by Anne B. Cole
When no god appeared he yelled, “Zeus, snap out of Aphrodite’s trance and show yourself.”
The skies erupted into hues of magenta and fuchsia. Waves of vibrant color soared through the woods and collected beside a massive sycamore tree. Zeus, cloaked in hot pink robes, appeared within the rosy mist and handed Sam a scroll.
Sam bowed to the god in order to hide the snicker escaping his lips.
“Amused?” Zeus scowled. “Many bet you will not pass the first trial, let alone all three.”
“Send Aphrodite my regards. Hera too, for they are more powerful than I ever imagined goddesses to be.” Sam couldn’t hide his grin. “Pink suits you much better than green.”
Zeus growled with the realization of his latest wardrobe color change.
“Pray you will not fall victim to the wits of the Sphinx for she is a most cunning creature, very much like my wife and Aphrodite.” Zeus leaned close.
Sam swore he smelled rose perfume.
“I have you succeeding into the second trial, so don’t disappoint me, mortal.” The great god straightened and handed Sam a bubblegum colored scroll. “This is the first of three trials. You will remain in a spiritual state, but limited to the abilities and strength of your mortal body. You will feel pain as you would when you were alive. Good luck, mortal. You’re going to need it.”
With a snap of his fingers, nails painted pink, Zeus disappeared.
Sam unfastened the scroll and found but four words.
“Beware of the Sphinx.”
Chapter 41
Riddles
Sam
Straight-line winds blew Sam off the island. Darkness engulfed him and icy currents swept him into the heavens. Unknown forces pressed against his body, whipping him into somersaults of aimless direction. Frozen mist adhered to him. He tucked his knees to his chest to contain traces of remaining heat. Within seconds he realized his mistake. Entrapped in a ball of ice, he felt the winds cease.
Everything paused for a moment before his rapid descent began.
Free falling at a tremendous rate, warm air rushed around him. With the increased speed, ice began to melt. He burst through the remains of his frozen bondage and spread his arms wide to slow acceleration. Puffy white clouds swirled, blocking the view of an inevitable landing.
Please let there be water.
Sam wondered if he could be injured by the fall prior to encountering the Sphinx. Thoughts of meeting the ferocious creature raced through his mind.
I thought Sphinx was in Egyptian mythology. Damn, I knew I should have paid better attention during Greek mythology classes two years ago.
He squeezed his eyes shut and concentrated on retrieving any previous knowledge.
The Greek Sphinx is a half lion, half woman creature who guards entrances. Allows passage upon completion of riddles.
Roaring laughter swirled among the misty clouds he sliced through. “Correct, you are.”
Sam lurched in surprise, tucking and twisting to seek the source. A blip of golden fur swept past his tumbling body. Warmth and a sense of peacefulness followed.
“What falls, but doesn’t break? What breaks, but doesn’t fall?” The question sang through Sam’s head. Sensual purring lowered into a growl when he didn’t respond. “Answer my riddle, mortal and I will not feast on your remnants after impact.”
Falls, but doesn’t break? Breaks, but doesn’t fall?
Sam peered below to see how much time he had before he reached his destiny, or doom.
Nothing except clouds met his gaze.
Time, I need to stall for time.
“Show yourself, most beautiful Sphinx, so my eyes may fall on your loveliness before I succumb to a certain, most painful demise.”
Silky fur slid under his flailing body. He burrowed his face into a deliciously fragrant, feminine softness. Wrapping his arms around the fur, he dug his fingers into soft flesh. His plummet leveled and soared through the clouds.
“Ah, trying to seduce me?” Wings flapped, slowing the velocity of their flight.
Unable to see her face, his grip tightened to keep from sliding over her slippery fur.
The Sphinx shivered in response.
“You’re a brave soul and one I wish to keep for a moment or two.” She tossed her head when they landed on what seemed to be mossy ground. “Pleasuring me is a delightful interlude.” She shrugged and rolled to her side, revealing an exquisite human face with lush golden hair. His gaze fell to her neck, and lowered to his hands which clutched spectacular breasts.
Sam relaxed his hold on her impressive bosom and averted his eyes, unsure of her desire or the consequences of his unintentional fondling. “My humblest apologies.” He remembered Ruby’s words, “Always be a gentleman,” and jerked his hands away from the voluptuous mounds.
The Sphinx rolled in fallen leaves and twitched her serpent headed tail into the air before resting her chin on huge pads tipped in sharp claws.
Sam forced himself to relax his stance. Keeping his head bowed, he knelt in front of the massive beast. “Great Sphinx, I await your test of knowledge.”
“Rise,” she commanded.
Sam obeyed on trembling knees. The Sphinx cackled and sat back on her haunches. In this position, she towered over him by at least two feet. Golden fur covered her lioness body except for her human head and chest. She stretched her wings and began beating them. The resulting blast of wind knocked him on his back and levitated her in one swift motion.
“Rise,” she repeated.
He scrambled to his feet only to get his legs whipped out from under him by her serpent tail. Cocking a single beautiful brow, Sphinx landed gracefully beside him and smacked a paw on her naughty tail. Serpent narrowed its eyes at both Sam and its owner.
