Temon could sense Eyeman slipping away and with it the chance of claiming the bounty. The thought of losing the money gnawed at him.

  Urdo was the problem. He didn't say this to Rejah, although she should know him well enough to realize what he was thinking about.

  Temon and Rejah exchanged glances.

  "We need to let him rest awhile," she said.

  They stopped under a rocky overhang where there was shade and waited there as long as she thought necessary and then they rode on again, even slower than before.

  Soon Urdo's horse whinnied as the colonist fell off.

  "Urdo!" Rejah shouted. "Are you all right?"

  The colonist lay flat on his back, groaning.

  They both dismounted and went over to him. Rejah helped him sit on a rock. She offered him her water and Temon gave him a piece of dried meat.

  Leaving Urdo behind might save more lives if they caught Eyeman and put a stop to his crimes. Temon indicated he wanted to talk to her out of Urdo's earshot. The pair of them led their horses away. "We should leave him here with food and water for a few days. Then we'll come back for him," Temon said.

  Rejah shook her head. "Leave him alone out here? In his state? A wild animal might kill him!"

  "Just a few days? He can look after himself for a while."

  "No, Temon." She stared at him, her look fierce, eyes narrowed.

  "We may as well all go back then! All this effort has been wasted!"

  "My effort too! Don't forget that. If Eyeman escapes, I will lose as well."

  "He's holding us back."

  Temon kicked a stone which careered away. "Why don't you go back with him?"

  "So you'd go on by yourself?" she said in disgust.

  She stood firm while he wrestled with the practicalities of the mission. "If I catch him, I'll share the bounty with you."

  "We're working on this together!"

  She had a point because they were supposed to be working together.

  "Temon, we're not leaving Urdo behind."

  Temon grit his teeth. She was taking the amnesiac's side again.

  .

  "The bounty is slipping away. I'm done waiting. I'll finish this alone."

  "I think we can succeed, Temon. Trust me!"

  It was strange that she thought they could catch Eyeman with Urdo along with them. Was she falling for Urdo?

  "You know we'll lose Eyeman if we keep this pace."

  "No, Temon. We'll find a way. We have to."

  In truth, he didn't want to part ways with her. Even with Urdo slowing them down, with his shoulder still throbbing from the tribesman's blade and his pride smarting from the encounter with the fugitive, breaking away from Rejah felt like a greater defeat than any Eyeman could deliver.

  He sighed. "Fine. We keep him. But we ride. No more long rests."

  A flicker of relief crossed Rejah's face, quickly suppressed. "Agreed. We push on."

  They got Urdo back in the saddle, which proved to be quite a challenge since his movements were stiff and uncoordinated.

  "Thank you for helping me. I'm sorry for slowing you down," Urdo said.

  Rejah looked at Temon, but he held his tongue.

  Temon rode on, Rejah keeping pace beside him. She bore a thin scar above her right eyebrow, a sign of past battles.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  "We're doing the right thing, Temon. We won't let the colonists down."

  After a while he spotted some ruins up ahead.

  Ruins in the Ashok lands were rare.

  These were the ruined buildings and monuments of a lost civilization, the precise cuts in the stone showing a mastery of masonry. They revealed the Ashok lands had a rich ancient history, and the symbols carved into its stones were mysterious and enigmatic.

  "This must have been a quite a place once," Temon said with a sense of awe.

  "I wonder who built it?" Rejah asked.

  "Don't ask me! The way it has been constructed is impressive. Can you see that there's no mortar between the stones and yet they fit together perfectly!"

  The builders had been skilled stonemasons, capable of cutting and placing massive blocks of stone with precision that rivaled the most advanced colonial construction techniques.

  Rejah's eyes were wide in wonder. "We should look around. Maybe we can find out about the people who built it."

  She had a point. This place could be a treasure trove and the chance of uncovering lost riches was tempting. Yet as he stared at the tall stone buildings, a sense of unease washed over him. The builders were gone, but where were they now? What catastrophe could have driven such skilled masons from their magnificent city?

  "I'd like to know who built this place too," he said. Although intrigued, he felt a growing frustration because they didn't have time.

  "No. We can't delay again. No more delays!"

  So they left the ruined monuments and buildings behind.

  The sun beat down on them relentlessly, and Temon's mind wandered in the heat.

