8
Below me, my team is weaving through the sand, Greg flitting above the sleekly moving Jordan, a very happy Hepa on his back. The sun is rising behind us, which is to our advantage. Even if the scorpion is on alert for us, he’s still a nocturnal creature, so the sunlight is our friend.
The pillars loom on the horizon, and sure enough, Hepa must have been right about the scorpion being tasked to guard them. It rises out of the sand, a replay of yesterday.
But this time, I won’t make the mistake of trying to fry it.
It spots my team and dodges, taking a stab with its vicious tail. Jordan lunges one way, then the next, Hepa curled tightly to his back, her face buried between his shoulder blades. The scorpion is fast, but the cat is faster—and he has claws of his own. Jordan gets a decent
