//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 Getting to know your new pad and a treasure test run. // Story: Pass of the Sphinx // by J-90 //------------------------------// Chapter 4 Getting to know your new pad and a treasure test run. The lair of the Sphinx... 'Well this certainly fairly simple looking place' Hena thought as the metallic door closed behind her. Only source of light was coming from some crystalline veins on the walls and the roof, some being in six smooth pillars going up, reaching the roof. Other than the glowy veins of light, the whole place looked like it was carved into the 'living rock' of the mountain. On the sides there were total of four doorways, leading to a set of empty rooms. Maybe they were just waiting the potential use? And in a straight line from the doors, past the pillars was a wide humble stone platform with stairs going up to it and a comfy looking pillow nest on the middle of it, with three round platforms with stairs jutting out of it in different directions with something on them. Left ones stairs going lightly upwards with a little zig-zag design on it, and on its platform was a tall oval mirror, maybe eight feet tall, with a simple golden rim with no extra ornament on it, just floating there absolutely motionlessly. Mirror looked like it was filled with grey mist and water, and only barely reflected anything. Middle ones stairs went a little lower then the mirror-platforms, but were still elevated in a straight line. On it was an empty stone archway, most definitely leading somewhere... And the right ones stairs went a little downwards in a twisty design, like a snake, and held on a small stand a green stone tablet with some unknown golden writing on it, maybe twenty inches tall, twelve wide and maybe two thick. 'I guess those two are the two items I'm supposed to guard. Now only to find if there is some info scroll here.' After thinking that, a pair of scrolls popped up before her eyes, making her jump like a startled cat before picking it up and started reading the content of one with 'Treasure details'-label on it. "Fascinating items... Truly fascinating ones indeed..." Hena mumbled to herself, before going to read the other one labeled 'Lair-info". 'Dear customerHena. Welcome to your new workplace dwelling, where you shall live and watch over the items held within. Provided you read the other scroll first you know what they do. You are allowed to personally use them, but at your own risk. Never should both be used in conjunction, unless required by a truly serious situation, which will carry a penalty. If you are wondering the purpose of the empty archway, that would be the portal to your library, in which all the past and present knowledge the world, which you are in, is stored. New knowledge will be added there if you happen to receive a toll in a form of book or if such written work becomes 'lost' in some event, like a fire or something similar, an intact copy of it will appear in your library. Also occasionally already existing works might join in, if the original becomes taintedModified by an outside party, changing the knowledge to fit the view of someone else. Note; This may or may not happen a lot in time... Note2; Future knowledge will not be added in the library, because RULES. Naturally re-found knowledge is okay to add though. The other side of your work still includes stopping and testing passer-bys with riddles. It is a natural tick in your very being, and thus it is mostly better for your existenchealth to follow it. But you may also give your victimsVisitors a choice of 'Toll, Riddle or Combat?' to go past you. The toll can be anything from books to food, or just coins depending what the victTravelers can offer. Riddle should be obvious, right? And combat is rather self-explanatory; challenger must defeat you in combat. Not to death, only to submission. In such case, you will receive a temporary power boost to make the combat unfaiFairly challenging. The amount of boost itself will vary depending on the challenger. For an example, if you somehow face some demi-god level thing in a combat choice, you will receive enough power to give it a unFair challenge. If the challenger dies, too bad for them. FeedingLunch times are when you get hungry and go hunting or get food as toll. Enjoy your new career! From: DeezPlaced.Co PS: You may offer the use of one of the treasures for those who solve your riddle as a bonus. If someone asks and/or demands to use one of them, they MUST answer the riddle first and they are not allowed to take them away from you lair. NO EXCEPTIONS. PPS: No one can enter inside your lair, access the library, or find the treasures and/or your accumulated stuff without your presence and permission. Even if they try digging or magic or whatever, they would find nothing. But remember to still keep the door closed for a good night sleep.' '... Okay, so now I have the ok from the top to give a choice to travelers then.' Hena thought while adjusting her glasses a bit. Before she could think of what to do next, a loud enough sound came out from somewhere, sounding like a gong, followed by voices coming from outside. Whole thing felt like a security system of sort. And then she noticed yet another postscript. 'PPPS: There is an alarm that goes off sometimes when someone tries to go past your lair while you're present there when either sleeping or doing other things in the lair, and the columns outside form a barrier that stops passer-by('s) from leaving without answering a riddle/paying a toll/dying. After one of those have happened, the keyword for shutting down the barrier is 'deorsum' that only works when you say it.' 