Pass of the Sphinx

by J-90

Chapter 9 They have combos of those now?

"This... This is a truly amazing place... I... I can barely even wrap my head around to even trying to start comprehending the amount of knowledge stored here." Hermes said, clearly over his head as he looked on the countless books and other written, carved or otherwise recorded works of the Sphinxs Library. He had thought that he was crossing a line when he finally, after a full month of being friends with Hena, dared to ask to perhaps access the rumored library she was also guarding. He had chosen to steer clear of the two artifacts, after hearing Henas explanation of what they can do. He just wasn't a peeper and liked his body wholly intact.

"And all it required was a simple request to see and enter it. I think you are the first outsider who has got to visit here." Hena commented as she followed after the amazed griffin lad.
"I still find it hard to believe that your fellows and superiors in Wissen are apparently okay with you coming to visit me."

"Well they do expect me to bring back some little crumbs of knowledge if possible. They are at the moment trying to make educated conclusions about the other sphinx types you once mentioned and are doing some research about the purple one and its potential connection to you. Some rumor at the moment points at some level of lost blood magic, and you did mention something about your blood once."

"Why yes I did, although I haven't really studied said art. And sometimes the lost knowledge outside of this library can get found again, and used for varied purposes. Even knowledge about the powerful ways of healing can be used for wicked ends."

"What? How would that even happen? Or maybe I just don't see such a way."

"Well... All it would take is a creative mind, a restrained target, lets say for a torture as an example, plenty of sharp things for causing pain and that healing knowledge, and you have excruciating and prolonged torture session, like say breaking someones fingers repeatedly. Imagine someone being hurt by the other so much that they begin to beg for the sweet release of death for hours and hours, and all they get is being hurt to the very brink of it, hoping it to finally end... Only to be cured to the perfectly healthy state of their body and then the torture is repeated again and again... Need I go on?" Hena explained, while gently putting her claw his cheek, dragged it down on to his throat and up to his other cheek. No blood was drawn, but her point certainly got through, if griffins slightly paled face was any indication.

"No, no need for that. So all I have to do is ask the golden statue for a type of book or other work and it is delivered here?" Hermes said, while changing the subject.

"Yes, just do that if you don't want to go exploring this place on your own. And if you get lost, there are portal archways that will get you out form its depths. So no need to worry about me or someone else finding your elderly body among the shelves. Plus there are these food dispenser things to keep visitors fed if they decide stay a longer while."

"I think I just take some notes for later use for now from few books that might come to mind. Maybe something in the history sections... May I work alone, or will you be keeping me company?"

"As much as I would like to, I have a feeling that I need to be on guard today in the pass. Enjoy your little reading session. And I trust you won't damage the books or other works stored here."

With that Hena left somewhat giddy Hermes to his task, while exiting the library through the gateway back to her lair, passing the artifacts and her toll-pile, to do her job for the day. With the visits from the griffin, she was starting to gradually feel more happy with her current situation in life.
Now taking her position on her usual altar-stone-spot, she began to wait any potential travelers to test, or gather a toll. Or by any potential chance off them.

It only took almost an half an hour for something to happen, which turned out to be a familiar mix-and-match creature coming down the path, hurriedly pedaling some weird contraption that kinda looked like a giant horn on two wheels with gears here and there on it, along with some small pipes puffin smoke as it moved. It even had a little flag in the back.

"Well that certainly looks like a good way to get around town." Hena commented as the draconequus stopped before her spot in the middle of the pillars, as his drive seemed to suddenly run out of juice, or whatever it used for locomotion.

"Sure is, if only it had a good warranty." Discord said as he got off from the contraption and a folded it like a paper cutout and put it behind him... Somewhere...
"So looks like we meet once again, miss Hena. Any chance I could get by for free? Pretty please?"

Before Hena could answer, a small scroll popped up next to Discord, which he picked up and red aloud, once again most of it reversed except for the names.

"That darn wailing harpy. She already got the house and the kids. What more could she even want?"

"I'm guessing you have to take the riddle, pay me the toll or try to combat me?" Hena commented as she thought what Discord muttered this time.

"Yeeesh... Guess I'll take the riddle then. So go ahead and ask. Shouldn't be too tricky for me." Discord said while tossing the small scroll away, that just disappeared as Hena began her riddle, middle of which he realized the self induced jinx.

"I come for all who grow, crawl, and walk.
I am the perfect hunter.
In the end, I am the victor.
What is my name?"

Discord did not instantly answer, mostly due to his powers seemingly getting a sudden nerf that luckily felt temporary in nature, thus blocking him from looking up the answer instantly in some comedic way. Must have been something enforced by some silent bylaws and side-notes of The Rules set up by sphinx blackmail-happy superiors.

