This chapter just has Artemis and Shikamaru in it. Also if you have heard of these riddles before that might be because I got them from a popular game where the main character wears a top hat. Any ideas? lol

Hope you enjoy chapter 12 please review and a million thanks to those who have :D.


Chapter 12

With Artemis and Shikamaru

"First thing, I am not your 'darling'; Second; we don't have time to be playing your silly, little games and lastly you can tell us what direction we are supposed to take." Said Artemis in his best 'I am much better, cleverer and richer that you' voice.

The Sphinxes purr quickly turned into a growl.

"If that's the case then I guess I'll just have to kill you." She said in a board voice flipping out her gigantic claws.

Artemis instantly paled and took a quick step backwards. Shikamaru stepped in front of him.

"W-wait, what my friend meant was that the game can't be too easy because we are both genii and if it was too easy it wouldn't be any fun." Shikamaru hurriedly explained.

Artemis glared at Shikamaru. 'In some aspects Artemis is just like Ino. Even when I'm trying to save our butts he glares at me for correcting what he'd said. How troublesome.' Shikamaru thought.

"Don't worry it won't be easy. It's a game of riddles; even genii will find this difficult. However if you still feel that it is boring then how about we make a deal. If you answer all the riddles correctly then I will show you the way to the stairs." The Sphinx once again purred.

"And if we lose" piped up Artemis.

"I hate to use clichés but if you lose I kill you."

Artemis beckoned Shikamaru over.

"Do you think we can trust her?" Shikamaru asked.

"In mythology, Sphinxes usually keep their side of deals if the challenger wins, so I think we can trust her. How good are you at solving riddles?"

"Okay I guess. I'm better at figuring out chess or shogi moves but I'm good when it comes to riddles where you have to switch and move things around to find the answer."

"Then we are a good match up as I quite good at riddles with words and math."

"When are we going to start playing?" the Sphinx hissed impatiently.

Artemis and Shikamaru looked at each other and nodded.

"Oh good, oh before we start we should play some music." The Sphinx said eagerly.

She unsheathed one of her claws and brought it to the pyramid on her collar and flipped open the top part of it. The little pyramid was actually a music box and was playing the theme song from a well-known video-game where you solve puzzles.

'Was it called Professor Larry and the secretive town? No, oh who cares anyway.' Artemis thought to himself.

"PUZZLE NUMBER 01" The Sphinx shouted and she unveiled a magnetic board with 3 wolf magnets, 3 chicken magnets and a raft magnet.

"This one is quite famous so consider this as a warm up. You must get the 3 wolves and 3 chickens across the board safely using the raft. However, no more than two animals can ride the raft at the same time, there must be one animal on board the raft for it to move and If more wolves than chickens are on one side of the board, the wolves will eat them, and then I'll eat you"

"Uh, I solved this when I was three. How troublesome." Shikamaru groaned as he walked over to the board.

First he put two wolves on the raft and moved them to the right side of the board. Then he brought one wolf back and when he reached the other side he put the other wolf on the raft and brought them back to the right side. There were now three chickens on the left side and three wolves on the right. Then Shikamaru ferried one wolf back and then swapped it for two chickens. So now there are one wolf and one chicken on the left side, and two wolves with two chickens on the right.

"Hurry up would you!" Artemis shouted at him.

"What a drag."

Then Shikamaru shifted one chicken and one wolf back to the left side, dropped off the wolf and added another chicken and brought them to the right. Now all three chickens with one wolf were on the right side. Then he transported the wolf to the left, picked up another wolf, dropped it off on the right side and went to pick up the last wolf.

"Correct, your lives are safe for now. Now for the next puzzle!" The Sphinx commented.

"PUZZLE NUMBER 02: A father and son are chatting. The son asks 'Dad I'm 22 now but just how old are you?' The father replies 'You want to know how old I am huh, I'll tell you what. I'm as old as your age plus half of my age.' What age is the father?"

"Your turn" Shikamaru simply said to Artemis.

"Pah, easy, The father is 44 years of age. What the father basically is saying is that if you add half of his age to the son's age then you will find out how old the father is. If that is so, then the son's age is half of the father's age and 22 times by 2 is 44.

"Correct. To the next one." The Sphinx said. And so the puzzles continued until…

"So far you have gotten every single riddle correct. This is the last one, pass this and I will show you the way to the stairs." The Sphinx unveiled another board this time though it had a picture of a man in an armchair in a room full of junk.

PUZZLE 10: "Behold! Before you sits the laziest man on earth." The Sphinx announced.

'Ha! Take that Ino, I'm not the laziest person after all.' Thought Shikamaru.

"This slug has designed his house so that he can grab anything without leaving the comfort of his recliner. Using an elaborate set of tools including a fishing rod, extendo-arm, and high-energy magnets, this legendary loafer has put everything in the room within reach. However, despite his efforts there is one place where he has to get up to reach. Draw a circle where you think this place is."

Shikamaru looked at Artemis and said "Any ideas?"

"Nothing jumps out at me."

Shikamaru sighed but then perked up. He remembered when he had first learned how to use the shadow stitching technique he had tried using it to get everything he needed without getting out from bed. However his mother decided to put essential things such as his shogi board under the bed and Shikamaru had to get up off the bed to find it.

"I know where to draw the circle" he announced making Artemis jump.

"If you're sure then draw it already."

Shikamaru grabbed the marker and drew a circle at the bottom of the chair.

"Damn, how could these humans beat me?" Said a disbelieving Sphinx.

"Keep your end of the bargain; show us where the stairs are." Artemis demanded.

"Fine" the sphinx spat. It's this way and she lead them through a door on the left.

"I wonder how the other groups are doing. I doubt they get a sphinx to lead them around." Shikamaru said.

"I agree" said Artemis