'Well lets go see who are making the racket out there.' Some steps and one door opening later, sphinx saw two saddlebag wearing ponies, green pegasus, red maned stallion and a white, yellow maned earth pony mare, trapped between the columns by a thin crystalline looking walls, pegasus one trying to kick the said barrier with no success, only making a sound of hooves hitting glass. "Hello there travelers. It would seem you got caught by my lairs security measure." "Obviously. Can we maybe get to leave here alive, ma'am?" stallion asked, after giving the crystal wall one more kick with no effect. "Why yes. Your choices are paying a toll, answer my riddle or defeat me in combat. So what will it be?" The two ponies thought for a moment before answering to now sitting sphinx. "We don't really have anything of value with us, and we don't really wish to fight ya. So we both take a riddle each. Is that okay?" the mare said while stepping forward first, with the stallion nodding along. "Certainly. But just be warned. If you fail to answer, I am obligated to kill you. It is a rule I am pretty much required to follow as I guard this place and some treasures, by some higher entities." Hena answered, before asking a first riddle from the now slightly scared looking mare. "I was alive when I fell, but among thousands of others, I died from being alone. Under your foot, my thin skin crumbles into dust. What am I?" White mare started to think over the riddle right away, clearly motivated to solve. And the looming threat of potentially bloody death might have been a good motivator too. Hena merely waited patiently, passing time by occasionally scratching the side of the altar rock. Maybe personally marking it or some other feline trait, like sharpening claws. "I think I got it. The answer is dead leaves... Right?" mare said, getting a little intimidated as the sphinx looked up from her rock scratching. "Smart lass you are. That is indeed correct. You may pass. Deorsum." Hena said with a smile, before lowering the barrier, allowing mare to get out from between the columns. The stallion did no move to try and make a run or flight for it. He simply just stood there waiting, which intrigued the sphinx. a bit "Well this is interesting. I thought for sure that you'd try to get away the moment the barrier comes down." "Nope. I was raised to behave honestly, and if ah fail at this I'll die honest to the bone." stallion said in a confident tone, clearly being true to his words about him being honest. "Very well. Let's hope it will get you trough here then." Sphinx said, and proceeded with her second riddle. "If you know me you'll want to share me, but if you share me I'll be gone. What am I?" The pegasus stallion began to mull over the riddle, scrunching his brow while thinking intensively. Hena was once again not in a hurry, deciding to groom herself a little while waiting. The mare was also waiting her traveling companions answer, clearly hoping that he got it right. Maybe they where friends? "A secret! The answer is a secret!" stallion called out, stopping sphinx grooming session mid-lick. Luckily she did not sem to mind that. "Correct. You are free to pass. Deorsum" With the word said, the barrier came down, allowing stallion to go on his way. Which seemed to be the other way than the earlier wagon crew. "I see you are going other way than my earlier visitors. Are you perhaps in a hurry or did they perhaps not warn thee of the risk now living here?" "Oh we met them, but we... Might not have taken them seriously, until the barrier came up. We just thought that all this here was just some ruin that got uncovered by nature or something." mare admitted. "Not to be rude after getting past ya. But can ah see what are ya guarding? If it's alright that is." stallion continued. "Actually yes. You both may see them since you both answered my riddles correctly. Maybe even use them a little... If you're brave enough." Hena said, while approaching the opening doors. To her surprise, both ponies followed her with curious look on them. As they walked towards the treasure platforms, Hena decided to introduce herself by name, which was followed by ponies polite introductions. The pegasus stallion was named Tree Wind and the earth-pony mare was called Pyrite Blood, and they where mainly just both taking the same short cut through the mountains. "Here they are. The True Magic Mirror and The Tablet of Secrets. You may choose one to use before leaving. Or just admire from afar and leave peacefully." Hena said to the duo, who looked at the items in a respectful awe. Tree Wind ended up going first, walking carefully to the Mirror, almost like he was drawn to it. As he stopped before it, the misty swirls in it steadied, gathering on the sides and showing his reflection. "Sooo...How does this mirror works or does if I use it?" he asked. "It shows you what you ask to see, clear and true, never lying or tricking, piercing through absolutely anything what would be trying to block its sight, be it magical or physical at any distance. You only need ask it, in rhyme of sort. That is the Mirrors little unbreakable term and rule." was Henas answer. Tree Wind seemed to think for a moment, most likely thinking the wording of his question, until finally asking it. "Please Mirror, so I can get going, show me what my fiances doing?" After the question was asked, the mist in the Mirror began to swirl around for few seconds, before showing a clear image of a pegasus mare kissing a fancy looking pegasus stallion on a bed in some kind of place made out of clouds. There also seemed to be some parchment on a table next to them, which Tree also managed to read. "I knew it... I fricking knew it! He was just visiting she said, while smelling of sweat. She's a pure maiden her family said. Bunch of opportunist, honorless, liars after my familys fortune!" he screamed out angrily, before taking off and ran out of the lair and eventually taking flight after getting out of the pass. He did yell a quick "Thanks" while running outside. "Well atleast he got some use out of the Mirror. So what will you choose, miss Pyrite?" Hena said while turning to the earth-pony mare. "I think I choose to try the tablet. How does it work?" mare asked. "In a quite simple way actually. You ask it a goal based question or request, and it will give you an absolutely perfect answer. Like say, if you ask it 'how can I make or earn a million gold coins?' or perhaps 'I want to become the greatest warrior in the world', it will give you all of the information you need to achieve that goal, right into