Knights of Lore: The Assault (Book Two) *1stDraft*

Chapter 23 The Loss

Aya Felicity walked beside Kaden as he carried Lax-Rim. He refused to let anyone else carry him.

Aya felt deep remorse as she looked at Lax-Rim's face. He looked so peaceful. She wished the young man would wake up. She knew there would be casualties but still felt the sting of his death. The white-haired woman could only imagine how Akio would take the news.

Rygilya walked on the other side of Kaden. He seemed to be sticking close to Kaden and was ever vigilant. He noticed her watching.

"What?" he said in his usual grumpy tone.

"You're as charming as ever I see," she told him.

He snorted.

"Where have you two been?"

"That's none of your business."

"We were captured by the Darkness," Kaden answered.

Everyone stopped and turned their attention to them.

"And you aren't dead?" Svett asked.

"We barely escaped with our lives." He responded.

"Leave it to the famed Lightning Flame to get away. What did they want?" Ikirria asked.

Kaden shifted his weight. "The dark power within me."

The two higher-ranking Knights exchanged a look.

Ikirria started to walk again. "I'm impressed both of you made it out alive."

"How'd you end up in their cutches?" Kariah-Belle asked.

Aya was curious as well.

Kaden decided to go mute.

Kariah-Belle stopped him. "Answer me, Kaden."

Kaden hesitated but finally spoke. "I... I went to meet them."

"And why would you do something so stupid?"

"Because I made a deal with the dark being inside of me. If he helped me beat Dracula I'd turn him over to the Darkness."

"What happened? Why didn't you hand it over?"

"Because I wanted to live." He whispered.

"There's no shame in that." Said Svett. "We are programmed to survive."

Aya placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad you're back. Next time you run off to go do something stupid please let me know first."

"If I did that then you'd try to stop me. Blew up their spaceship by the way."

"Of course, we would." Kariah chimed in. "Smooth brain. Wait, what?

Kaden laughed. "Okay wrecking ball head. Yeah, I and Ry blew it up. It felt like off the movies. Then we almost died again in space. It was then did I learn mana can be used to breathe in space!"

"Now there's something I didn't know," muttered Ikirria.

"That's amazing big bro," said Kariah.

It was just like Kaden to get himself into something like that. He was an adventurer at heart.

Suddenly walls shot up from the floor trapping them in a box. Water started to flood into the room.