by Travis Bughi
The building looked very much like the mansion she had seen when she’d first come to Savara. It was tall, three stories high, with a sloped roof hunkering over a boxy foundation. There were an extravagant number of windows on all sides and on every floor, suggesting the large crowd of patrons it could hold. The windows were nothing but openings, now, with their wooden shutters long decayed, destroyed, or stolen, leaving the ancient meeting place open to Savara’s harsh elements.
As she stood outside the iron gate, Emily’s jaw gaped at the fading elegance of Kings’ Hearth. She could imagine a brigade of ancient lords and kings striding through it with their entourage and servants in tow. It would have been a sight to see—such a concentration of power. The fate of kingdoms, hundreds to thousands of people, being decided by only a few.
At least, that’s how she imagined it to be.
“By Valhalla,” Koll breathed in deeply, “look at this place! Ah! I can almost smell the fight starting.”
Takeo gave a faint nod of acknowledgement as he stared at the ruins, his eyes scanning the compound with hardly a blink. The silence was encompassing, almost as if the ancient stones understood their role in what was about to occur and had blocked out the existence of an outside world. Once again, Kings’ Hearth would be the meeting place of opposing forces. Blood would be shed, a victor would be chosen, and the entire event would be lost to the winds of time. Emily briefly wondered if any of the ancient lords had clashed here. The thought of it sent a chill up her spine.
“Well then,” Emily said, “are we ready?”
Takeo nodded, and Koll gestured with an extended arm.
“After you, lass,” the viking said. “We’ll watch for the trap.”
“Nice and slow,” Takeo added.
Emily was tense enough as it was. Her apprehension had been subtly building ever since she’d sworn to act as trap-bait. Now here she was, and she felt no more prepared than she had outside Phoenix Temple. She felt her muscles begin to clench and so sought comfort from the pesh-kabz at her waist. The slap of stiff metal against her thigh gave her the confidence to stifle the fear, and she regained control of her mind and body. She capitalized on the feeling by blowing a few strands of hair out of her mouth, and she thought of how glad she was to have cut it short again. Its length was much more acceptable now, only halfway down her neck, and as this acknowledgement slipped through her mind, she smiled at the funny way her thoughts drifted during important tasks.
Focus now, she thought.
She rolled her shoulders to loosen her limbs, readying them in her mind for a quick reaction. She focused her ears, knowing the faintest click would be her only saving grace. She blinked several times and then opened her eyes, scanning in all directions for anything that appeared out of place. There was a trap out there somewhere, and Emily was determined to find it before it found her.
It would be a difficult task. She wasn’t sure what to look for. Everything around her these days seemed strange and unnatural. Despite weeks in Savara, traveling hard across its wide, open spaces, she found even the most mundane things vastly interesting. The way the iron gate was adorned with phoenixes at its tips, the way the torch sconces were crafted into the wall, the cobbled steps that had been laid in varying sizes to create a pattern—all of it fascinated her. She was nothing if not curious, and even in a land she had no reason to love, the urge to discover thrived. It was frustrating, really, because in this moment, curiosity was her greatest enemy.
Focus, she commanded herself.
Emily took her first step forward and crept toward the iron gate. She inspected it, seeing how it had twisted to either side to create a gap for her to slip through. She took a deep breath and passed between the gates, avoiding the metal so her movements would not disturb the elderly hinges. Behind her, keeping only five paces away, Takeo mimicked her every move. He did not unsheathe his scimitar and, instead, held his hands out and forward toward Emily. She received the impression that if she fell, he would catch her, and she was surprised to find this idea comforting.
Without warning, the iron gate let loose a horrendous screech, loud as a thunderbird, that made Emily’s every hair stand on end. Emily and Takeo both drew weapons and whirled around.
They saw Koll swearing loudly and kicking the iron gate off his body. The viking had tried to squeeze through the opening as well, but his broad chest had knocked both panels loose, and now puffs of red rust were swirling in the air while the iron gates screeched and howled as they danced on Koll’s body. The viking swore and cursed as he grabbed the iron bars of the gates and hurled them, sending layers of rust into the air. They crashed to the ground a few paces away from him, ending their symphony with a thunderous clang.
