"Are you even hearing yourself right now? This is why we believe you're fully competent for this initiative. Whatever you've gone through has been training you for these moments. You don't ever stop fighting, there's always another threat. A threat...
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With my sword gripped tightly in hand, Penelope and I rushed through the Gateway of Hermes to Corinth. We skidded between the grains of sand, weaved through the bustling Greeks until we reached a small park. There sat the Sphinx, with the wings of a great eagle and the face of an enchanting woman. The person who stood in front of it stared transfixed, eyes completely glazed over in fear.
"It's asked them a riddle," I murmured to Penelope as we halted our sprint.
"Should we kill it or help them with the riddle?" She asked, glancing at me before looking back at the scene.
"We'll have to kill it either way so might as well get it over with," I shrugged while brushing the stray hairs from my eyes.
"After you," said Penelope, gesturing to the beast with her hand.
"Ever the partner, Nel," I teased and with one sharp brandish, my adamantine sword flipped out into a bow. Bringing it up to anchor's point after slinging in a silver arrow; I trained it into the furry side of its lion body and released it.
The Sphinx let out an awful shriek and flapped its wings furiously in anger. It took flight, flying overhead towards us with its teeth snarled.
"Deal with it while I get the person to safety," I said quickly to Penelope before dashing towards the still hypnotised man.
"Hey," I shouted in English, the man seemingly being a tourist, the words sounded strange on my tongue having only spoken Greek for the last few months. I grabbed his shoulders and shook him violently, trying to get regain him back to his usual self. After I slapped his face, he jolted, his eyes darting around frantically. "You're okay," I said, helping his stumbling frame to his feet. "Just get some rest, yeah?"
The man nodded dumbly at me so I clapped him on the back as pointed him to the opposite exit to the park.
"My riddle has not been answered," the Sphinx hissed, baring her terribly sharp teeth at us as she landed on the grass, her wings spread behind her menacingly.
"Shoot," said Penelope with her eyebrow quirked.
I groaned inwardly, hating riddles to my core. I could hardly ever figure them out.
"I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body but come alive in the wind. What am I," the creature asked, folding her wings in satisfaction.
"Fuck," I whispered under my breath. Never in a million years would I get this. I glanced at Penelope with expecting eyes only to see her stand there with her lips pursed. "You couldn't have been a daughter of Athena," I groaned jokingly at her puzzled expression.
"Hey, what about you?" She argued, eyeing me with a frown.
"I'm the only daughter of Artemis. Perhaps it'd be better if I had another mother," I muttered the last part under my breath. "Your dad has sex with practically everything he lays his eyes on...no offence."