your mind, down to the time, place, deeds and words needed to make it happen. Sure it might overwhelm your mind if you're not careful, but if the goal is worth it, I'm sure you will pull trough it. And the Tablet will also take something from you as a price of sort." "What is the price exactly?" "Oh it can be absolutely anything from you. Be it all your earthly possessions, your left ear, your soul, all your body hair permanently, five pieces of your snot, half of your remaining lifespan, your latest or next lunch, or something else entirely, the list of choices is literally endless... Would you still like to try it and roll the dice of fates?" "... Yes... Yes I am. Even if it takes my bones, I will try it." Pyrite Blood said without any fear-stutter in her words. She was either brave to take the risk, or maybe having a momentary madness. Soon taking place before the Tablet, Pyrite carefully set her hoof on it, making it give a mild glow, as if it was telling it was now active. "How can I secure a good steady income and status for my descendants for all time?" With the question given, the golden writing on the Tablet began to glow brightly, soon followed by tendrils of light coming out of the writing, twirling around each other, forming one bigger tendril and set itself on the Pyrites forehead and began to pulse at regular intervals, making her eyes roll back as her mind began to receive the ALL of the required information to reach her goal. Hena only kept watch as the mare began to lightly sweat profusely. Maybe a full five minutes later, the Tablet ended its information stream and pulled its light-tendrils, along with her right eye, away from Pyrite, who collapsed to the floor, gasping loudly. the tendrils and the oddly painlessly removed eye disappeared into the tablet. It took almost a full minute for the mare to catch her breath and stand up without shaking. "Ah-... Amazing... To imagine something like that actually exists here... So does that mean what I received will happen?" Pyrite asked, while carefully bringing her hoof to her now empty eye-socket. There was no blood or any other nasty things. Its like the eye had just cleanly left. "I don't know. Most likely it will depend on if you choose to follow the information given or just ignore it and live your life normally. Only now missing one eye, but that would be a small price to pay, should you go for the goal you said. You have the knowledge, it is your choice if you make use of it." was Henas vague answer. "... Well then... I guess I have several things to do. Like meeting somepony special it seems..." mare said before walking out of the lair and eventually the pass. In the following days, Tree Wind broke off his engagement with his unfaithful fiancee, who indeed was after his moneys and reputation. He ended up eventually meeting a nice earth pony mare called Apple Seed, and had a happy family life with lots of foals, causing some ripples in the traditionalist members on both pony races, and even in some strands of fate. Pyrite Blood, deciding to follow the guidance given by the Tablet of Secrets, heading to the unicorn majority town and found the wealthy family of House Blue, carefully worming her way into the family, giving them good advice which caused them to gain great and steady stream of wealth for years to come. So glad was the head of the family, that he asked Pyrite marry his son, Lord Sky Blue, who had his eye for the said mare for a while, which certainly helped them in achieving happy family life. And once again ripples were caused in some groups and in the strands of fate. Hena had no idea that all this was happening, as she was amazed of the size of her library, which she went to check after both ponies had left. The Sphinx's Library... It was well lit and absolutely enormous in size, with spiraling staircases and pillars going waaaaay up towards the distant domed roof to and past the many floors, looong and wide hallways filled with shelves filled to the very brim with books, scrolls, stone tablets of many various sizes, some being even bigger than her, bindings and materials full of countless texts and pictographs of many kinds. Even the architecture seemed to change here and there, like as a mark of a civilizations long, long gone to the sands of time, making way for next one on the new era. Between the shelves there were plenty of tables, table-like platforms and seating areas to read or go over the content of the library. There was even stylized drinking fountains and something that could be called a food vending machines and some toilets here and there, along with some large to medium sized marble sphinx statues sitting on pedestals, that looked like they where keeping watch with their gem encrusted eyes. And all of them looked unique in some of their features. No directional arrows or any other guiding implements where put anywhere, so it could be risky for someone to just wander in here and potentially get literally lost in books. Luckily there where plenty of empty archway-portals leading out of the library, but only one leading in. After doing her little check around the library, or at least a small part of it, Hena returned to the 'starting area', where stood a huge sphinx statue made of solid gold or gold-like substance, wearing a majestic looking nemes (a striped pharaoh headdress) while laying down, clearly being some kind of a centerpiece of the place. At its base was a plaque with a text saying "Ask for a one book, scroll or tablet, and I shall find it for you" on it, with several comfy looking reading spots around it. "Well I could read something light... May I have the earliest accurate history book of this era?" Hena said to the statue, which golden eyes glowed for a moment, then Henas ears heard something flying towards her, looking at the direction the sound. There she saw a book floating towards her, stopping at the grabbing distance of her. Now having something to pass the time, Hena settled down on one the reading spots with the book and proceeded to start a hopefully enjoyable reading session for now. Until someone would try to go past her lair...