“Damned gates,” Koll shouted. “What good would those do anyway?”
Koll ran a hand through his thick hair and scratched the back of his neck. Takeo sighed and relaxed, while Emily let her knife drop and rolled her eyes. She could feel her chest pounding like a drum, and her ears burned from the rush of blood. Her hands were sweating and shaking, and she gave Koll’s back a disapproving frown as he surveyed the gates that had attacked him.
“Worthless things,” Koll shook his head.
Emily turned back to Kings’ Hearth. However, when she did so, she found her view blocked. Instead of looking at a grand inn some twenty paces away, she was staring straight into the furry chest of a large, four-legged creature no more than two steps away.
Emily screamed and reeled back, crashing into Takeo and sending them both stumbling. Koll whirled around and gasped, his hands seizing up for a fight. Takeo caught his footing and spun, too, his dark eyes popping open and his mouth dropping in shock.
Emily caught herself before she fell, holding Takeo until she could stand on her own two feet beside him. Her eyes were wide, and she held her pesh-kabz up again. Not that it would do much; this thing was bigger than Koll. Emily took in the sight of the beast that had appeared from nowhere.
“Sphinx,” Takeo whispered to her.
The sphinx had a human face but a creature’s body. It was supported by four legs and was sitting back on two of them now. Its short-furred body was a deep yellow, almost brown in color, and its paws were like massive versions of Jabbar’s, padded at the bottom with sharp claws sticking out. A set of feathered wings, like those of a pegasus, were folded up along either side of its body. The sphinx’s tail swished across the cobbled steps, darting back and forth like Jabbar’s had, with a mind of its own.
But what caught Emily’s eye was the face. The sphinx had a distinctly human, distinctly female, face—neither ugly nor beautiful. She smiled at them, and her long, brown, human hair flowed down and around her face. The sphinx’s brown eyes blinked and watched her, showing no hint of fear, and her smile was a mixture of welcome, taunting, and hunger. Emily resisted a strong urge to run.
“Hello,” the sphinx said.
Emily’s heart jumped at the deep, yet honeyed, voice of the sphinx. She had not anticipated it could speak, not even after seeing its human face. She moved to step back but stopped at the pressure of Takeo’s hand against her back.
“Don’t,” he whispered. “If you run, she’ll see you as prey.”
The sphinx smiled deeper at that and flicked her eyes from Emily and Takeo to Koll. The viking held his ground, too, crouching down with hands out as if ready to charge. With his teeth clenched and hair flaring over his face, he seemed more barbarian than viking.
Focusing on Koll, the sphinx said, “What has an end but no beginning, lids but no eyes, and a love unrequited?”
For such deepness, her voice was surprisingly soft. Emily thought it sounded like a fragile maiden singing a sad song. Her ears found it comforting, but her mind told her that it was terrifying. She tightened her grip on the pesh-kabz.
“I say we go on three, Samurai,” Koll said through clenched teeth. “I’ll hold her, you and Emily slay her.”
“Wait, don’t,” Takeo replied.
The sphinx’s smiling lips twitched as Koll ignored her, but she made no other movements. Her eyes left the viking and fell onto Emily.
“What has an end but no beginning, lids but no eyes, and a love unrequited?”
Emily’s heart pounded, and her open mouth quivered. It took her a couple of moments to realize the sphinx was asking a question.
“We don’t rotten—” Koll started.
“Don’t answer!” Takeo cut him off. “Don’t answer!”
Koll’s mouth clenched tightly, and he glared at Takeo. The sphinx waited patiently, her tail flicking more quickly than before. From her paws, the tips of thick claws began to emerge.
“We’ll only get one chance to answer,” Takeo said. “There’s no time to explain, just try to answer correctly. Think! Everyone think! What has an end but no beginning, lids but no eyes, and a love unrequited?”