  You had to be careful in this land because it was home to dangerous wild animals. Temon knew this, but the oppressive heat was a distraction and blurred his mind.

  He rode a stallion called "Paleboy" and Rejah rode a stallion called "Coren" — they hadn't had time to name Urdo's horse yet.

  Something shifted to his right. Before he could turn, the yellow blur of a reptilian Zahoon filled his vision. It emerged from behind a rock with scales reflecting the sunlight.

  "Paleboy" reared up, his rear hooves clattering against the hard ground, and a frightened whinny escaped its mouth.

  He struggled to stay on as his mount and for a while Paleboy threatened to throw him off. The stallions powerful frame arched and twisted under him. Temon leaned forward, pressing his chest against the horse's heaving neck, whispering frantic words of calm into its twitching ear.

  Rejah shouting something, but the words were lost in the chaos of Paleboys panicked whinnies and hisses from the lizard.

  Luckily, he managed to regain control of the horse by tightening his grip on the reins and leaning forwards.

  "Steady, steady now! Paleboy!"

  The stallion's muscles quivered beneath him. With a strong press from his knees into Paleboy's flanks, he guided the horse away from the Zahoon.

  "Good boy!"

  He couldn't outrun a Zahoon in this terrain. He had to kill it here.

  The Zahoons powerful hind legs coiled beneath it, muscles rippling under the scaly hide, ready to spring forward at any moment.

  He jumped off Paleboy and grabbed his round shield from his saddle.

  The reptile jumped forwards, its powerful tail lashing back and forth like a whip, kicking up billowing clouds of dust.

  Rejah was somewhere behind him so for now he was on his own. He focused on the creature, his shield up and sword ready.

  The beast lunged, its jaws snapping, and Temon stepped back. Its claws gouged deep grooves into his shield. Temon slashed at the flank, but the blade skidded off the overlapping scales with a jarring vibration.

  He realized that his short sword couldn't penetrate its scales. These scales overlapped like plate armor, each one thick and impenetrable.

  He grunted as the Zahoon lunged again. He sidestepped, his boots sliding in the loose sand, and brought his sword down hard.

  The tip glanced off the reptile's natural armor.

  Sweat dripped into his eyes, stinging them as he circled the beast, searching for any weakness.

  The yellow scales glinted in the harsh sunlight, a beautiful yet frightening sight.

  Temon knew he was outmatched. His short sword, usually reliable in combat was proving useless against it.

  The Zahoon hissed, its forked tongue tasting the air.

  He needed to find an opening where he could attack it's slit eyes. He moved sideways, looking for an opening. He swung, aiming for its side, but it twisted away.

  The reptile advanced again, its slit eyes focused on him.

  Temon prepared to dodge. The Zahoon lunged forwards, but he was ready. He dodged as its jaws snapped close to his head. He countered with a slash, his sword clanging against its tough scales. He retreated. *If only he had a piercing weapon like a spear, that would do it!*

  Rejah shouted from behind him.

  He held his shield forward, sword ready.

  Air snapped past him. In a blur of motion, a shaft buried itself between the reptile's eyes.

  It hissed its last and died.

  He turned to see Rejah lowering her bow with broad smile on her face. He stood there, panting, with his sword arm trembling from the exertion.

  "That was close. It l

  He sheathed his sword.

  Rejah dismounted and examined the arrow's impact.

  "Good shot," Temon muttered grudgingly, still trying to catch his breath.

  She laughed. "I'm talented like that! Next time, try not to fall asleep in the saddle."

  "I had it under control. I didn't need your help."

  "Of course you did. You would have been lizard-food if it wasn't for me!"

  There was no point arguing. She had saved his life, and they both knew it, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

  "I'll butcher it," Temon said, trying to regain a semblance of control. "The meat will be useful."

  "Here?" Rejah looked around at the open plateau, the sun beating down on them. "The blood will attract scavengers."

  "We can't leave this much meat," he countered, kicking the scaly hide. "I can use my knife. "

  He took a skinning knife from his pack and set to work. He made an incision, the knife's point finding a soft spot under the leg.

  Working methodically he cut away the best meat and wrapped these pieces in cloth. It was messy work but the supplies were essential and the supplies were added to their saddlebags.

  Finally, he stood up. "There. That's done."

  They mounted up and rode on as the sun began to dip towards the horizon. The extra meat was a burden on the horses, but they really needed the food.