Jenny looked back and saw Huntar’s body trembling across the ground. Her eyes widened in shock. “Huntar!”

“What happened to him?” Zena asked.

“He fell! I think he tried to attack that chief!”

“Torag!” The rhino cried.

Zena’s ears lowered. “Damnit!”

“We gotta go back for him!” Jenny cried.

“Then turn the Tyrant around!”

“How?”

Zena rubbed her eyebrows. “Let me ride it!”

“But you’re behind me!”

Zena grabbed the ropes while her head leaned over Jenny’s right shoulder. Jenny sat still as Zena turned the Tyrant around on the dirt path.

The Tyrant raced past the hyenas’ Rammer and approached Huntar’s body. After the reptile stopped, Jenny slid off the mount first and rushed toward the lion. “Huntar!”

She kneeled and shook his chest. Red marks covered his dirty fur, but he breathed still. “Huntar!”

Zena approached behind her. “How is he?”

Jenny sniffed. Her heart raced with so much anxiety. “He’s breathing, but he is unconscious.”

Zena glared with determination. “We can carry him if we can-”

A spear flew past Zena’s head, but the blade barely scratched her right cheek. Jenny spotted the hyenas braking their Rammer as they stopped.

“Give me back the ruby and the human!” Borga shouted.

Zena and Torag faced him, giving Jenny and Huntar some cover. The zebra twirled her battle staff while Torag held up his fists.

“You’ll have to kill us first!” Zena shouted.

Borga held up his mace. “So be it!”

When he pointed his mace at Zena, the rider charged. Torag bent his head down and sprinted toward the Rammer.

Jenny widened her eyes. She couldn’t believe what Torag intended to do. “Torag! No!”

The Rammer could tremble over Torag or stab its horn into him. What was he thinking?

As Torag reached the reptile mount, he grabbed the Rammer’s horn and pushed it back. While pushing back, he swung his fist into the Rammer’s right eye.

The creature tipped over to the opposite side as Borga, and her warrior fell off their mount. The large, fat hyena landed on her rider and quickly crawled off him.

Borga rose and picked up her mace. “Grrrrrrrrrrrr, you will pay for stealing my ruby and slave!”

“I am not your slave!” Jenny shouted.

Borga chuckled. “I actually meant food!”

Jenny gulped.

A large Beast woman like Borga could swallow her hold like a fat guy shoving a pickle down his throat. She won’t let that nightmare happen.

Borga charged toward Zena and Torag. Before she reached them, she stopped, gazing past them in shock. When Jenny looked back, she saw a herd of Striders racing toward her.

They were giant flightless birds with long necks and sharp hooked birds who looked related to ostriches. Dirty white feathers with long bony legs helped them run quickly. They were good for riding, but hundreds of them could tremble over Beastmen to death.

"We gotta run!" Zena shouted.

Borga already hopped on her mount and charged away. Torag approached Huntar and picked him up over his shoulder. He followed Zena and Jenny back to the Tyrant, carrying Huntar.

The Tyrant kneeled, so the riders climbed onto its back. Zena sat behind the Tyrant's head, tugging the ropes to signal the mount into running speed. Jenny was behind her, sitting as her back leaned against Huntar, while Torag sat behind him.

Jenny looked back, seeing the Striders leave a dust storm behind them. There were so many, like an army rushing into battle. The best thing to do was to keep running until the stampede calms down or stopped in front of an obstacle.

Jenny couldn't see Borga anywhere. The female brute probably rode so fast, she already escaped from eyesight.

Straight ahead was a large canyon cliff side, but a roped bridge stretched across it. However, it appeared to be unstable, with aged wooden planks and ropes loosening up. Compared to the Tyrant's size, the bridge might not hold beneath the creature's weight.

"We can't cross that bridge!" Jenny shouted.

Zena tugged the ropes harder. "We don't have a choice!"

The Tyrant stomped across the bridge without looking down. Below its feet, the bridge creaked, snapped, and-

As Jenny feared, the Tyrant fell as the bridge collapsed. While falling, Zena leaped as Jenny held onto her back. Torag placed Huntar over his left shoulder, but he didn't jump in time.

But after the bridge slammed against the other cliff side in the canyon, Zena caught it as Torag held on below her feet hooves. Unfortunately, their ride plummeted down to its death into the darkness below.

Zena looked up after something snapped at the top. "We can't hold on for long! We must hurry!"

"Torag!" The rhino shouted.

Jenny held on as the zebra girl climbed up. She could smell the wheaty dry dirt scent from Zena's hair. The zebra needed a bath after they survive this mission. Jenny too, because she smelled like a muddy foot.

Zena moved faster than Torag, and Jenny's heart pounded in the thought he might not make it. But they have to keep climbing. Either way, the bridge won't hold with them on it.

Zena reached the top, but she stopped when a large shadow loomed over her. It was Borga, and she doesn't look happy!

"Give me the girl and the ruby stone!" Borga shouted.

Zena hissed. “Never!”

Borga raised her mace. “Do it, or I will send you all to your deaths!”

“You will lose the ruby if you do that!” Jenny shouted.

Borga lowered her mace and growled.

Jenny could tell Borga was feeling frustrated about losing the ruby if she cut down the bridge. If she was clever, she wouldn’t let Jenny die, but she would still try to get the stone for the taking. If so, Jenny’s friends will take her down before she has the chance.

The ropes snapped, and the bridge fell before stopping rapidly. It won’t hold for long!

Borga chuckled. “If you hand me my possessions, I will let you climb up.”

“You think we will believe you?” Zena shouted.

“The bridge will fall if you stay longer. Heeheehee. What choice you have?”

Jenny glared.

She held up the ruby stone as Borga’s eyes gleamed at it. But she moved the ruby over the trench of darkness. “Try anything, and I will drop it.”

Borga snorted. “You wouldn’t dare!”

The bridge rattled, cracking toward its end.

“Either help us, or you will lose both!” Jenny shouted.

The female hyena growled so loud, her throat trembled beneath her chubby chin. She could kill them after she helps them still, but that won’t change anything.

Borga dropped her mace and stepped back. For a savage, she knew the coincidence if she doesn’t listen.

Without taking a chance, Zena dashed up the bridge and climbed over the edge of the cliff. Torag climbed up next and sat Huntar’s body on the ground.

After Jenny jumped off Zena’s back, Borga grabbed her and snatched the ruby from her hand. “Yes!”

Zena and Torag charged toward her, but stopped when Borga held her mace against Jenny’s throat. Her gut pushed against Jenny’s back like a pillow.

“Don’t move, or I’ll cut her throat!” the hyena shouted.

Jenny struggled in Borga’s arms. “You kill me, and -”

“I don’t believe your friends will risk losing your life! I can raid more victims to reclaim your valuable loss. So if you tempt me, I will-”

Huntar’s broadsword struck Borga’s left eye, sprinkling blood against Jenny’s face. Borga’s body fell back as Jenny freed herself from the dead hyena’s grasp. She picked up the ruby stone and turned around, smiling with relief. “Huntar!”

The lion rose, dusting the dirt off his loincloth. “Nobody touches Jenny without my consent!”

“Did you mean her consent?” Zena asked.

Huntar laughed as he rubbed the back of his head. “My apology.”

Jenny smiled at Huntar, feeling relief he was fine. She doesn’t know what she would do if she lost him or her friends, too. They were like her new siblings, raised by her father. No matter what, they will protect each other on their adventures.