"Ookayh, lemme think a bit..." Discord said thoughtfully, while tapping his eyeball, which made a squeaky sound like that of a dog-toy. During the following minutes, the draconequus floated and walked back and forth, making varied humming, bubbling, raspberry, bird and other kinds of sounds while clearly thinking. Hena managed to keep up her 'professional-poker-face' during the whole thing, while keeping a steady and calm looking watch over Discord.
"Maybe future?... No, no it just feels almost right, but not quite... Or maybe..."

"So are you getting there yet? I might be ageless but I'd like not be kept waiting too long." Hena inquired.

"Ugh, fine. I just say the answer is future. Right? I'm kinda in a hurrrry..." Discord said with some impatience, when a terrifying feeling of dread interrupted him. Even the sphinx looked taken aback with the sudden oddness in the power-boost flowing into her, barely managing to say one word in a twisted sounding tone.
"WrOnG..."

The spirit of chaos and disharmony could only watch as the sphinx began to morph into... Something incomprehensible, even to him, as the time seemed to slow down around them, seemingly stretching out the moment on purpose.
Finally the new form of the sphinx seemed to stabilize itself enough to look down, up, front, behind, around, everywhere and nowhere at the draconequus with its eyes. Or what was its equivalent to such an earthly organ that actually made sense.
"FiNaL cHaNcE, I gUeSs, tO tRy sOmE oThEr pIcK..."

"I switch to toll, I SWITCH TO TOLL!" Discord called out urgently, even waving a cute and tiny white flag. With the last second swap, Hena returned back to her normal form, looking rather relieved of having normal amount of organs and limbs again.
"How about we DO NOT do that again?... EVER..."

"Agreed... I maaybe could have duked it out, buuuut... I don't think anyone will wan't me to 'let loose'... Even I would go beyond mad even more than usual from that."

"Right... So what will you be paying the toll with? Not with catnip I hope?"

"No no, no worries of that. Way too easy and too obvious for my taste... Hold on a bit if you please..." Discord said while pulling out a tiny book, titled 'THE Rules' and something else written with odd symbols. After speed-reading few pages, he seemed to come up with an idea.
"How about I grant, or 'unlock' if you like, the knowledge to your Time magics capability to its most basic level in return for the safe passage? Safest I can do without getting into trouble with the cops... Absolutely no hook, plan, catch, flirba, trick or any other small print equivalent. The latter would require an actual written contract too."

"You swear?"

"By my scout's honor, by the river Styx and by the vacation home of my dear mommy."

"Very well then... So do we do this? You seem to have some odd ways of doing things."

"Oh I think I do have one good method give you the basics." Discord said as he started to dig around his ear, finally pulling out a small book named 'Time-magic for rookies' and handed it to Hena. Oddly it was made with two backs, like it was not meant to be physically opened without damaging its content.
"Here you go. Just eat it whole. Don't ask, just do it. The book will do the rest."

With a raised brow, Hena looked at the double-backed book for a moment before tentatively bringing it to her lips. That was when the book began to glow, now feeling much more flexible. Deciding to follow Discords advice, sphinx started to push the glowy book deeper in her mouth and finally forcing it down her throat with an audible gulp. With that came a rush of knowledge in her mind, telling her what was okay and what was not in the use of Time-magic.

'I see now. So now I can semi-freely move the time of things or create a bubble of frozen time for six minutes worth of time at maximum, while personally being able to move freely. With the exception if I have some boost of power from somewhere or while working in my lair, where I can make my targets age up or regress by twenty years at best... But with a truly potent boost, there most likely are so many possibilities I could do to a suitable single target. Only have to remember to use it sparingly and not too far in a large scale, and that it won't and can't kill or bring anyone back from the dead...' Hena internally monologued about the basic information she had just received.

"There you go my good lady. Oh and remember; never, ever, ever, EVER... Mess with the Time lines. That WILL get you in trouble with the cops. Try starting and sticking to small things or singular mortals most of the time. The rest of the power and potency stuff you have to acquire with the good old practice, and it still most likely will tire you out BAD. Oh and before I leave, what was the answer to the riddle, if I may inquire?" said Discord, who was now preparing his odd horn-on-wheels-thing for travel.

"Certainly. It was Death. Quite simple if one thinks it over from several angles I'd say."

"Darn, my second guess would have been legend... That darn clever bird always giving a vague list of answers..." Discord mumbled as he began pedaling away, disappearing behind a random rock.

"Definitely a good way to get around town." Hena commented, while noticing a small rock falling down near her. After thinking about for a short moment she decided to test her newly unlocked knowledge of wielding Time.
Focusing on the rock, she began to see an after-image of its falling route, that looked like an another rock was stretching out of the original. There also seemed to be a stopped ethereal clock face or a dial of sorts floating next to it, clearly waiting for something.

