Sphinx!lock - Teaser chapter

He didn't remember why he chose this way. He had many responsibilities. He, John Watson went through so many things, served in the army as a doctor and all, but where he was now? In the Historical Museum of London as a night guard. Why? People always asked. Once he even got an offer from the Scotland Yard to join them and become an inspector, yet he just shook his head and smiled. Why? Neither had he known the answer correctly. Maybe he enjoyed the silence after the horror he went through in Afghanistan. At last nothing wanted to kill him. He only needed to patrol on the quiet passageways of the museum, check the cameras, then go back to his tiny 'sanctuary' and rest. He couldn't help but he got enough of the actions and got a little lazy over the years.

One day there was a great animation at the museum. They got a new relic to their already great collection. When John passed by he noticed a few archeologist as they tried to pull out something from a big wooden box.

"Carefully, it's very fragile and cost a lot!" barked the director nearby, watching as they struggled with something heavy, slowly revealing their new 'guest'. The professors let out a relieved sigh and shook hand with each other, congratulating. In front of them a golden statue sat on a small pedestal. It had the appearance of an elegant sphinx, with head proudly raised, wings closed on the back. John couldn't tell much about ancient relics, but he needed to admit, this statue looked very fancy. When the director noticed him he flipped a finger.

"Watson!"

"Yes, Mister Gordon?" John immediately straightened in front of the short, fat man.

"Keep an eye on the statue, got it, Watson? We don't want some lunatic moron tries to steal our new relic! Got it?"

"Yes, Mister Gordon!" nodded John, but when the director left his face torn into a grimace. "What an asshole..." murmured under his nose, but adjusted his hat and went back to work.

The night seemed to be quiet, in his small office John drank his daily coffee and solved riddles in a magazine. Just another boring night. That fat pig overreacted things as he usually did. Sometimes John glanced at the monitor, checking the sphinx to be at its place. Nothing special...

The first thing he heard was a loud crash that awakened him. John didn't know when he had fallen asleep, but for the sound he jumped up. What has happened? Someone just didn't... As quickly as he could John rushed into the museum with one hand on his gun case. After he turned a corner he noticed two dark shapes in the ancient Aztec exhibition as they filled their bags with golden treasures. Oh great, this is all he wanted, John frowned, then grabbed his gun and jumped out his hiding spot.

"Drop the relics!" shouted, whereof the burglars rolled around and shot their weapon. John yelped and ducked behind a glass cabinet. He heard the thieves grumbling.

"Damn, he noticed us! What should we do?" asked one.

"There can't be any witnesses." told the other to his partner. John's blood chilled in his vein. They managed to kill him. And his stupid head, he forgot to call the police so he was all alone in that huge building. He had only one choice to do. The man grabbed the first thing he reached, a bronze vase and threw it at the thieves. Using out their distraction John leaped up and began to run as fast as he could.

"He tries to escape! Get him!" heard the shout behind him and guns shot. The bullet hit the wall right next to John, who yelped and hunched his shoulders to avoid the missiles. He didn't know where he rushed, he just wanted to be away from those damned vandals.

He turned to the right and found himself in the latest exhibition. John cursed and stopped for a moment. It was a wrong decision. Suddenly a bang echoed in the rooms and John felt a horrible pain in his shoulder. He screamed up and tottered behind, his back hit the sphinx statue. The man tried to hold on the relic, but his bloody hand slipped off the gold and he fell onto the marble floor, groaning again. John digs his fingers into his bleeding shoulder to endure the pain, when he heard the footsteps and faced with the thieves. They both aimed a gun at him.

"You're too slow, old man." grinned one "Sorry but you know too much. We have to kill you." John grits his teeth glaring upon the two men. This shouldn't have happened. Before the burglars pulled the trigger suddenly they heard a new, deep voice.

"I can be half without getting thinner.

I can shine with no fire.

I can be hidden but never taken.

I can stay dry while moving the ocean.

What am I?" both three rolled around to see who has spoken, but the exhibition was empty.

"What?" barked up the leader.

"Answer the question." sounded that voice again.

"What kind of bullshit is this?" the thief become mad. John heard something rustling behind him. "Show your face, asshole!"

"This isn't the right answer." the voice turned into a deep, ominous growl. In the next moment something jumped over John's head and landed on the nearby burglar. Everything happened so fast. The man let out a horrified scream of death, his partner shot at the thing, useless. Then he tried to escape, but the thing was faster and broke his neck with a single crunch. John watched the scene horrified, he had no idea what was going on.

"I can be half without getting thinner.

I can shine with no fire.

I can be hidden but never taken.

I can stay dry while moving the ocean.

What am I?" sounded the riddle again from the killer's mouth as it slowly turned around to face John. In the moonlight he could take a better look and by the sight he let out a surprised gasp.

In front of him a creature stood he never believed to exist. Its body was a golden furred lion, slim and muscled, while the head was a handsome man. The ice-cold, blue eyes shimmered with ancient knowledge, his curly, black hair reached down to his scapulas, shortening into soft mane. Two great, golden wings smoothened onto his back elegantly. The creature wore nothing, only a golden collar around his neck and golden rings in his lion ears. The sphinx glared down at John, licking the blood off his muzzle.

"Answer the question, and I keep you alive." spoke up on that deep, mysterious voice with a tone of arrogance. At first John couldn't speak in shock, then opened his dried out mouth.

"T-the moon?" stammered, whereof the sphinx's mouth curved into a tiny smile, showing his fangs.

"Your answer is correct." whipped his tail and made a step closer to the wounded human "So it was you who awakened me from my ancient slumber."

"W-what? What did I do?" trembled John, he was afraid the beast might kill him as well.

"You offered your blood for me and I accepted it. That's why I'm here." John blinked confused at him, then something got into his mind. When he was shot and tried to hold on something, he accidentally touched the statue and smeared some of his blood over its muzzle.

"H-how this can even happen? Y-you shouldn't be real." muttered John, panting in pain.

"I am as real as the wound you got, mortal." huffed the sphinx annoyed then went closer to the human, poking his bleeding shoulder with his nose. "Mhhh yes. This is the blood." said then licked the wound, making John wince. Seeing his reaction the sphinx grinned again, opened his wings a little "You now owe me for saving your life, mortal. What is your name?"

"It's John." the man had no clue what the creature was talking about.

"John… such a noble name for a human like you." mocked the sphinx "But well… at least your blood worth the effort. Very well. Then it has decided."

"Huh? Decided? What has been decided?" things became more confused for John. The creature whipped his tail again annoyed.

"You owe with your life, mortal John, that means I can do whatever I want with you. You will be my servant!"

"Your what? No way!" shouted up John angry, whereof the sphinx bared his jaws, showing his sharp, ferocious fangs.

"I don't accept no as an answer! But enough talk for tonight. I go back to rest. Wake me up the next evening. " like an elegant model the creature walked back to the pedestal, like nothing has happened and its frame froze into sculpture. John glared at it stunned, unsure what just has happened. Then he turned to the remains of the two burglars.

"At least he should clean up this mess…"

The end