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“The only reason you are in this position is because of him. You stupid fool, how can you hope like that? You’re an idiot Serra.”
The words left my mouth as I took the path to the right, the castle remained in the distance. I scoffed at myself as I carried on. The worn path wound its way over the countryside. Around hills, over hills, through more prairies and fields that once hosted wildflowers, past abandoned homes, farms and every so often in the distance, a small cluster of buildings would come into view.
Everything was quiet, there was no one here.
The land was abandoned just as the stories said. Where has everyone gone? What happened to them? What wasreallygoing on here? I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I did not notice it at first. The small lake and the creature that sat on its edge.
It was larger than I was, capable of pinning me in place. Its paws were as large as dinner plates, its body rippled with muscle under its tan coat. Its wings were tucked tightly to its body, the reddish hue of its mane reflecting in the sunlight. But it did not have the typical face of a lion, no it had a human face. The creature before me was one of myth and legend.
What was it doing here?
I watched the Sphinx as it sat on the outcropping of rocks, its tail swishing back and forth. It was distracted by the fish in the waters before it. The path, unfortunately, ran right by it but maybe. If I was quiet enough,maybeI could sneak past.
Maybe it would not see or hear me.
But as I took a step forward, luck would not be so kind today. The gravel under my foot crunched, causing my whole body to tense. Its ears peaked up as it turned, its eyes finding mine.
“Halt, who goes there?” The accent in which it spoke was strange. An odd mix of those I had encountered on the docks from Elliner and the villagers of Rothnia.
My heart thundered away in my chest, hoping that it would leave me be, hoping that it would not attack. My words were a tangled mess on my tongue as I tried to speak, only managing to squeak out, “Please, I have to pass.”
It ignored me as it moved with a fluid grace to snatch a fish from the glistening waters. Its paw closed around the wriggling thing with lightning speed- it smiled at it for a moment, its sharp teeth glinting in the light. The fish writhed and flopped desperately, its scales shimmering in the sun, as the creature observed it with a curious intensity. Without hesitating it lifted its paw and brought it down sharply. The sound of its razor-sharp claws sinking into the fish's flesh bounced off the rocks as the fish wriggled and twisted- its mouth gaping open and closed as it contemplated its next move.
“Not without my say so you won’t.” It said after a moment, its eyes scanned over me. They were an odd color of gold, “Why are you here? Are you lost?”
I shook my head, finding my voice this time, “I’m not lost, but I have to get to the castle. So if you could allow me to pass that would be appreciated.”
It watched me closely, its eyes narrowing as I worried my lip. It sniffed the air once before asking, “What are you?”
Had it never seen a mortal before?
“A human.”
It scoffed. “Highly unlikely. But I will agree to disagree with you,human.”
My brows furrowed in confusion, maybe ithasnever met a human before and does not know what we are, or what we look like I suppose.
“What is your name?” it asked.
“Serra.”
The laugh that came from the beast was a mix of human and lion. A roar with a high pitch of mirth. Its paw slapped the fish again, the mouth gaping open wide.
“Maybe in the Mortal Lands.”
“What do you mean?”
It closed its mouth, considering for a moment before saying, “I will give you a chance to pass,Serra. But if you cannot solve my riddle, then you will have to turn back, and go around.”
Solve his riddle? I do not have the time nor the energy to turn back and start again. “But. . . I have to pass through here. I cannot go back.”
It shook its head and said, “Solve my riddle and you can pass. On my honor.”
I considered for a moment before I nodded my head. Maybe it would be easy, I was never really good at riddles. It spoke quickly, pacing the path before me as it abandoned the fish on the edge, it had stopped breathing.
“I am ne’er changing,
Woven into Destiny.
