfazed. He had seen a lot more menacing people than he and his commander. This kind of intimidation was nothing but.... absolute rubbish.

He was waiting for the Asra to attack him. Escape was not an option. He and his prince were surrounded. The only way out was to fight and he would fight them to keep his prince safe. Secretly, he counted all the men he had to handle and even observed their positions.

Lukariah did not miss the enemy who was lurking in the dark. He was not called a great warrior just like that. He held his sword tight while his other hand went to his belt that hid the dagger. Not once did his eyes stop moving as he kept observing all the men one by one. It was never his style to attack anyone first. So, he waited for his enemy to make the first move.

Lowe gritted his teeth. He was done playing with his prey and he nodded at the men beside him, who did not hesitate to attack the two men.

"Your Highness, please do not worry. I will handle this." That was all Lukariah managed to say before he swung his sword while his left hand pulled out the dagger.

Three men attacked him together. But Lukariah was not affected by it. His gaze changed and his entire countenance screamed of bloodlust. He had become the man the world knew him to be. A monster warrior.

Lukariah took a step back and just when the men raised their swords to strike him, he pounced on them, taking them by a start. While his sword clanked with one of the men's, stopping his attack effectively, he kicked the man in the middle. But he did not stop at that.

Lukariah gritted his teeth and twisted his body such that he was now behind the man whose sword he had stopped previously. Mustering all the strength in him, he pushed his sword towards the man until his victim's hands trembled. He could not get out of the position he was in. The experienced knight was holding him in a chokehold and it was impossible to get out of it without getting injured.

Lowe's eyes darkened when he saw his warrior struggling with Lukariah. He snapped his fingers and two men rushed forward to help their companion. But they were late.

Lukariah did not allow the man in his hold to take a breath. While he held him close, his dagger slit his throat and blood spilled everywhere around him, coating his hands with it. Done with his first victim, he kicked the now dead man and waited for his next prey.

This time, the four remaining men attacked him together while Lowe looked on, only for the spark in his eyes to diminish when he saw his men falling to the ground in just a few moments. While Lukariah remained unscathed, he had lost four brave men in his army.

Lowe narrowed his eyes and for the first time in his life felt a strange kind of suffocation passing through his chest. He found it difficult to breathe and cold sweat dripped down his spine. But he did not give up. Not yet. The Asra never gave up. That was what he had been taught.

Although he was now not confident of winning the mighty knight, he still had to fight him. It was a question of his pride. Glancing at the man who stood still like a mountain in front of the young prince, he let out a huff.

"Attack." He yelled and this time, all his men, even the ones who were hiding stepped forward to attack the man, who had shown them what he was capable of in just a few moments.

Lukariah had been waiting for this moment. He was now filled with fury and the power in him surged as he thought of the day when he lost his king and queen. That had been the most dreadful day ever, not only for Prince Mael but for the entire kingdom of Zalana. He saw red when he recalled the dismembered bodies of the royal family.

Except for their faces, their bodies had been chopped into pieces and Lukariah, for the first time ever, lost himself to his rage. With a howl that echoed through the eerily silent place, he defended himself, while avenging the deceased king and the queen.