"Look out!" A blue eyed man called out. A black haired girl whipped her head up in time to jump away from a giant scorpion tail that crashed into the desert sand where she stood before.
"Luna!" called a purple exceed worriedly and flew over to the woman in a rush.
"Heat seeker!" The boy cried. Small flashes of light zipped from a bright orange magic circle to the scorpion in the sand, crashing into its shell and exploding against the overgrown creature. As the black shelled creature was sent flying further back, the boy ran to the girl's side.
"Red's gonna kill me, are you alright Luna?" The boy asked worriedly.
"I'm fine, just worry about the scorpion!" Luna ordered, petting her exceed Kiara. Her blue eye flared as her bangs swayed out of the way to reveal her left eye to be a poisonous violet. The brown haired boy suddenly heard an inhuman squeal and looked quickly behind him.
Just as he did, a massive whirlwind leapt up from the sand and swallowed the scorpion, hiding it from sight.
"Amber, now!" shouted a bald woman. Strings glinted in the desert sun, passing into the storm easily. The strings tightened around something and the scorpion screeched, before suddenly you could hear nothing but the roar of the wind. But just as suddenly as the storm had come, it was gone, leaving the scorpion buried beneath the sand.
"All this just to get to a sphinx." A boy with a spiky coif groaned, cracking his neck as he was set down by a purple, blue eyed exceed.
"Look at it this way, Nahliel, at least you're not bored!" A tall, brown eyed man laughed and Nahliel shoved him with his shoulder.
"Try saying that when you don't have glass to work for you, Clayton." Nahliel growled back. Then he turned his attention to the brunette helping the Wolf Slayer up. "Hey, James, how's the newbie doing?" He called.
"She's not that badly hurt, she'll be fine." He called back. Nahliel grumbled in boredom before he glanced at the bald woman and smirked.
"Hey, Beronira, why did you cut all your hair off again? I seem to keep forgetting why you choose to look so stupid." He called. She glared at him.
"I don't know, why, want me to cut off yours?" She retorted and he shielded his hair.
"No! Not my do!" He cried. His exceed, Sophie, glared angrily at the woman.
"Then stop asking." The weather mage growled. A blonde woman in a white, frilled Victorian dress grasped Beronira's shoulder.
"Just ignore him, you know how he is. I think you look good." She said, her smile reaching her light blue irises. Beronira smiled back at her and nodded a thanks.
Luna glanced at everyone before gesturing behind her.
"Well, are we going? I know that sphinx is never going anywhere, but our client is kinda desperate." She said.
"Oh, uh… y-yeah, let's go." Amber replied as Clayton started moving up a rocky path. Everyone followed soon after.
"Are you sure we can handle this? You know that sphinx's speak in riddles. If we answer incorrectly, we'll never get this job done." Beronira stated.
"I know. It'll be fine, though. When we find the sphinx, we'll work together to figure out the riddle." Clayton said, a sure smile on his face.
"But to work together, you must first be one with each other." A sort of hissing voice replied to them. The group snapped their heads up at the mountains rocks where the voice had come from.
There loomed a creature with a lion's body and the face of a beautiful woman with long, curly black hair sitting on the red rocks, baking beneath the desert sun. Her snake like eyes flit to each member of the group, analyzing them each carefully. "And to be one with each other, you must first be split apart." She continued, then leapt down to stand in the group's path, sitting on her haunches, waiting patiently.
Clayton cleared his throat. "There is a genie, in this desert, who has been creating illusions of Oasis' and leading travelers off their path. We were hoping you'd tell us where to find him." Clayton explained. The Sphinx locked her slit eyes with his and suddenly he felt a cold shiver run down his spine. She continued to stare at him, scrutinizing him for her own purposes.
"Answer my riddles and I shall answer yours. What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three in the evening?" She demanded.
"Man." Luna stated simply. She remembered reading stories with sphinx's when she was young. In almost every one, the sphinx used this riddle the most. The sphinx shifted her gaze to the black haired girl.
"Yes, indeed. The spirit you seek will not be found in this mountain, but in a hole in the ground, where his shrine once resided." She answered.
"How can we find this shrine?" Beronira asked and the sphinx eyed her next.
"Voiceless it cries, wingless flutters, toothless bites, mouthless mutters."
"The wind." Beronira answered. She knew a lot about wind and storms in general because of her magic. Thus the riddle was not difficult for her.
"Follow the breeze east of this place and his illusions shall not lead you astray, but beware when it stops, for then all you can do is pray." The sphinx spoke steadily, her tail swishing in the soil.
