Kingdom Of The Sphinx

Chapter Three: Love is Madness

History records me as a problem solver, Apep the great snake wasn't beaten by my skill with a sword, becuase I don't have any.  I figured out that the snake was steadily growing due to a cursed stone, I used my brain.  I'm a problem solver, I figure things out, I put pieces together.  I just want you all to understand, I never even got the first lesson about fighting, but now here I was in a grand arena, standing shoulder to shoulder with my friends.  The puzzle I was currently trying to solve was the earth pony coming at me with a steel battle axe, an axe he seemed quite determined to bury in my head.  Yes, I couldn't fight, but I looked at it as a puzzle, how do I stop the premature end of my life via axe to my head?

      My mind works pretty quickly, so as that big nasty pony charged me I thought about my assets.  I had my Khat, my linen dress and the contents of my saddlebag.  The bag contained two Pomegranites, half a loaf of bread, a water skin, a quill, a dried flower Jasmine gave me, a mostly empty jar of honey, my toothbrush and a small canvas bag containing my eye makeup.  Nothing in there that would make a weapon, but even if I had the best sword ever forged by a legendary sword smith I'd be in the same situation, the only thing I knew about sword fighting is that I didn't want to do it. The pony with an axe was a surgeon with it no doubt, a professional soldier, fighting him directly would be suicide.

     Okay, I catalogued my other resources, I had my friends. . .but they where occupied.  Apedi had drawn twin daggers and was fighting off the pony with the club, Sedeh was rolling out of the way of the huge lion, Prince Hisan was relieving the trident-wielding pony of his teeth with the top of his shield, Bomani was in a tug-of-war with the chain wielding one and Jasmine was crossing swords with the last of them.  Bomani had already dispatched the pony with the lance, burying his sword in his chest.  None of them could help me in time, so no dice. 

     I did have a few other advantages, this was an earth pony. . .big, clumsy, strong but heavy on his hooves and I could fly!  I was a pretty good flier too!  So just as that big axe started to come down, I few around it.  The axe threw up sparks as it struck stone, so I'd dodged it once but this guy was going to swing it again. . .so step two would be stopping him from doing that again.  He hefted the double-sided axe and swung it at me again, and I dodged out of it's path again, then a third time.  Then, I noticed the axe-pony subtly adjusting the cloth turban he was wearing. . .a loose turban, that was another resource!  I flew down and shoved the turban over his eyes, and watched him swing blindly as I safely hovered overhead.

"Hey!  I think I just fought a guy!" I laughed,

"It's a start!" Bomani shouted as he and Hisan fought the swords pony, who impossibly was skilled enough to keep up with both of them.

Jasmine rolled as the chain swung over her head, "Sombambua, bring him this way!"

I flew toward Jasmine, and called to the Axe-Wielder who was still swinging blindly, "Hey axe guy!  I'm over here!  You're mother drinks corn liquor!" Back then that was a pretty good insult, believe me.

     I regretted jeering at him almost immediately when that axe came dangerously close to my face, but I was still quicker than him.  He Stammered closer as I continued to jeer, and that massive glimmering chain struck him as the pony swung it, wrapping around him several times.  The chain-Wielder tried to untangle his weapon but Jasmine flew close to him, smashing him in the head with the butt of her sword, knocking him out cold.  Her and I grabbed the chain and flew a few more laps around the axe-pony, hopelessly entailing him in it.

"Did I win?" I asked, kissing Jasmine on the nose as the axe-pony fell to the stones.

     Jasmine's eyes grew wide, and she pulled me out of the way as the huge club came smashing down where we where just standing.