Quest (OLD: the new version MIGHT be posted shortly)

Chapter 8-Jae

The creature had the head of a woman. Her cheeks were broad and flat, her nose the same. Her chin was small and round, barely protruding from under her thick lips. She seemed to be smiling, but it was the smile of a troublemaker, like a small kid’s smile. Her eyes were a vivid green and turned up at the corners, again making her look like she was hatching some sort of devious plan. Her neck connected to a large, feline body. She had a long tail with a small tuft at the end of it. Her large paws were padding softly on the ground, not making a sound as she paced the front of the gate. Large wings were folded to her sides. They looked a lot like bat wings, leathery with the same bone structure as a bat’s. She was covered in tawny fur from her head to her tufted hail; even her wings were furry.  

“Oh my,” Sage sighed in awe. “It’s the Sphinx.”

I had never heard of the Sphinx, but by the look in Sage’s eyes she was to be both feared and awed. Peter just looked wary.

“Hello, young questers,” the Sphinx greeted in a slow, low, deep voice.

“Hello,” Sage replied. “We wish to pass through.”

“Yes,” the Sphinx drawled. “It has been only a short time since the last quester passed through here. I have been waiting for fresh ones for a long while. I cannot let you pass through my home until you answer my riddle. You may stay on my cliff as long as you wish to figure it out. This is a safe place and the water is pure. I warn you, if you answer wrongly I will attack and you will have to kill me to pass.” Her long tail, which resembled a lion’s tail, flicked back and forth as she spoke.

“We understand,” Sage said. Her eyes skimmed the Sphinx’s paws, as if checking them for claws. She quickly pulled off her pack and pulled out a pencil and her journal. “May we hear the riddle?” The Sphinx stopped pacing and sat down right in the middle of the cavern opening. Her wings twitched as she looked down at Sage.

“You may, quest leader,” she said. “One thing can two souls unite, can a king’s power declare, and a status display. One thing can a lover delight, can sound through air, and in the void they lay. This one thing can be loud or meek. What is this one thing, which I seek?”

Sage was writing as the Sphinx spoke and asked her to repeat the riddle twice more, fixing mistakes she’d made. She thanked the Sphinx and we set up camp slightly to the right of the Sphinx.

“What is the Sphinx from?” I whispered to Peter as everyone sat down in a circle.

“Man, I forget that you were raised as far from magic as possible,” Pete sighed. “The Sphinx is a great and wise creature. Well, technically there are three types of sphinxes: androsphinx, criosphinx, and hierocosphinx. This is an androsphinx. The Sphinx, the only known female androsphinx, is best known for the time she guarded a small kingdom. She wouldn’t let anyone pass unless they correctly answered her riddle. No one could get it, so she feasted, basically, until this one guy, destined to be king, answered her riddle correctly. The accounts say that she jumped off the mountain she was living in out of shame of being thwarted, but no one ever found a body. Now we know why they didn’t.”

“So, is the king around to help us?” I half-joked.

“Unfortunately, no,” Pete chuckled.

“Could you shut up?” Landon snapped. “I’m trying to figure it out.”

“Sorry,” I muttered. Landon just grunted and closed his eyes, rubbing his temples in concentration.

We all sat in silence after that, trying to figure out the riddle. I couldn’t figure it out. A king’s power display, well that would be a crown, but that didn’t fit. Scepter didn’t work, either. In the void lay, I didn’t know what she meant by void. Void would be nothingness, right. Nothing could lay in nothingness, but that just didn’t make sense.

I looked around after a while, trying to see if anyone was getting it. It seemed like Heather had given up, because she was drawing something in Sage’s journal. Landon had pulled out his wand and was drawing images in the ground. Argus looked like he was napping, his arms folded over his eyes. Serenity was twisting her wedding band around her finger absentmindedly. Austin seemed to be meditating and Emily looked like she was about to cry from frustration.

I took a deep breath and tried to clear my mind to think again. My hopes weren’t high, however.

~*~*~

The Sphinx was watching us. Her bright green eyes were studying us as we tried to figure out her riddle. Her tail flicked back and forth in the corner of my eye. It was hard enough to concentrate on her riddle without her staring at us. We’d already camped on her cliff for the night, which was freezing, but now it was boiling hot again.

The heat, a distraction in and of itself, caused another. The men were bare-chested again, and I couldn’t help but ogle, just a little. To my great annoyance, Jae’s tan chest kept drawing my attention. I mean, how stupid was I? There was a great big, deadly sphinx blocking the only way out and I was going gaga over a Freeman. At least I wasn’t the only girl who seemed smitten. Heather was frequently checking Peter out.

I shook myself. We had to figure out the riddle. Heather had given up last night and had decided to sketch in the quest log. She sketched the werewolf with eerie detail and the Sphinx just as expertly. Now she was lost in her own musings, I think, instead of trying to figure out the riddle.

Serenity was starting to pass out tea that was infused with natural herbs like Matron’s cider. It was cold tea to combat the steaming sun, and it tasted amazing. As she handed Austin his cup he grabbed her hand.

“Serenity, you’re wearing a wedding ring,” he observed.

“Yes, I’ve been married for eighteen years,” she replied.

“Wedding ring… didn’t the old time kings wear their royal seals on their rings?” Austin asked us.

“Yes,” Landon gasped. “And that would show status, how expensive a ring is.”

“And an engagement ring would make a longtime significant other feel great,” Austin added. “Something can ring through the air.”

“And rings can be loud and gaudy or meek and humble!” Landon exclaimed. “Space is often called a void, and some planets have rings around them! You’re a genius!”

“I try,” Austin said sarcastically.

 “You guys are amazing!” Heather squealed. She ran up and hugged Austin and Landon. Everyone drank down their tea and packed up. The boys put t-shirts on again to go into the caves. Once ready we walked up to the Sphinx again.

“Have you solved my little riddle?” the Sphinx purred.

“We think the answer is,” I started saying, ready to reach my wand in an instant, “a ring.” There was a long pause as the Sphinx looked us over. She stood up slowly, her little smile in place, and stepped aside.

“Questers, you may pass,” the Sphinx declared. Torches in the cave lit up, illuminated the way we were supposed to go.

“Thanks,” I muttered, leading the way in.