damned_institute | Nightshift 29- The Sphinx's Chamber, Basement

It felt repetitive to breathe 'my god' once more, but they were the words that came to Citan's mind when his eyes fell upon the creature. It was far larger and more menacing than anything he'd yet to fight in this place.

"Armand, if that animal makes any show of aggression, stay behind TK and myself."

"What animal?" Armand asked as he followed them into the room, but then the answer came into plain sight.

They were going to die. He knew it. "But what about--" he started to protest. Now that they were faced with something that menacing, he felt reluctant to let the unarmed Citan protect him. No matter that the large creature, with its disturbingly human face, hadn't done anything dangerous yet.

Citan moved so easily tonight it was easy to forget how badly he'd been hurt when Armand met him. That was mere days ago.

The creature slowly opened its piercing emerald eyes and gazed at the humans in its midst. It seemed Egyptian in origin, with its pharaoh's headdress, lack of wings, and its sturdy, imposing stature, but it seemed more indignant than savage as it waved one of its paws at the newcomers.

"Of all the nerve... What 'animal' indeed!" The thing huffed. "We are intelligent creatures by nature, but you're straight on your way to my bad side if you continue to throw remarks like that."

The creature paused as a slow smirk crossed its features.

"And trust me, humans, my bad side is not a place you want to be."

So, this one was intelligent? That was new. And worrying.

He was bad at being tactful, but given the fact that their only known escape route had a locked door at the end of it, now seemed like a good time to try. "Apologies. The only non-humans encountered before displayed no outward signs of intelligence. Assumptions were made." While he was trying to act polite, he was trying to use whatever time he had to analyze what would be the most efficient plan of attack he could adopt if things became violent within the next few seconds.

Interesting.

"And my apologies as well," Citan added, bowing to the creature. Was it natural, or a hybrid? Were there others? It had said 'we'. But he doubted it would answer his questions.

"We've yet to encounter something of your kind here, and I am afraid we have nothing like it where I come from. I assure you, no offense was intended."

He hoped Armand would still remain behind him, all the same.

"We're simply travelers who have found ourselves here - we mean no harm."

When the thing spoke, Armand blanched. It was only concern for his companions, who had both expressed a desire to protect him, that kept him from bolting. That and the dim knowledge that he had nowhere safe to run if he should flee.

So following Citan's lead since it was also his cultural standard, Armand bowed respectfully. Words didn't come so easily. So while he tried to get his mouth to work, he wracked his brain. Something about the creature seemed vaguely familiar, but he had never been a student of exotic cultures. It refused to come clear, just yet. "I, too, offer an apology. I've never met such a creature as you." He was proud that his voice didn't shake. Much.

Staying in Citan's shadow seemed like a very good idea for the moment.

The bowing seemed to please the creature some, and it laid back down on its haunches and surveyed those who had trespassed into his lair.

"I suppose I should accept your apologies gracefully, but don't think you've gotten off scott-free quite yet." The creature sighed, bringing up one claw and scratching behind one of its ears. "I'm sure you're aware of sphinx lore? Well, Greek lore, but it's all the same according to the literal man upstairs..."

He trailed off, then shook out his mane and the headdress surrounding it.

"In any case, you'll notice that in the hallway you came from, there is a door across from mine that leads to a test of both your mind and body, a test that nary a soul wants to brave. I myself offer my own trial - a riddle to asses your mind and your mind alone, though should your mind's eye prove to be dull and unseeing... the test will become something quite uncivil."

The sphinx rose up a bit, as if straightening in his seat.

"In short, you have two options of which there can be several outcomes: You may decline my test and I will allow you to leave at your leisure and brave the other trial; it is a daunting one, to be sure, and one you may not live through to the end. You may also choose to stay and ask to hear my riddle, though once you have heard it, the doors behind you will shut and only a correct response will get you out with the prize. Should any one of you address me with a wrong answer or should you find yourselves unable to respond within five minutes' time..."

Again, the sphinx smirked, and he rested his bearded chin on one of his paws.