The sphinx yawned and her eyes fluttered, and Emily felt her arms begin to tire from holding so much tension.
“Answer a question? Come on, Takeo!” Koll snarled. “Let’s kill this beast and be done with it!”
“Have you forgotten we have a rakshasa to fight?” Takeo shouted back. “This is a sphinx. She’ll kill at least one of us for sure. Just try to figure out the answer!”
Koll cursed loudly. Takeo turned back, scimitar still held out, pointed at the sphinx. Emily’s mind began to wander to the question. She heard it again and began to repeat in her mind.
An end but no beginning, lids but no eyes, and a love unrequited?
There was something oddly familiar about the riddle. Emily’s mind worked with fluid urgency, so much so that she began to doubt what her mind was telling her. Did she really know this answer? Her mind said yes.
The sphinx grew tired of staring at Takeo and let her eyes fall on Emily again. Her tail continued to sweep the cobbled steps, and her brown eyes looked deeply into the green of Emily’s.
“What has an end but no beginning, lids but no eyes, and a love unrequited?”
Emily met the sphinx’s gaze and kept her dagger steady.
“What happens if we answer?” Emily asked the creature in response.
“You may pass unharmed,” the sphinx replied.
Koll swore again and bashed his head into his palms. He reached out to Takeo and shouted in frustration.
“By Valhalla, Samurai! We don’t have time for this! Takeo, come on! We can take her.”
“Not without unnecessary risk,” Takeo argued. “If it comes to that, I promise you we will fight, but we should at least try and pass. Now, tell me, do you know the answer or not?”
“Bah!” the viking replied. “Do I look like the riddle type? Huh? I ain’t got a rotten idea! Do you?”
“I’m thinking,” Takeo replied.
The sphinx’s tail swished faster and sharper. She lowered her head, and her pupils began to dilate. Emily felt their time was drawing to a close but was not frightened. While Takeo and Koll had been arguing, she’d been busy thinking. Her mind was decided, and confidence rushed through her hot veins like melted snow.
“I know the answer,” Emily replied, sheathing her knife. “It’s an angel.”
Takeo and Koll froze in place and turned to her, their mouths agape.
“What?” Koll stammered.
Emily never took her eyes off the sphinx, a gaze the sphinx returned with equal interest. It narrowed a single eye and lowered one side of it smiling lips.
“Angels are not born and therefore have no beginning,” Emily explained, “but they can die and so therefore have an end. They have eyelids, but no eyes. Nothing but pure light shines from their sockets. As for a love unrequited? Nothing loves as deeply as an angel does, and therefore nothing can fully return their love. The answer to the riddle is an angel.”
Takeo’s face and stance softened, Koll’s mouth dropped open even further, and the sphinx’s eyes slipped into a lazy gaze.
“You may pass,” she bowed.
The sphinx got up and sauntered off, lazily shifting back and forth on her haunches. Her padded feet hardly made a sound in the shifting sands, and she showed not a single concern that her back was turned toward the three humans. When the sphinx neared the only home that stood erect, she leapt into the air, spread her wings, and flew onto the roof. She hid on the back side of it, curling up into a large ball and laying her head down into her mighty paws. A moment later, her side rose and fell deeply, but she did not snore.
Emily felt a rush of relief sweep through her body.
“I don’t believe it! Ah ha! Well done!” Koll laughed, wiping his palms on his broad chest. “That was close. I hadn’t a rotten clue! Damn fine going there!”
Koll came forward and clapped a large hand on her shoulder. She stumbled under the blow but gave him a faint grin.
“Thank you,” Emily said.
Koll laughed until his eyes fell on the sphinx and noticed her head shift at the noise he made. He scowled at the sphinx and watched her nestle back in again.
“So what was that about?” Koll asked.
“The sphinx is guarding this place,” Takeo replied. “Someone must be paying her to, because if it had been her home, she’d likely just have attacked us. The question must be to screen intruders.”
“So, she’s like a gargoyle,” Emily nodded in understanding.