"Is… is there any way to counteract the illusions other than wind?" James asked nervously. The sphinx whipped her gaze to his sharply.
"This thing all things devours: Birds, beasts, trees, flowers; Gnaws iron, bites steel; grinds hard stones to meal. Slays king, ruins towns, and beats High Mountains down." The sphinx said sharply, a glint of laughter in its eye. James' eyes widened as he considered the answer, searching his mind for it. Something to devour all things or be devoured, slays kings. Death? No, death doesn't beat mountains down, but what does? A monster? A giant? Then what about the metal? Gnaws at the iron, bites at steel, and grinds hard stones to meal. An earth monster? Rust? No, rust forms over time if it's natural.
Suddenly he stopped. Time. Time wears a mountain down, time kills kings and beasts and trees, flowers, and everything decays over time, turns to dust. He looked up, hoping it was right.
"Time." He said quietly. The sphinx said nothing, just stared at him blankly. He swallowed nervously as the sphinx tilted its head and she hissed.
"This far out in the yellow sands, only time can cure thee of the spells hands." She replied. Clayton was about to bid a farewell to the tricky beast when Amber asked possibly the most important question.
"You… wouldn't happen to know where he's hid his vessel, would you? The object that's supposed to serve as his prison?" The sphinx gazed at her curiously, seeming to brood over something.
"I make you weak at the worst of all times. I keep you safe, I keep you fine. I make your hands sweat and your heart grow cold, I visit the weak, but seldom the bold." The sphinx asked. Amber felt herself speak before she could think it through all the way.
"Fear." She cringed when the word left her mouth, but couldn't help but agree with her decision. Everyone had fear, it turned the weak strong and made your hands sweat, your heart pound. Why wouldn't it be fear?
"He is not one to hide his prison it hides from him, in plain sight to those that are blind." The sphinx replied smoothly.
"Right, well, um, thank you for your time, we'll get going now." Amber laughed nervously and started walking away.
Luna stayed and locked eyes with the sphinx.
"Those who have caused pain are both far and near. Beware, for your fates will soon be here." The sphinx spoke finally before leaping back up the mountain. Luna stared after it. She could only think that this was only her first job and she had already faced a sphinx and been given a prophecy. A sphinx may speak in riddles, but from what she could tell the message that it sent was clear.
Watch your back.
…
"That sphinx didn't speak in very hard riddles." Beronira commented. The group was currently heading east as the sphinx had instructed. Clayton laughed at his guild mate, but his laugh died as he sensed something peculiar. A sort of warm reassuring presence.
"Do you feel that?" Clayton asked? Nahliel frowned and focused before he felt it too.
"It's in the wind. Beronira, what are you doing to the wind?" Nahliel demanded.
"I'm not doing anything. This magic is natures doing." She explained, having already known the moment the wind picked up. She felt oddly filled by it. Beronira was amazed when she realized what the wind carried in its currents.
"That explains how it chases off enchantments…" Clayton surmised.
"But what about the shrine or whatever that was made for the genie? Our client said nothing about that." Amber questioned.
"People are entitled to some things." James answered, even though he didn't quite agree with it either.
"But where are we supposed to find it?" Amber asked.
"I wish Marius were here. He'd find it in an instant." Nahliel said, snapping his fingers in emphasis.
No one noticed as the sand began to part, revealing a hatch down below. Not even Luna, who was distracted with her own thoughts, brooding over what the sphinx had said. Suddenly her foot met nothing but air and with a short squeal, she dropped into the hatch, causing everyone to turn around.
"Luna!" Amber cried and ran to the edge of the pit, followed closely by Kirara. Amber got on her knees in the burning sand to look over the side.
"Are you alright?!" Kirara called. Luna sat up and quickly checked for any injuries.
"I'm fine!" She called back as she stumbled and swayed to her feet. She looked around, seeing a tunnel on either side of her. "It looks like an underground passage!" She called, taking a closer look down one tunnel as she heard the ones up there rustling around to find something to pull her up with. She saw statues, of a four armed man with some sort of bottle in his lap and a turban on his head. "Hey, I think I found the entrance to the shrine!" She said.
It wasn't long before they had all followed her down into the passage. Once down, James rubbed his hands together, and murmured "Illumine." In his palm, a small, blossom of light steadily grew into a luminescent glow, which he threw down one passage, where it hovered just below the ceiling.
"That is the eastern passage, right?" James asked. Beronira nodded.
"The wind is still headed that direction. We can only assume that's where the genie is." She surmised, taking a deep breath. "But down here, we won't have the winds protection."
