The bullet traveled out of its current position and embedded itself into Catlanda's upper arm, almost at her shoulder. She was thrown back onto the sand. She gasped out in pain as Marok hurried over to her.

"What have you done?" he asked, facing her attacker.

"It will be much worse than that later on if you do not cooperate if you do not tell us where your leader is and where the Spire is," Altaram replied with coldness in his voice before leaving.

Marok looked at Catlanda's shoulder. It hit the arm she usually carried the Spire with. He placed a piece of his clothing there with some pressure.

"You're going to be fine Cat," he whispered to her.

She nodded before she fell asleep right where she was.

Outside, the woman was waiting again for him.

"What are you doing Altaram? You know we need those two alive," she told him angrily.

"You think I don't know that Tarnay? I'm simply making an example out of them. Don't worry, they'll tell us. Then pay for it with their lives," he replied as he walked right past her.

She watched him do so with a small smile on her face.

"We'll get what we want," she said. "The they'll die along with their precious leader."

The three men walked up to oasis only to meet a growling Isis.

"Calm down kitty. We won't hurt you," one said with a smile.

"That's odd. I've never seen a cat who sticks around after being approached by strangers," the second whispered to himself.

The cat continued to growl at them. They were very confused with this action until one saw Ardeth laying unconscious on the sand behind her.

"There's the reason why. The cat's protecting him," he whispered to the others.

The other two looked at the unconscious man behind the cat. One raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

"He is injured. We must do something about him before he wakes up," he replied as he faced his comrades.

"No, we'll wait until he does. We have to see why he is out here first," the third replied with an evil smile.

Isis stopped growling and sat by her master's father, an ever watchful look on her face, allowing the men to walk up to them.

Sharak walked up to Evie, who was right outside Ardeth's empty tent. He looked around.

"Where is Rick? I have not seen him for some time," he asked her.

"Um, he went to see if he could be any use to the other members of the tribe," she lied.

He glared at her as he sensed something was wrong.

"Where is he Evelyn?" he demanded, grabbing her wrist.

"I told you already," she replied as she struggled to free herself.

"How come I don't believe you?" he replied.

"Believe what you will. I'm telling the truth," she replied.

"No you're not. He's gone after Ardeth already! Why didn't he wait for me or anyone else?" he cried, letting her go and storming away from her.

Evie appeared to be very angry with him.

"He couldn't wait because you wouldn't go, remember?" Evie called to him.

Sharak stopped in his tracks, not turning around to face her.

"Ardeth's a good friend of ours. Always will be. He's helped us many times before against the evils of this world. If we didn't help him when he needs someone the most, then we couldn't exactly call ourselves his friends, could we?" Evie explained angrily as he twirled around.

The two took a long stare between each other before Sharak broke it and stormed away from her.

Tarnay walked into the tent to greet the two 'guests'. Marok looked at her with distaste in his face.

"Do you think I'm here to question you? I'm not. I'm here to warn you. You will die if you don't tell what we want to know. No doubt about that," she explained with a smile on her face the entire time.

Marok didn't say anything as she walked back out of the tent.

"Ardeth, I hope you stay away this time if you know whats good for you," he whispered to himself. "I am capable of surviving this and so is Catlanda. Neither one of us wants you to get hurt further."

00000

Ardeth groaned and slowly opened his eyes. He put a hand to his head as he became fully aware of his surroundings. He faintly heard Isis growling and Geb neighing.

Then he became aware of the gun stuck in front of his face.

"Who are you? What are you doing all the way out here in our territory?" demanded one of them.

"My name is Ardeth Bay. My daughter and her friend were kidnapped. I'm here to try and find them," he replied quietly.

The world spun before him as he put a hand up to his head.

"All lies. We will take you to our leader. He will decide what will happen to you and these pathetic animals," the third snorted.

"First, I'd like to know what I can call my captors by," Ardeth asked of them.

"Carasy," the first replied.

"Thransh," the second replied.

"Rasca," the third replied. "Now move it. Get up on your horse and we'll be on our way."

Ardeth slowly stood up and walked away from the rock.

"Move more quickly or we'll shoot you," Carasy ordered him.

Ardeth sighed as he climbed onto Geb. He looked back at the three men before looking back at Isis.

Isis was hiding behind the rock, watching the three take Ardeth away from her. She laid down as she whimpered for she felt she left her master down by letting Ardeth get captured.

Beside her, laid the one thing thing they left behind next to her. The one thing they didn't see to take with them.

The Spire of Isis.

TBC...