damned_institute | Night 62: Sphinx's Chamber

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Night 62: Sphinx's Chamber

[From here.]

Another ornate room met her eyes, one with a low ceiling and a gold finish everywhere she looked. The focus of her gaze, however, fell on the centerpiece--the strange creature Renamon had referenced. It looked to be a hybrid, an unrecognized formation of animals she knew well, but for some reason, Tear did not believe it to be a product of science. The sphinx maintained an antiquated countenance, as if it had originated from a point far in Earth's past.

Nothing so old could logically be conceived by artificial means.

One might have expected the soldier to outright stare as she had with the tapestries. Tear, however, recalled the existence of riddles and stayed respectably cautious, even as she could not hide the wonder in her blue eyes.

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That wasn't exactly reassuring. It wasn't as if Leanne was particularly good at riddles, regardless of whether they came from a sphinx-- whatever that was-- or not. And if it really was a matter of life and death like Renamon claimed, she could only hope the others would fare better than her at answering the sphinx's riddle.

Having their work ended so early in the night was probably the last thing any of them wanted, after all.

As she followed the others into the room, she had to take a moment to simply force herself to keep moving, to keep from outright gaping at the decor. Certainly, quite a few of the residents of Chandelier had opulent taste, decorated their homes in what could only be a ridiculous waste of money, but this? This was beyond even that, could have put a Cardinal's manor to shame.

Of course, it wasn't as if any human inhabited the room. The sphinx wasn't quite like any monster she'd ever seen before, but no less imposing, to the point where it took a conscious effort to not raise her gun.

All considered, Leanne decided she'd do better to let someone else make the first move in whatever was supposed to happen now.

Badou bit his tongue to keep from cursing under his breath as they entered the room, mindful of Renamon's caution. The ballroom had been pretty ridiculous by itself, but this was practically mocking. The institute wasn't lacking for money, that was for sure, judging by how well they kept their pets.

The sphinx was just fucking creepy. He didn't say so out loud, for a number of reasons that included the lack of an immediate death wish, and kept his gun pointed down for the moment for much the same reason. He had some vague memory of the name, but he hadn't really given it any thought until he saw it, and there was something about it that made it too damn uncanny to pass off as just another of Landel's chimeras. It was intelligent, and it wasn't natural, but it was... it was something else he didn't really have a word for. (Creepy still kinda worked.)

His gaze shifted unconsciously to Renamon, waiting. He really hoped someone in this group was good at riddles.

Nothing came out of place, and Renamon trailed the group into the room, as they silently took in the creature. The room was much the same as before, and she--

She as well kept to silence. It would speak as it would, and the better off they would be if they didn't anger it. Their task was clear enough. She slid closer to the other three without notice. There was a somewhat easy camaraderie in these ones without knowing.

And in came the players to a tune well-known, and it was not even the thrill of difference that they brought. It was not ignorant to the changes that came to the institute, and half of it wished that they had set off a trap in this room. Something to break the stagnation, and it wasn't even really if it would be affected by that anyway--

A heavy sigh, disappointed and bored to the point of mental destruction. Unluckily for the group, the sphinx was not in the mood for repeats. "...One of you has been here before. This is starting to be a habit. Is once not enough for most of you? Is this place so little of a threat for you to risk the chance again? Maybe I should cease with the riddles and move onto the other option straightaway," it added, muttering with annoyance to itself. There was only so much a creature could take, of little change and less losses to keep itself occupied. So very little....

"At least you're not mouthing off," it grumbled at the group, giant paws refolding in front of itself, claws stretching and re-sheathing in front of them idly. It blinked large eyes apathetically. "Bonds or not, I would have probably ate you all if you had started like some others tonight...."

It gave a giant heaving sound of disgust and rolled its eyes, a decidedly human gesture for such a creature, then eyed Renamon. "You've likely already talked them through this, hm?" A glance to the rest. "A riddle, a time limit, a battle with me and guaranteed death if you lose."

It stared at them. "Or said correctly: You have the option of being asked a riddle for a very worthy prize. Once you are given the question, you will have five minutes to think and one chance to answer correctly; should you address me with a wrong answer or should you find yourselves unable to respond within five minutes' time, you will be forced to best me in a wholly different way.