"Can't you summon some?" Clayton asked, but Beronira shook her head.
"It wouldn't be of any use. The magic in the eastern wind came from the desert itself. I couldn't control that, even if I'd wanted too. We're on our own." She answered truthfully. Nahliel scoffed.
"What, so it's too powerful for you?" Sophie sneered. Beronira turned to Nahliel and his exceed sharply, glaring.
"Don't insult me, and don't act stupid. We all know that our own magic and natural magic are two very different things. No one can simply control it by pushing the wind. It'd be the same as trying to use another person's magic through that very person." She snapped.
"Let's just get this job done, okay?" Amber anxiously laughed. In silent agreement, the others moved on. They followed the path, and soon the only light was James' magic.
"Nahliel, I'm hungry…" Sophie suddenly groaned, laying out on his head exhaustively. He reached up and pet her between the ears.
"I know, just hold on." He replied, feeling hungered and exhausted himself.
"What are you two talking about, we haven't been down here that long." Beronira stated.
"You must be joking." Amber groaned, holding her stomach. Beronira looked around at everyone in confusion, worried.
"It's got to be dark out by now." Kirara sighed. Luna nodded her agreement.
"Come on guys, cheer up. I'm sure we'll finish this job and be back home in no time!" Clayton chirped, smiling brightly despite the fact that he felt just as drained as the others. With an uneasy feeling in her chest, Beronira let the others go first and followed from close behind.
Merely minutes after that, Nahliel suddenly collapsed. The others responded sluggishly, but Sophie was the first to kneel at his side.
"He's unconscious." She said breathlessly. She raised her paws to try to heal him before wavering in her position and falling beside him. Just like that, one by one Beronira watched helplessly as her comrades fell to the ground and the light of the cave burned out. She cried out to them.
"James, Luna, Clayton! Someone, please, wake up!" But nothing worked. There was no sign they stirred. Her heart slowed as fear struck her. There was no help for miles and no way that she could get them all back on her own.
Was this the work of the genie? She felt her fear turn into a resolve and an anger. For there was only one being responsible and one thing she could do.
Carefully, she found her way to one side of the tunnel and felt her way along the wall, being sure not to bring any further harm to her friends. She walked along the tunnel, feeling where the wall caved to allow the statues to be carved in.
Suddenly her hand knocked something loose from one of the statues and it landed on the ground with a clink. Instinctively, Beronira looked down, seeing light reflect off the sharp edges of a crystalline bottle. She picked it up, examining it curiously in the dim light.
Wait, she thought, light?
Beronira looked back up to the passage ahead of her. Further through the darkness she saw a faint light, outlining a door. With determination she clutched the crystal container in her hand and stuffed it in her pocket, remembering what the sphinx had said before approaching the door. She gave it a fierce kick, swinging the slabs of wood wide open.
Inside sat a man with black, slicked back hair and a black and blue tuxedo. He had a cup of tea in his hand and was taking a sip when the woman entered. Yet somehow he seemed unsurprised by her entrance.
"Honestly, that was really unnecessary. It was open." He said calmly. Beronira scowled, feeling a breeze begin to generate around her body. "Still, I'd like to know how you avoided the effects of my spell, little girl." He said, gently setting down his drink, standing to his feet and holding his hand on his hip.
"Who cares, so long as I can drag your sorry ass back into your vessel and end this nightmare you've caused." She scowled. The genie laughed.
"My, my, such vulgar language. I suggest you hold your tongue unless you wish for your friends to die." He said and snapped his fingers. In puffs of smoke, her friends stood behind him, dazed and empty looks in their eyes. Beronira's eyes widened and she clenched her teeth. The genie giggled.
"Now then, shall we play a game? Who shall I throw at you first?"
A/N: Woo hoo! Sorry, wow, I didn't think it would be so hard to split from the first group! It's not just painful to read and bear, but also to write! My heart was torn in two! XD Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Sorry it took so long, the next one shouldn't. I'm warming up to these characters.
Speaking of, introducing the cast!
"Amber Silver" from a guest!
"James Warston" also from a guest!
"Beronira Falida" from AkumaxHwaorang!
"Nahliel Redgrave" and his exceed "Sophie" from Nahliel Michelangelo Sparda!
"Clayton Notre" from reven228!
And the reintroduction of "Luna DarkHeart" and her twin tailed exceed "Kiara" from Ice Ninja Luna!
By the way, if you wanna see what Athena, Sam and Alex look like, go to these links
art/Alexander-Nighthawk-530009263
art/Samuel-Bastion-530007458
art/Athena-Temotha-530004282
See ya next time!