Deciding to take Discords advice and start small, she pointed at the dial, making its hand glow, and moved it maybe forty seconds worth of time backwards and then broke her focus. And almost right on that second, the stone began to move backwards, climbing up the rock face it fell down from, before stopping and falling down again, right down to the exact spot it originally fell.
Hena decided to leave it at that, and not examine it too much. She was not that concerned if it was THE exact angle it landed on or not. And since there was no signs reality tearing itself apart or collapsing on itself or any sign of 'the cops' the chaos spirit warned her about, this was most likely safe sort of moving the time of some things.

"Hmmm... Might need some more livelier test subjects for some other time." she thought out loud, feeling a sudden spike of tiredness come over her, that made her yawn quite widely. This lead to decision to take a short nap to maybe recover a little.

'Hmh? Beating of wings? Two, no... Three pairs of wings... Well time for another group of visitors then.' Hena thought as she woke up, stretching very much like a cat, being fully awake by the time when the new visitors arrived by landing from a low flight to her lair area. Said three visitors looked like a mix of all pony types she had seen mushed together and polished up a little bit.
First one was a rather tall pony was pure white in its fur color, with a simply cut red mane, wearing a simple laurel on its blue-eyed, horned head. The second shorter, magenta eyed one was also white, or maybe a very, VERY light pink, with a vibrant pink mane and wearing small golden crown and peytral. And finally the third little shorter one who was deep blue with lighter blue mane with equally light blue eyes, wearing blackened crown and peytral.

"Well aren't you an interesting set of equines." Hena commented, drawing the attention of the trio. Were they perhaps family or something?

"And thou must be the beast that terrorizes this pass." the whitish-maybe-perhaps-pink pony said back to her, with her wings bristling a bit. The comment seemed to make the tall one sigh quietly, like this was not the first time when such a comment had been made.

"Sister! Didn't thou promise mother not to say such comments to other creatures?" the blue one said.

"Yes, but this one has killed many travelers already. Clearly it is dangerous and must be contained."

"Oh please pink-head, there most likely are things faaaar more dangerous in and on this plane than me. And if you really think like that, you might need to take a look in the mirror first and actually think things over first." Hena butted in the conversation while looking over her claws a little bit.
"Pardon me for a moment, if you please." she continued, standing up from her spot and walking over to her sharpening-wall, with the three ponies actually waiting. Or maybe it was due to the tallest one giving the other two a look that pretty much said "WAIT" and practically radiated Authority.
With her moment of peace secured, Hena proceeded to sharpen her claws with a nice, long drag on the wall, leaving yet another set of claw marks on it, while causing that oh so wonderful grating sound she had gotten used to. The two siblings of the trio clearly had not, if the ample bristling of their fur was any indication, along with some shaking and visible teeth clenching. The tall one merely folded her ears a little bit, definitely being the one with thicker skin compared to the other two. With her sharpening work done, sphinx returned sitting on her spot.
"Now then. Who might you be coming this way? Certainly you have heard of me somewhere? Or at least most of the ponies have herd a rumor of some level of this pass being a dangerous one. Oh and before calling me just a creature, I am a sphinx. Hena is my name." she introduced herself, clearly talking only to the tall pony, who gave her a respectful nod before talking.

"I am Queen Faust of Equestria. These two are my daughters, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. We are following the trail of an chaos spirit known as Discord and it led us this way. Have you perhaps seen him? He looks like a mix of several creatures, and may have been travelling on some odd contraption." Faust asked in a surprisingly polite tone for a ruler of a country.

"Perhaps. Many creatures go past here every now and then. Some get to pass, some do not. So what will it for you? Are ya going trough here or maybe turn back and go by the main-road? Because the former requires you to pay me a toll, answer my riddle or to defeat me in combat."

"Then all we have to do is to defeat you beast!" the one called Celestia called out while stepping forward, followed by her magically summoning an golden armor and a fancy looking halberd, both looked more fitting for a parade than an actual battlefield.

"Oh? So you're thinking of choosing combat right away?" Hena inquired as she started to stalk closer to Celestia, like a predator approaching its potential prey. Finally standing almost right before the little princess and she bowed her head to have a closer look at Celestias now clearly a little intimidated gaze, now that the beast was basically right at her face.
"Are you certain? If you have a killer in you, I don't see it in your eyes. All I'm seeing there, is just a little princess playing a warrior. So I ask you again, little princess... Are you certain you wish to challenge ME?!" sphinx said, even shouting suddenly at the end of her question, while spreading her wings wide open, which in turn caused the 'little princess' to stumble backwards and fall on her bottom.

"Celestia, don't do any more rash decisions while we are still here. You and Luna should just go and pay the toll for your safe passage." Faust said, perhaps feeling a little disappointed for her daughters behaviour.

