Seabound

Riddle of the Sphinx

Cole and I bolted up to the elevator and raced to the monastery courtyard where Master Wu was instructing Kai and Ray.

"Master Wu!" we cried in unison.

Master Wu let out an exasperated sigh. "You two again? What is it this time?"

"Nya and the other are back at the Island of the Keepers," Cole explained. "The Storm Amulet's at the Explorer's Club!"

"The Explorer's Club?" Master Wu reiterated. "How is that possible?"

Kai sheathed his katana, "Who would be foolish enough to do that?"

I raised my eyebrows, "I'll give ya three guesses and the first two don't count."

Master Wu suddenly turned serious. "Get Misako from the library. We have an amulet to retrieve."

With a grunt of effort, we bust through the doors of the Explorer's Club, guards up and ready for anything. The older-looking man standing behind the reception desk turned towards us, quite unamused. Something about him seemed familiar...

"Oh. Misako. You're alive. What a pleasant surprise," he deadpanned. "How may I help you?"

So that's why he looked familiar. It was the same guy who came to the monastery a while back to report Misako, Master Wu, and their team they were missing in the Storm Belt.

"We need to see Clutch Powers," Misako demanded.

"Certainly," Cecil drawled. "Your membership card?"

"You know full well you revoked it, Cecil," Misako snapped.

"Ah, yes. Terribly sorry," Cecil replied, though his tone was bored. "I shall immediately begin the years-long reactivation process. In the meantime, however, I'm afraid I must deny entry. This club is for members only."

Master Wu's fist slammed on the desk, knocking the phone sitting there off of it's hook. "This is an emergency! Clutch Powers is in possession of a dangerous artifact!"

"Sir, there are a good number of very dangerous artifacts in this establishment," Cecil responded as he set the phone back on it's hook, clearly annoyed. Our collection is filled with them."

"And you're okay with that?" Wu retorted.

Cecil, still as composed as ever, rebutted. "The members of the Explorer's Club laugh in the face of danger. Like so: 'Ha! Ha! Ha!' 'Ho, ho, ho!' is also accepted.

Misako sighed, "It's true, that was part of the test."

Obviously done with us, Cecil spoke up again, "Might I recommend that this charming conversation would be most comfortably continued outside?"

I slammed my fists on the desk in front of us, anger flashed in my eyes. "Listen here you overstuffed-"

Misako's hand landed on my shoulder, restraining me. "There is one way a non-members can be permitted." She paused for a moment, "A trial by Sphinx."

Cecil reeled back in surprise, a look of horror stricken across his face. "No one has invokes a Trail by Sphinx in decades! Not since that incident with Lord Belgrave." He shivered at the evidently unpleasant memory, "Whew, ghastly mess."

"What happened to Lord Belgrave?" Cole asked nervously, but his question hung in the air, unanswered.

Misako glared at Cecil, "Consider it invoked."

"Be the consequences on your own head," Cecil replied gravely. He reached under the desk and pressed a button. Immediately, the floor around us shook as a door opened in the ground. A cloud of dust billowed up from the opening, and as it cleared, we were faced with a giant stone statue of the Sphinx. It towered above us and three torches placed in front of us spontaneously burst into flames, followed by its eyes.