The Sphinx's wings spread wide, casting a shadow over the stained red courtyard. Gwen's stomach flipped. She was pulled by her wrist to the side. The creature's massive stone paw slammed down in the spot Gwen had been standing a moment before.

"Make for the exit, M'lady!" Didymus hollered. The little fox was dashing back and forth under the monster's legs, trying to distract it the best he could.

"Didymus!" Gwen yelled. Lee continued leading Gwen as they sprinted to avoid the sphinx's thunderous footfalls. That damn fox was going to get himself killed. She tried to run to save him but Lee held her hand and jerked her back to running with him. Lee saw an opening as The Sphinx turned its ugly face at Didymus. Lee gripped Gwen's hand and dashed for the opening that the statue had been guarding. They flew through the exit. Lee turned on his toes and took a random path through the labyrinth.

"Didymus!" Gwen called behind her. Lee didn't stop for even a second as they continued to run, taking random turns throughout the labyrinth. Lee skidded to a halt. Gwen bumped into his back. They stood in front of a dead end. They both spun around. Didymus came scurrying into view as her rounded a corner.

"FLEE NOW!" Didymus yelled. The labyrinth shook as the heavy steps of the creature's massive stone feet sent thundering tremors through the ground. Didymus scrambled over and stood in front of his companions protectively.
Lee rolled his eyes and grabbed Didymus by the scruff of his neck. Lee took off sprinting in between the Sphinx's legs, dragging Gwen along behind him. The monster's head ducked down to get them. Gwen narrowly evaded a long slimy tongue that whipped out of the monster's mouth. They ran back through the labyrinth in corridors they had already seen. All the while Didymus was yapping and yowling in protest of being carried.
Lee ran around randomly. Maybe he could confuse the sphinx, lose it in the twisting maze. They passed the red courtyard.
"PUT ME DOWN! I WILL DEFEAT THE BEAST SINGLEHANDEDLY!" Didymus howled. Lee took a random turn to the right; into a chamber that was directly adjacent to the Sphinx's bloody courtyard. When Lee realised that there was no other way out he turned on his heel back to the way that had come in.
Gwen yelped as she ripped her arm out of Lee's grip.
"Stop!" She demanded.
"That thing is still after us." Lee growled through his clenched teeth.
Lee gasped and dropped Didymus as a sharp pain filled his wrist. Little needle like fang marks showed pink against Lee's soft brown flesh.
"The hell?!"
"We shan't not go back into the corridor." Didymus said.
"We need to catch our breath." Gwen pleaded. Lee softened slightly as he acknowledged that his throat was aching and his lungs burned with each heaving gasp.
They all stood still for a moment. The only sound was of their own heavy breathing, which echoed softly against the stone walls.
"I may haveth a plan." Didymus said after a few moments.
"Okay, I'm open for suggestions." Lee said in defeat. There was no possible way they could keep running around randomly in hopes of escape.
"The plan shall take one crucial role for thee to play." Didymus said.
"What do we need?" Gwen asked.
"We are in need of a distraction."

"We're going to die." Lee said simply with a shrug of his slim shoulders.
Gwen jabbed Lee with her elbow. Her eyes remained focused on the stone archway above them as they stood together, back in the red courtyard.

Gwen's chest felt hollow as she and Lee waited for the sphinx to find them.

"Didymus?" Gwen said. The little fox peeked his head out from behind a wall on the other side of the corridor.

"M'lady?"

"When it comes, please hurry." Gwen pleaded. Didymus nodded and held up one tiny fist. Within his grasp, the orange finger of a firey, looked oddly like a Cheeto. Gwen's lips curled in a small smile. She suppressed the urge to throw her head back and laugh. Now is not the time. She reminded herself, clinging to her feeble grip on her mind. She repositioned her grip on the clock hand spear, finding a hold on the cool iron that had not yet been warmed by her skin.

They could hear it coming down the corridor. Its massive stone feet sending the cracking sound of the stone floor breaking under the monster's weight.

Didymus quickly ducked out of sight.

"Going round in circles," The Sphinx screeched "Do you think you can trick me?" Its repugnant face came into view as it rounded the corner to look at its prey through its gleaming black eyes.

"Well we figured you might be pretty dull, y'know, with you being made of rock and everything." Gwen taunted as best she could.

"I mean... We beat your riddles, how good of a Sphinx can you be?" Lee scoffed. They played their parts as if they were on stage. Lee would admit, Gwen was a far better actor than he was, but he managed to remain convincingly keep his fear hidden.

A guttural growl came from the Sphinx. Gwen covered her mouth to conceal a giggle, making her delight obvious. Lee kept a smug grin on his face. He hoped the monster didn't notice him wiping his sweaty palms on his shorts.

The Sphinx raised its paw and slammed it on the ground. Gwen and Lee jumped to either side.
Gwen rolled on her side, and pushed herself back on her feet. Adrenaline began to push away the pain of her wounds.
"Watch it!" Gwen snapped with feigned annoyance. The Sphinx whipped its head around. The stone face split and the jagged toothed mouth almost seemed to smile. Its long slimy tongue slithered out and coiled like a snake, poised to strike.
Lee raced across the courtyard and shoved Gwen to the side. Away from the intended target point.
The tongue lashed out. Narrowly missing Gwen's throat. Around Lee's bicep it wrapped instead.
"ARGH!" Lee bellowed. The stinging strike sliced through his skin.
"LET HIM GO!" Gwen barked. She stabbed at the meat of the creature's tongue. She dug the iron deep into the flesh. A coppery smell filled Lee's nose as he watched bright green blood spilled from the monster as Gwen ripped the spear from it's tongue muscle. The tongue recoiled back into its mouth. The white marble face closed back to its normal peaceful façade.
Lee gripped his bleeding arm.
"Christ." He groaned. Quickly he backpedaled away from the sphinx. Gwen stayed in place.
"Gwen!"
She looked over her shoulder at Lee. Her eyes narrowed. It took Lee a few seconds to realize that she was glaring at the wound on his arm.
The acting was done. Gwen was no longer playing a role on stage. Rage set in and she was an entirely different person. A warrior looking for one thing. Blood.

She faced the beast.

"Don't you dare." Lee murmured lowly.

Gwen shot forward. She stabbed at cracks in the monster's stone armor. Every time the Sphinx swung a paw at her, she was already somewhere else, slashing and stabbing another opening in the stone.
Green blood flowed out freely, down the white lioness legs onto the red floor.

Lee followed just out of the monstrosity's reach, shouting random obscenities at it, in hope of keeping its attention divided on the two of them.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lee saw Didymus scaling up the stone archway. Nearly ready.
Gwen had already seen their Knight. Lee stopped yelling at the beast and watched in awe. Gwen's wild attacks weren't random or panicked as he had thought. She was carefully steering it towards the archway. She knew what she was doing. She was leading the creature to its death.
"YEAH! " He whooped.
Nearly there.

Didymus was ready. The firey finger positioned at what seemed to be the archway's weakest architectural point. His staff raised high above his fuzzy head, ready to detonate the small bomb.
"FILTHY CHILD!" The Sphinx shrieked.
"DIDYMUS!" Gwen screamed. She stopped stabbing and ran as fast as she could to the other side of the archway, into the corridor.
Lee wanted to run and be on the other side with her.

BOOM!

The blast was small, but it did the trick. The archway cracked and tumbled.
"Tally Ho!" Didymus cried as he leapt away from the blast.
Stone dust and a guttural shriek filled the courtyard.
"GWEN!" Lee cried. He dashed blindly into the cloud of unsettled dust.
He knew not if Gwen was alright or if the Sphinx was still a threat. He ran forward into the unknown...