"Should you turn down my challenge, you will be free to return the way you came. Should you choose to stay, the doors behind you will shut and only a correct response will get you out with the prize." The sphinx paused from its tirade and ranting. It was as if talking to these cretins that continuously showed up was its only break in monotony, a fact that was far too true. "Do you agree to those terms?"

As soon as the creature spoke, Tear had to wonder what sort of life it led on a daily basis. The amount of irritation and exhaustion seemed to indicate either something extraordinarily wretched or lacking in stimulation. By the time it was finished with its ~~complaints~~ explanation and presented the subsequent question, she was certain the answer was the latter.

In many ways, the sphinx reminded her of the Colonel during his less congenial moods. If not for the differences in tone and pitch, she might have sworn he had somehow turned into this Earthian creature and confined to this chamber to question passersby with riddles. The thought would have been funny in the right person's mind.

Tear, however, remained wary. Guaranteed death was not something to joke about, allusion to the Colonel or no.

Blue eyes briefly flickered to the others, an unspoken query in the motion. They had already decided on their strategy, but it didn't hurt to be sure of the decision. No one should die needlessly, after all.

Leanne could only stare, struck silent, as the sphinx spoke. Logically, she'd known something like this would happen. After all, how else would it give them a riddle? But to actually see and hear a monster speak, it was hardly what she'd expected when she set off that night, to say the least. Still, maybe it was only to be expected. Even the most impressive of monsters in Basel couldn't hold a candle to this one.

If the very act of speaking hadn't been enough, the way it spoke would have convinced her of its intelligence. It seemed almost... tired of them, as if it simply couldn't stand to deal with anything like humans, but had no choice.

How many people had wandered into its lair before, she couldn't help but wonder. And... just how many of them had survived?

"Yeah." She nodded at Tear, her voice soft but no less determined. There was no turning back now.

It talked. Ok. That probably wasn't the strangest thing that was going to happen tonight. He tried not to think about it, really, because there were a few more pressing things to think about.

Was he willing to bet his life on the ability to answer a question? Well, that was pretty simple actually. He was an information broker. He'd bet his life on less. Aside from that, he hadn't come down here expecting it to be easy going, and they'd all known what was waiting from the start. Renamon had picked a good team, unsurprisingly. No one else seemed ready to back out either.

He met Tear's inquiring glance, nodding once after Leanne's confirmation. "We're all in, then."

...The sphinx's temperament didn't seem to have improved in the time since the Digimon had last seen it. In fact, if she was to comment, she'd likely note that it had gotten worse. Not for the first time, Renamon wondered if it really was trapped here in all hours. How long had it been down here? What did Landel have to hold the creature's will? None of the questions were worth speaking, in essence. Likely, the creature was under the same geis as Marc and those that had been through the third door, for starters.

The rest was simple deduction. There were a good deal of those who had contacted it. If those individuals were not able to sway it, it was not likely to be swayed. Or couldn't, at any rate, and pressing the issue again seemed to be something ill-advised for one's health.

At any rate, it was done speaking, and Leanne and Badou agreed for them. The Digimon only nodded herself, wordlessly placing herself with the rest.

Two spoke agreements while the others watched, and that was enough for the sphinx. It gave a low growl and shifted a paw to gesture to the closing doors. The heavy thunk was obvious, as was the distinct click of a lock. They were not getting out easily now that they had accepted. "We'll begin, then. Do something different from the rest, perhaps?"

As it would. It diverted from its usual fare and spoke otherwise. "With a knife, cut open my head, then weep beside me when I am dead." It blinked heavy eyes. "What am I?"

A claw tapped once on the granite. "Four minutes, fifty-five seconds remaining."

Each person contributed their agreement, and their challenge went underway. Tear stared blankly at the closing doors before turning her attention toward the creature. If they were to be on a time limit, it was best to pay it as much careful attention as was possible. It would be unacceptable to let her focus falter for even a breath.

When the riddle finally came, her brows furrowed in deep contemplation, mind moving faster than was normal. Most riddles she knew held a specific pattern of being simple in the answer, but the line of logic to them was hardly clear. You had to think outside the confines of normal thought, much like interpreting Yulia's Fonic Hymns.