"Then you will find yourself in greater mortal peril than you could have ever encountered in the other trial."

TK stayed on guard, even though they were supposedly not in any immediate danger. He didn't trust his own species, why trust something with claws that big?

Mention of 'Greek' stories was met only by a confused look from the stormtrooper. He'd hardly ever heard any myths, let alone 'Greek' ones.

Quite frankly, a test that was more physically oriented sounded better to him, but the other two might know how to deal with a riddle better than anything else. They'd certainly do better than him, anyway- he wasn't smart at all.

TK looked over at the other two. "Your call."

A riddle or unknown trials. Citan tapped his finger against his chin. He knew nothing of this 'Greek' of which the creature spoke, and had to admit none of the lore of Solaris, Shevat or the surface worlds had anything like this creature. Though perhaps one of the Ethos would know something. It wasn't entirely inconceivable that there was a legend Citan hadn't come across. Unlikely, but not inconceivable.

But riddles and puzzles were something he was quite skilled at.

He turned to Armand, as TK had passed the torch for them.

"I would advise accepting the creature's challenge," he said, softly. "I have no desire to brag, but I'm no stranger to puzzles and riddles."

Now that the creature mentioned sphinxes and Greek lore, Armand recalled why it seemed familiar. He bit his lip and listened to his companions pass the decision to him. Apparently, he was the only one who realized the real danger taking this challenge would present. Citan's assurances of his mental agility didn't count for as much as it should since there was a good chance the riddle would be drawn from Earth culture, which only he knew. He pressed his fingers into his eyes.

Keeping his voice low, he explained to them, "I know a little about the Greek lore or myths that it mentions. It's a sphinx, usually the guardian of some great treasure. It poses the hero a riddle--there's a traditional one that I can't quite remember though the answer was simple--and if it can't be answered, it kills him. I doubt this one will use the traditional riddle since there's a chance that I'd remember it upon hearing it."

That resembled what the sphinx had already explained to them. He didn't have Citan's pure intellect or education, but despite his lack of confidence, Armand knew he wasn't stupid. He hated being put on the spot, but he didn't think the creature would allow them a lengthy debate either. Declining wouldn't get them out of a mental challenge--unless the night ended too quickly. The other door was mental and physical. There, he'd be a liability. Here, at least he stood a chance of helping.

He felt his companions now knew as much as he did about their dangers. Armand turned to sphinx, lifting his chin to speak even though he didn't leave the protective shadows of his companions. "We accept."

"I am glad to hear that," the creature said, its smirk widening as a sudden, heavy click sounded from the doors from which the newcomers had entered. The sphinx glanced at it, as if to make sure everything was in order, and then turned back to the small group.

"I wish you the best of luck, truly. As much as I..." he glanced down at his claws as he brought them out and then retracted them again "...enjoy punishing the foolish, it's exciting when you humans succeed every once in a while. I only hope I haven't become overly merciful over the years with my questioning."

He raised his head with regal poise, booming out in a level tone:

"I'm the part of the bird that's not in the sky. I can swim in the ocean and yet remain dry. What am I?"

The sphinx paused, then bowed his head.

"You have five minutes."

Well, bugger. As he had predicted, he really wasn't going to be of any help. Still, it wouldn't do him any good to just sit around berating himself for being such an idiot. He stared off into the middle distance, repeating the words in his head, trying to make some sense of it.

The part of the bird....? Citan pursed his lips and thought. If they answered wrongly, he was certain they'd have a great deal of trouble on their hands.

Arguably, ever piece of the bird was in the sky. One could claim the parts inside of the bird weren't in the sky, but that left the second part. Swim in the ocean and remain dry....

Birds didn't often swim in the ocean. There were sea birds that dove for fish, but they certainly got wet. Though riddles were rarely literal, were they? Picture a bird.... A bird flying in the sky, beak, head, body, wings, feet, tail, shadow moving on the ground below....

Perhaps he'd stumbled on something.

