In Pursuit of Kronos' Scythe (Completed)

IX - The Underwater Palace of Nerocust - Part III

Princess Tharalea - Extension Chapter - Koby's Confession

"What will happen to you if we pass?" Cytherea asked, raising an eyebrow.

The Aqua-Sphinx flapped her fins vigorously, her temper flared by the boldness in Cytherea's voice. A flash of edginess glittered in her eyes, betraying her pretended calm. "It's none of your business. Now, the rules: a minute for a question. If you fail to answer the first one, we'll move to the second, and so on. Clear? Hurry up and decide whether you are on or would like to run away like a dog with its tail between its legs. I still have lots of household chores to do." 

The Symphony nodded. There were four of them; four brains could definitely triumph over one. 

The Sphinx smirked. After timing them, she recited, "I can be your merciful pet, gentle enough to graze your skin without being a treat. I can also be your faithful guard, making the conquest of your foe not very hard. I can draw blood and rattle your bones. What am I?"

Tharalea's forehead creased. What item could be a gentle pet and a guard at the same time? Was it a weapon? As the cogs in her brain ground against the soft walls of her skull, the needle of the watch ticked by. What is it? What is it? Darn it, she couldn't think under pressure. 

"A toothbrush?" Rexon hazarded a guess that earned laughter from the Sphinx. 

"You're the most imbecile player I've ever met. Thirty seconds left."

Cytherea cleared her throat, her brows tenting. "It's a sword."

The Sphinx threw her a contemptible glare and nodded unwillingly. Her face turned gloomy as if she'd swallowed up an entire sour plum. Still pouting, she asked, "I can be a useful tool to help the fools, who without me couldn't finish their chores. I'm a weapon that Hephaestus adores. I can fetch the sound of thunder, able to crush, maim, and plunder. What am I?"

Piotr was the victor in this round. Before Tharalea could voice her answer, he spoke. "It's a hammer. And those who use them aren't fools. Hephaestus will crush you to powder if he heard that." He glared at the Sphinx, his eyes throwing the invisible hammer.

The Sphinx's face looked like it was going to explode. Her whole body swelled, and she voiced every word with difficulty. "I can return your depiction, my polished surface providing a view that's non-fiction. I can act as a wall, stopping soldiers from your fall. What am I?

"Mirror?" Cytherea croaked out a little too excited; her eyes lit up at her guess. She made an attempt to rummage her make-up pouch, only to find out that it had been swallowed by the waves when they were heading to the Proseous Daemons' island.   

The Sphinx forced a sinister smile and shook her head. "Thirty-five seconds left."

Tharalea scoffed at the Mirror Girl and resumed thinking. The subjects of the riddles seemed to be falling into the same category. Sword and hammer were both warfare materials; she believed that the third one would be the same. The answer almost popped in her mind when--

Rexon attempted a futile guess again. "A car tyre?"

Cytherea bonked at the back of Rexon's head. "Fool, a tyre doesn't have a glossy surface to show your reflection. I still think the answer is a mirror. The Sphinx is just too proud to admit it."

"But if you hold a tyre up, it can prevent me from punching your face," Rexon retaliated.

Piotr and the Sphinx rolled their eyes. The latter said, "Ten seconds left. You can waste more time arguing. It can save me from..." The Sphinx coughed as her face bloated up like a balloon, hampering her from uttering more vindictive words.