“Yes,” Takeo nodded, “and her presence indicates one of two things: either the merchant paid that sphinx quite a sum to stay here for so long or, more likely, someone else is already here.”
Koll took his hand off Emily’s shoulder and turned to face Takeo. Then, he grinned.
“This just keeps getting better,” Koll chuckled. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go say hello.”
Takeo looked to Emily, and she gave a shrug. What other choice did they have? She took the lead, and Takeo followed.
“There still might be a trap,” she said.
“How do you know the sphinx wasn’t the trap?” he asked in reply.
“Just stay behind me.”
Takeo nodded and walked behind her with Koll behind him. Emily took out her knife when she reached the doorway and took a deep breath.
Chapter 26
There was no door to open. There had likely been one once, but that time had long passed. The threshold into Kings’ Hearth was nothing more than a cavernous opening created by thick stone almost twice as wide as Emily’s foot. It seemed very fitting for the place. She imagined such an entrance would be required for the regal company entering long ago.
Nothing but darkness greeted them now, though. The sun was gone, leaving only a faint hue of red across the skies. Takeo took out a torch, something he’d been saving for this precise moment, and lit it with his flint and steel. He passed it to Emily, and she held it out, letting its dancing glow light the path ahead. It wasn’t a large torch—Emily doubted it would last more than an hour—but they had to find a place inside to ambush Jabbar. If they could not, then they would be forced to challenge him in the open, a prospect that favored the rakshasa and Kshatriya too much for the trio’s liking.
Once they passed the threshold, the torchlight flooded the first room with orange-yellow light, revealing a lobby designed to admit and direct the inn’s guests. A broad, stone counter sectioned off one corner, and each of the other three walls had a doorway leading to another area of the inn. Thick layers of dust covered every surface and marred the walls. The air, however, was quite fresh and surprisingly cool. The wind howled through the hallways and whipped the torchlight into a flickering frenzy.
“Which way?” Emily whispered, unsure of why she did so.
“I don’t know,” Takeo admitted. “The side doors should lead to the rooms, and forward should lead to a large communal room, I’d imagine.”
“You really think someone is here?”
“It’s a possibility.”
Koll cleared his throat and stepped to Takeo’s side, “If someone is here, I want to know before Jabbar shows up.”
“I ain’t stupid, Samurai,” Koll glared, “but we’re also short on time. That sphinx changes things. It might be best if we split up and search this place quick rather than leave it up to fate.”
Emily’s ears perked at that. She didn’t like the idea of splitting up.
“What about the trap?” Emily asked.
“I’m willing to take my chances,” Koll answered. “We might have bigger problems, and this place is too damn big for us to stay together. If we’re going to have any chance at defeating Jabbar, we need to be quick about our business before he gets here.”
Emily didn’t argue; there was too much truth to that statement. Takeo’s eyes shifted about the room as if hoping to see something new, though it was hard to imagine that could be possible. There wasn’t much in the lobby that wasn’t exposed.
“I guess you’re right,” Takeo sighed. “It’ll take all night to check this place out one room at a time.”
“You’re damn right I’m right. Now, you go left,” Koll commanded. “I’ll go right. The moonlight should come through the windows enough for us to see the halls. As for you, Emily, keep that torch and go forward. We’ll meet back here.”
Takeo nodded, as did Emily, and the two men split off in their assigned directions.
Emily took a breath in the quietness that followed and looked ahead. Her eyes were still scanning, her ears were fully perked—all her senses focused on searching for the unexpected. The path ahead was dark and led toward the center of the inn. She placed her feet carefully as she moved beyond the lobby and into a grand circular living room. It was just as tall as the inn and quite large with countless shelves stacked on every wall that, Emily imagined, had at one time been filled with a variety of books, scrolls, pictures, and artifacts. There likely had been furniture, tables, chairs, plants, decorations, and rugs in the room, too, but they had long since been plundered. The room was barren now, completely gutted. Only a slight indentation in the center of the room was left, and judging by the hole in the center of the roof, Emily guessed it to be a fire pit.