"Armand?" he asked, as TK didn't seem to offer anything up. "I think perhaps... what do you make of it?"

Turning to face his companions more than the sphinx because he was horribly afraid of being mistaken for answering, Armand dropped his chin to his chest while he thought. He could see birds in his head, birds flying all over in Paris. On the roofs, in the fountains... but every part of a bird he could think of got wet when it swam.

Eventually, he bit his lip and sighed. "I defer to your judgement, Citan. I could figure it out eventually, I'm certain, but not so quickly." Not when he was too scared to think very clearly. "If you have any idea, tis best you answer for us."

And it had been a long, emotional and exhausting day.

"Have you come to a decision?" The sphinx rumbled, tail swishing back and forth behind him. He narrowed his eyes at the humans. "You have three minutes left, so use them wisely."

TK still didn't have the faintest idea about what the others might be thinking of. He tried to think about it differently, visualize some sort of flying creature over water. It wasn't all that easy, since he'd never had any reason to pay attention to birds before. But trying to think about the details just made his thought process wander off and get lost. This never used to happen. Ever.

This whole business with riddles felt a lot like trying to figure out where sniper fire was coming from. Figure it out fast, or the results wouldn't be pretty. His thoughts went off on another, almost related tangent, trying to focus things back on trying to think about the situation in the riddle. But his mind just started listing off the aspects of camouflage he'd been taught to remember, especially useful for dealing with snipers. Movement, sound, silhouette, shine, shape, and...

...Shadow. It only just barely seemed to fit the answer, but it was a possibility. He turned to the others, even though he disliked the idea of turning away from the sphinx. "Shadow?" he spoke quietly, hoping the creature wouldn't take the first, probably wrong idea as their answer.

Citan nodded when TK spoke.

"That was my guess, as well. I can't think of anything else it could possibly be." Though it was ridiculous, as a shadow wasn't a part of the bird. And birds didn't cast shadows all of the time. And depending on the angle of the sun, or how high the bird was and how low the clouds were...

But it was a riddle, and they were hardly logical.

"Then it's decided," he went on, and turned to the creature.

"We have our answer. The part of the bird which is not in the sky," - (assuming that the bird was flying without cloud cover, when there was a sun, and when the sun was at an angle that wouldn't throw a shadow to the side, his mind added) - "is its shadow."

Armand held his breath, hoping that they had it. It made sense to him, with the birds in his mind. The shadow wasn't technically part of the bird, but... yes. These were intelligent men, and it was likely the answer he'd have tried eventually. Eventually.

He watched the sphinx anxiously for the verdict, ready to hide behind the others at least long enough to draw his knife if it should spring at them.

The sphinx paused, as if considering, and then gave a smile more genuine than the ones before it.

"Very good, humans. Your kind has gotten wiser... or perhaps I have gotten softer."

The creature turned its head and reached backwards with a foreleg, as if grabbing something from underneath his sizeable bulk. Once he finished, he outstretched his paw and presented to the humans their prize: A miniature shield made of silver and engraved with unknown markings.

"This is the Coliseum Shield," the sphinx said, tone somber. "I have handed out many versions of it in my long days, but I have yet to hear of a man, woman, or child for whom it has brought nothing but misery."

As if foreseeing hesitant looks from the humans, he sighed. "No, there is nothing evil about the artifact itself, but where it will take you is certainly a place of death and despair. I warn you now, humans, that I can give you directions, but their destination is not for the faint of will and heart.

"In the ballroom, you might have noticed a door to the south--one of such intricacy that it either repulses or entices all who see it. That is the door to the Coliseum, and should you find the partner to this artifact in the east end of this basement, you will find yourself able to enter so long as you are willing to make a sacrifice. Should you survive the trials within, from which many venture but few return... You will be able to proceed further into the bowels of this heinous Institute."

The sphinx bowed his head and then laid down on his haunches again, his paw still outstretched.

"That is all that I can tell you. I wish you luck."

He closed his eyes and went still.

Nightshift 29- The Sphinx's Chamber, Basement

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