The central square of the temple ruins was bathed in sunlight. Radiating out was a large and maze like collection of walls, ruined buildings and statues spread across a high plateau.

  “This is why clerics should stick to libraries,” he muttered.

  Rejah peered over a wall.

  "Can you see it?" he whispered.

  "Over there," and she nodded to its position.

  It was behind a column and was moving towards them, but had not noticed them yet.

  "I'm going to find out if its got any weak points." He moved off. There was a series of tumble down walls and he crept through them in the direction of the construct. He really wanted to get high enough to see it from above. There was a taller wall that was reasonably intact and he ran over to it and found handholds and footholds to help him climb. When he reached the top he saw it roaming the area. He observed it for a while and noticed a crack on its side, which was a clear sign of weakness, possibly caused by its age.

  There were large ruined buildings and tall columns that would provide good cover and smaller ones which were also useful. The place offered many opportunities to hide and also many places where they could be backed into a corner.

  Rejah signaled - a finger jabbing toward the construct's path, then a sweeping motion to put her behind it.

  She could follow the monster well enough but she could not do it forever because that thing was relentless. The construct was deadly imposing, and they were keeping it away from Alina and Urdo.

  Rejah moved to another hiding spot, then signaled.

  The thing was a good distance away from the others so there was no need to engage with it. As long as the others were out of harms way it could be left to its own devices.

  Then it turned and began to head back to the place where they had left Alina and Urdo.

  He signaled to Rejah to indicate the thing was taking a new path. She moved from her position and hid behind another pillar. She looked over at him. The construct stopped moving. Had it seen her?

  Sweat ran into his eyes from the heat and he wiped it away.

  He descended from his observation post and went to Rejah's hiding spot. "It's heading towards the others."

  She shook her head. "Well, we'll have to try and head it off."

  They ran along empty avenues and across deserted spaces. There was a path ahead that went between two large walls.

  "We'll need space to dodge," Rejah said. "No confined spaces!"

  "Yes. That would be bad!"

  "If I can lure it into an open space, you can get in behind and attack it."

  "Yes. It has a crack in its armor, right side. The rest of its body is too solid - my sword can't penetrate."

  "Right. I'll run ahead and bait it into that central open area and you come in behind."

  "Watch yourself!"

  She ran off and soon began shouting to attract its attention.

  The construct stopped in its tracks, turned and looked at her direction with its eyes of blue crystal and moved towards her.

  Temon ran along a parallel path as it chased after Rejah and she tried to lead it away.

  He worried for her safety, but she was fast and would be safe so long as she kept running at this speed.

  She led the metal thing into the open area in the center of the ruins and he was able to come in behind it.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  It was at twice his size and as he got close there were glowing glyphs on its back that glowed with silver light. These symbols were probably Ashok, but meant nothing to him.

  He moved quietly towards it as Rejah dodged and weaved in front of it. When he got close enough, he thrust his sword into the crack on its side. The blade went in deep as its hilt.

  The construct shook for a moment, then staggered and recovered its balance.

  He pulled the sword out.

  The thing turned o face him and swung at him with both its huge fists. He managed to jump out of the way.

  Rejah threw a stone that struck its metal backside with a loud clang. It paused and turned its head towards her. She grabbed another stone and threw it. "Take that, you metal ass."

  She was keeping its attention locked on her. Her constant movement, the taunts were all a performance to give him an opening.

  The construct picked up a pillar stone and lobbed it at her. She yelped and dodged to the side. The huge circular stone hit the ground next to her with a crack.

  He had a chance and ran up and stabbed the construct in the crack on its side again. His blade sunk deep and as he twisted it the screeching of metals grating against each other. He hoped to cripple it - but it wasn't enough. The construct shuddered and then lashed out, and it's fist hit his chest armor. The impact threw him into the air and he landed in the dust.

  Pain. Chest pain.

  "Temon!"

  The construct approached with the intention of trampling him underfoot.

  Gasping hard, he managed to get away. He scrambled back to put some distance between it and him. Each breath came in ragged, painful bursts, and his chest ached with a deep, burning throb where the metal fist had connected with his armor.

  The ruins swam before his eyes, white dots dancing at the edges of his vision as he fought to stay conscious through the crushing pain.

  It came at him again and he was barely able to dodge its next fist.

  Rejah got its attention again and he was able to get away and find a hiding place.

  They could bait the monster for a while but it would learn their tactics and anticipate their moves. Once it did that they would be done for. Was the monster some sort of guardian? Maybe it was as old as the temple?

  He doubted whether a stab from his sword would bring it down - it was too strong and its energy was too powerful.

  "Hey you! Metal ass!" She yelled.

  The construct turned to face her, and she ran off with it in pursuit.

  She was getting tired, eventually, as he was, yet the thing was relentless with no limit to its energy.

  They was doing her best to lure it away from Alina and Urdo. Was that reason worth it?

  He ran on after them.

  Were there other monsters in this land? One was bad enough. What if there was a group of them? The colonists would be in grave danger if that were true. It was hard to accept that could be true.

  The metal monster had been following Rejah and he ran up behind it, to see it pick up a large piece of stone and lob it at her. It missed, but not by much.

  He had a better vantage point here. The ruins descended ahead of them, the ground falling away toward a precipice. The Sacred Valley sprawled out far below the cliff's edge.

  "Go this way, Rejah!" he called out and pointed south. She nodded and ran on, monster in pursuit.

  "We can't go on like this forever," Rejah shouted.

  She was tiring and had done a good deal of work, so he must take over from her. He attracted the attention of the construct with a taunt and by throwing rocks at its back.

  Rejah dodged behind a pillar and he now had its attention. The monster began chasing him now. He ran, dodging crumbling buildings and fallen stone columns, keeping ahead of it.

  As he ran he saw the ruins end at at cliff, which dropped down into the Sacred valley. Walls and statues stood along this perimeter. The drop was far down so a fall would be fatal. He led the construct along the edge, avoiding looking down as best he could, Rejah was now behind it and keeping pace.

  He forced his eyes forward, focusing on the stone underfoot, fighting the irrational pull of the emptiness beside him.

  "Look Temon! That statue is broken!"

  The statue she was coming up ahead, but wasn't sure what she meant about it being broken?

  "So what?"

  "It'll fall."

  A falling statue could hit the monster and unbalance it, but not kill it, so he dismissed the notion.

  But. The statue was very close to the cliff.

  Rejah threw a few more rocks at the brute, which distracted it and drew it to her.

  He ran to the statue. It was about the size of the monster and roughly human in appearance. It had arms, a head, and legs. The lower legs were thin and weak looking and he might be able to push it over.

  "Rejah, try and get it in front of this."

  She was close and the construct was nearly on him.

  "Hey! Metal fool! Here!" Rejah shouted, threw rocks and stood before the cliff edge. The metal thing approached and swung its fist at her and she rolled away.

  He tried to push the statue and got it rocking, but it was very heavy.

  Rejah ran back and forth in front of the statue, dodging fists from he brute, giving him the chance to push the statue again.

  Gradually it's stone ankles gave way and it began to topple.

  With skill Rejah managed to lure the construct belowr it as it fell. The stone smashed down onto the construct and both the statue and the monster fell from the cliff. Together they hurtled down into the valley below, crashing and breaking into many pieces.

  Gasping for breath, he stared down into the valley. "That...worked...well!"

  "Yes, it was my idea," she replied and crossed her arms, her black face with its white shining teeth in a broad grin.

  "I pushed the statue!"

  "Eventually!"

  "Anyway, you did well to distract it."

  "That was easy."

  He didn't want to start an argument. "I was here, too, you know."