Sphinx tilted her human head, flicking locks of flaxen hair against Sam’s cheeks. Standing on all fours, she lowered to his level, and encircled him in a silent, stealthy inspection of his soul. Appearing unimpressed, she returned to her prior seated position and curled her tail around her front paws. The serpent head hissed at Sam.
Sphinx rolled her eyes and swatted her tail into obedience. “Answer my riddle, mortal man, or meet your death.” She ended with a ground trembling roar.
Fear of losing the very first challenge rippled through him. He froze when her thoughts began seeping into his mind.
Pathetic boy, failure at the first riddle.
A tasty morsel he will make.
Courageous soul, yet simple minded and unable to grasp such obvious answers.
Sinister thoughts raced through her mind into his. She laughed inwardly and extended one razor sharp claw at a time above his head.
“Your answers, mortal?” Sphinx demanded.
Thank you, gift of foresight.
“I will spend night and day honoring your beloved presence.” Keeping a keen eye on the serpent tail, Sam knelt before her and kissed both front paws.
A hiss escaped her crimson lips as her claws retracted. She leapt on all fours and bent her massive head to him, baring fanged teeth.
He took several deep breaths. Once composed, he lifted his face to hers.
“Night falls and day breaks on your eloquence.” Despite their difference in size, Sam stood his ground. “Did I pass your riddle?”
The Sphinx snorted and circled Sam. Her serpent tail laughed as it twitched behind the huntress.
“Which creature has one voice and yet becomes four footed and two footed and three footed?” She halted and tilted her head to Sam’s.
“Man crawls on all fours as a baby, walks on two feet as an adult, and uses a walking stick in old age,” he answered the famous riddle with ease. “Do you approve my answer?”
Snake tail hissed.
Sphinx purred,
“Follow me.” She gestured her human head to a narrow path leading into the depths of a thick wood.
Sam hesitated.
Snake tail curled around his shoulders, sending his feet into swift motion. He followed her in silence with the serpent prodding him forward.
They entered a clearing. When they reached the center of a grassy field, the Sphinx sat on her haunches. She stretched her wings and began beating them rhythmically. An overwhelming sense of calmness weaved through Sam. The grasses swayed in hypnotic motion. He fell on his back.
“You prove to be a cunning human.” Sphinx bore yellow eyes into his. “Gifted? With foresight? Ah, for your trickery you must answer two additional riddles to earn passage. Stand, human.”
Unable to snap out of her trance, Sam obeyed and scrambled to his feet.
“Two scrolls will reveal the final riddles. My friends will prevent further trickery.” Sphinx flicked a single claw into the air. Serpent tail twitched in delight, shifting its slit eyes from side to side.
Darkness seeped from between the canopy of trees and descended on them. Thousands of screeching bats whipped past Sam, grazing his skin with their webbed wings.
“Surround the mortal with your incessant, mindless chatter!” Sphinx roared to the bats. “Remove his ability to penetrate the thoughts of others.”
High-pitched screeching swirled around him in a cyclonic frenzy. Within the center of the tornadic bat zone, his ability to concentrate drained away. Overpowered by the noise, Sam crumpled to the ground as his gift of foresight left his soul.
Chapter 42
Trickery
Sam
“Rise.” Sphinx paced the ground next to Sam.
Depleted of all energy, he remained with his cheek pressed against soft grasses. Faint squeaks trailed off with the departure of the last pair of fluttering wings.
Can’t move.
What happened?
Tingling sensations pierced his extremities, as if his limbs had fallen asleep and were waking up.
I’m dead. But I need to do something, something important.
He tried in vain to piece coherent thoughts together in his mind.
Who am I?
Where am I?
He lifted his head and met the gaze of two golden eyes within the face of a beautiful woman. Her chin rested on luxurious, fur covered . . . paws?
“Beautiful Sphinx, I’m at your humble service.” A familiar male voice sounded from behind Sam. “The mortal needs a moment to regain his simple thoughts and focus on the tasks before him.”
Irked by the comment, Sam attempted to lift himself off the ground and see who belittled him. When he rose on his hands and knees, a thick tail smacked him in the face, knocking him back to the grass.
“Who graces my presence?” Sphinx purred.
Sam recoiled when the serpent head at the end of the tail rolled its swirling eyes until only the whites appeared. Its forked tongue fell limp from its fanged mouth.
“The answer is in your riddle,” the man added.
As the figure walked by, a mental thought flowed into Sam’s mind. Stay low. I’m providing you a moment to recover and gather your thoughts. Prepare to answer her riddle.
Memories rushed into Sam’s head.
Riddles. Sphinx. Three Trials.
Serpent head narrowed unfocused eyes on him and shuddered.
Sam gently touched the serpent with his fingertips. “By smacking me with her tail, Sphinx jarred my thoughts back and knocked you senseless. Rest, my viper friend. I intend you no harm.”
A low growl drew Sam’s attention upward to Sphinx and the stranger who had his back to him. The man lowered his hooded cape and knelt on one knee.