So the question was this: what could be cut open with intent and then cause one to weep at the act?

It was almost as if her heart chose the moment the sphinx stopped speaking to beat even faster, if that were even possible, feeling almost as if it were trying to escape from her chest.

This was it then. Less than five minutes to figure out the answer to the riddle and Leanne couldn't even begin to make sense of it. Ohhhh, she'd known that would happen. But there was nothing to it. At the very least, she wasn't alone.

She crossed her arms in front of her chest, frowning. Gruesome, that's how the riddle sounded, images of beheadings momentarily filling her mind. But it was probably safe to say actual beheadings didn't have anything to do with the answer... It probably didn't have anything to do with people at all, did it?

Eyebrows raised, she shot the others a glance. "Something you cut open... but you cry about it?"

Badou couldn't help glancing over his shoulder as the doors closed behind them. This was it, then. He took a shallow breath and listened to the riddle. In retrospect, it wasn't that simple. It could be anything, considering how many worlds this place connected to or whatever, but he didn't think this thing would bother throwing them a question they couldn't answer. That was just pointless.

Alright. Word games. He met Leanne's gaze and shrugged. "I'd be crying at just about any head. That's pretty gross. Maybe the head of a family..? No, can't be... Some other kind of head?"

With a knife, cut open my head, then weep beside me when I am dead. Honestly, that could mean for near anyone. Badou was correct. Wouldn't most, excepting some, shed tears over the dead? Especially if you were the cause of that death--and perhaps if it was a loved one--

But riddles were not that sensical, at least not that she had seen before. What was the riddle the sphinx used the last time she was here? She struggled to remember, the answer easier than the words used. "...Something rather than someone, maybe," the Digimon mused. "The last time I was here, it said something like... What runs without walking, has a mouth without using it to speak, a head that does not shed tears, and a bed unused."

A riddle the Digimon had not understood, and was not given the time to contemplate it. Sakura, however-- "The answer was a river. Perhaps this one is the same type."

"Some other kind of head" rang as correct in Tear's mind, but still, the answer remained elusive. It was not until Renamon's contribution that the soldier found an inkling of possibility, of potential. "A river," she muttered, bringing a hand up to her chin in thought. "That makes sense. So if we were to rephrase our riddle... What would have a head and make you cry cutting it open?"

A straightforward question but none too easy to unravel. Things that had heads were close to limitless. Filtering out people or positions given and including things that could be cut, well, all she could come up with was the head of a cabbage or a lettuce. And from her experience in cooking, neither of those caused crying.

Another thing did, however.

Tear groaned, unexpectedly, and the hand at her chin slapped against her forehead. "That is completely--" Idiotic. With effort, she bit her tongue. It wouldn't do to offend the sphinx. "...Onion. The answer is an onion. It has a head, and it is known to cause tears when preparing them."

...Why did it even bother.

The giant creature let out an audible groan, not bothering to hide its displeasure. "How about this--" it started, reaching a large paw behind itself to rummage through things unseen. "The next time a group comes down here, they can offer the riddle, and I can solve it. Then I'll likely have more amusement than is otherwise afforded." It straightened, rolling its giant eyes. "Offer up a challenge. I have been here too long for this tedium."

As if to punctuate, the shield was then thrown at Tear's feet. "There; enjoy. Your trials only begin from this point forward."

With that final note, there was a creaking groan as the doors behind them opened again, and then the sphinx before them stilled, returning to stone.

...Oh.

Leanne couldn't quite help a smile, quickly smothered, when Tear answered the riddle, feeling rather silly herself. An onion. Of course. And she'd been thinking of beheadings. It really was good that Tear had been able to figure it out, and quickly too. If it'd been up to her, she didn't think they'd have found the answer so soon.

Too bad about the sphinx though. Now that they no longer had the threat of the riddle hanging over them, it didn't seem so intimidating anymore. It probably had a lonely life, didn't it? Being stuck in this room all the time can't have been very nice.

Still, it had threatened them and Leanne, for one, didn't much like the idea of sticking around for too long, stone or not.

She turned around once the sphinx was done, moving briskly toward the hall.

[back to here]

Edited 2012-04-09 02:43 (UTC)

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Night 62: Sphinx's Chamber

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