“I’m here to present the next riddle.” He withdrew a golden scroll from the folds of his robes and held it over his head.
Sam leaned to the right to get a side view of his face. Curly light brown hair fell to his shoulders, framing a chiseled jawline.
Sphinx tossed her golden tresses to the side before blocking Sam’s sight with a single massive paw.
“You have retrieved the correct riddle.” Sphinx prowled around the man with narrowed eyes. “Tell me, who sent you?”
“I’m afraid I’m unable to answer, for I only know how I’ve come to you, not who sent me.” Keeping his back to Sam, the male’s gaze never left the Sphinx. “The mortal must answer your riddle.”
Sam listened to the exchange and guessed the man to be in his late twenties by his stature and the sound of his voice.
“I understand your need to be present, but heed to my warning. No trickery will be involved in the mortal’s answers to my final two riddles.” Sphinx crouched to his level with a fierce growl.
“As you wish, most beautiful one.” The man replaced his hood. With his face concealed, he walked to Sam. Without raising his bowed head, he lifted each of his fingers from the scroll. All ten spread around the sparkling parchment without touching. Levitating between his hands, the scroll drifted to Sam.
With apprehension, Sam plucked it from the air and bowed to the Sphinx.
“Read and answer my riddle,” Sphinx commanded.
Sam broke a wax seal and unfurled the parchment. He scanned the words and shuffled his feet, trying to hide his confusion.
“You’re testing my patience. A correct answer is needed within five minutes or you’ll become a delightful snack. Time begins, now.” Sphinx tilted her head with hungry eyes.
Holding the scroll with two hands, Sam cleared his throat. “Brothers and sisters, I have none, but this man’s father is my father’s son. Who is this man?” He felt Sphinx’s satisfactory stare without peering from the beautiful calligraphy.
“I have no sisters, only a brother. We’re both dead. Justin’s spirit helped me rescue Gretta from a serial killer last summer. A hint about this riddle would be much appreciated.” Sam glanced around the field.
No spirits revealed themselves.
No whispers in the breeze.
Sphinx strutted through the grasses, then crouched low as if preparing to pounce.
Sam sighed. “Justin had no children I’m aware of.” He began pacing in deep thought. “Perhaps the riddle has nothing to do with my family.” He knew his chances of answering correctly were becoming slim.
The young man folded his arms in front of him and tilted his chin away from the Sphinx’s frolicking. ‘Father,’ he mouthed.
Unable to see eyes from beneath the hood, Sam wondered if the single word was intended to help him or spoken in mockery.
“This man’s father is my father’s son. My father’s son would be my brother, Justin,” Sam mused.
Sphinx rolled on her stomach and plucked a brown maple leaf from her hair. “Correct, but you didn’t answer the riddle, ‘Who is this man?’ Three minutes, mortal.” She extended ten claws into the air with a throaty snarl.
Sam tore his gaze from her to the young man.
‘Father,’ he mouthed a second time.
Sam reread the riddle, “Brothers and sisters, I have none—”
“Two minutes.” Sphinx whipped her serpent tail back to life. It hissed at her before striking at the stranger’s head. A single fang caught the hood and yanked it from its place.
“Release the cloak,” Sphinx roared at her serpent tail. It obeyed, but not before the man’s blue jean eyes pierced Sam’s.
With his back to the Sphinx, the man mouthed the word, ‘Father’ and replaced the hood over his eyes.
“One minute, mortal. Answer my riddle,” Sphinx roared.
Sam’s mind pieced together the eyes, the curly hair, his familiar voice, and the repeated word. The answer struck him in the heart harder than he thought possible.
The only logical answer would
be time travel.
“Five, four, three, two—”
Sam held a hand up, halting Sphinx’s countdown. He gently touched the left shoulder of the stranger. Confidence filled him.
“This man’s father, is my father’s son. I am my father’s son. This man is my son.” Sam watched a familiar grin spread across the partially hidden face. He pulled the man into a fierce embrace as the Sphinx roared her disapproval.
“You raised us well, Father. Good luck with the final riddle.” He shook Sam’s hand and whispered, “Nothing will give you what you need.” Without awaiting a response, he disappeared into a fine mist and drifted into the trees.
The euphoria of meeting his future son spurred strength within Sam. He straightened his shoulders and awaited his final riddle.
The Sphinx slunk in stealthy circles. Serpent tail whipped from side to side, spitting its venom in every direction.
“I am ready to present your last riddle. There will be no time for tricks, hints, or thought.” Sphinx tossed her head to the left.
Sam followed her gaze to a brilliant platinum scroll flying in his direction. They watched it pause in front of him in a dazzling display of white sparkle.
“After reading the riddle, whether out loud or in your feeble mind, you must give an immediate response. Answer incorrectly or hesitate, and I will eat you. If you answer correctly, you will be granted passage to face the Manticore.” Golden fur rippled with laughter. “Unpleasant either way.”
Sam chuckled with her in an attempt to stall for time. Even the serpent tail hissed along.
Silence fell. The scroll cracked its own seal and opened before their eyes.
Chapter 43
One Thousand to One