"But mother, this thing-"

"IS NOT OUR TARGET!! Now pay her a toll and wait. Do you understand?" she interrupted Celestia with a very firm order and a glare so strong that even Hena felt it. And it was all that was needed to cow the disobedient foal of a princess. Younger of the sibling also seemed also intimidated of their mothers apparent disapproval, even though it wasn't targeted at her.

"... Yes mother..." was all the little princess could say, before she removed her armors helmet and grumpily offered it to the sphinx, who of course accepted it.

"Hmmm... Looks expensive and impractically fancy. Almost like its former owner." Hena commented out loud, mostly to herself, not really caring at the moment if these ponies took offence. Aside from pink maned princess stomping past her.
After the first passage of three was done, the one called Luna sheepishly approached and offered a curved dagger, which was also accepted.
"Also expensive, yet finely crafted. Could actually be useful at something." Hena commented to herself out loud once again, as the blue pony walked past her safely.

"And what will you choose, your majesty?" she inquired Queen Faust, who seemed to weigh her options a bit, before talking.

"Is there a special reason for your stay in this pass?"

"Why yes there is. It is a resting place of two artifacts of great power, which I am tasked to guard over. One will grant you sight to see anyone anywhere, even if they're hiding. And the other will give a perfect answer for a price, which can be and is anything and nothing, depending how one thinks of it afterwards."

"So the price could be ones soul or a lock of mane?"

"Yes, and anything in between. And to get a permission to use ONE of them, you need to answer my riddle or defeat me. So what will it be? Toll? Riddle or Combat?"

Queen thought it for a moment, which seemed to make her daughters nervous. Finally she made her choice.

"I would like to try my luck with your riddle."

"Certainly. But as you might guess, IF you fail I am required to kill you... Nothing personal, it's just required by my duty."

"Well, let us see what way the Fates have chosen for us."

Hena was actually pleased to meet such a polite member of Royalty as she asked the riddle.

"There are two sisters.
One gives birth to the other
and she, in turn, gives birth to the first.
Who are these two sisters?"

As the queen seemed to take her time thinking over the riddle, the two princesses looked worried. Both of them most likely stumped by the riddle. The sphinx waited patiently, even taking a short moment to groom her mane a little bit, as the queen kept on trying to figure out an answer. Neither of them seemed to pay attention at the moment to the two princesses whispering in the background.

"Sister? What should we do? If mother answers wrong, the kingdom will certainly collap-"

"It won't Luna. If that beast even thinks of cutting one hair on mothers mane, I will make her regret it..." older sister said, either trying to soothe younger ones worries or perhaps making a promise to herself?

"I think I got, Lady Hena." Faust finally said in a polite tone. "The answer is Sun and Moon, and alternatively Day and Night. Am I correct?"

"Indeed you are correct. You may pass, and use one of the artifacts in my care. If you wish that is." Hena said with a pleasant smile.

"Actually I think I might have a looksie at those artifacts. Who knows, maybe they give me a hint where that chaotic trickster is now. Luna? Please make sure your sister stays here and waits."

With the choice made, Hena led the alicorn queen to her lair proper, who looked around with some curiosity, before focusing on the two artifacts, while sphinx deposited the received tolls to the pile with the rest.

"The Tablet will give you an absolutely perfect answer to any goal-based question. And the Mirror will show you the requested target with absolute clarity, no matter how hidden they are, but only when asked in rhyme. So? Which will you be using, your majesty?" Hena asked Faust, who was visibly thinking over the given choice. Finally she stepped towards the Mirror, which was already showing its neutral mist filled image, waiting for the rhyme.

"Hello Mirror, how are thee? Can thy show me where Discord might be?"

After the rhyme was said, Queen Faust watched as the mists in the Mirror swirled and finally parted to show shoreline of a fjord with a familiar looking city at the end of it, before it zoomed closer to something in the waters. That turned out to be an odd boat with some kind of paddle-wheels on it and small smoke clouds puffing from pipes at the top of it. And on the rudder of it was a familiar draconequus wearing some kind of sailor hat, seemingly whistling an unheard tune.

"There you are Discord. Thank you for letting me use such an artifact." the pony queen said with a small thankful bow, which sphinx gladly returned. It's not everyday you get a visit from an actually polite member of royalty.
The shared moment of seemingly mutual respect ended abruptly when someone bumped against the rear of the sphinx with a startled squawk, making both of them turn to watch at the direction of the sound. Source turned out to be, now slightly panicking, griffin Hermes leaving the portal arch of the Library, carrying a bag full of notes.

"I am so sorry Lady Hena. I was just rather excited from all the bits of knowledge I managed to scribble up-... Oh, I did not know you had a guest of royal status here too..." he said in a hurry, somewhat calming his hurried tone when seeing the royal alicorn and gave a proper bow at her direction.

"Please young lad, no need for that, this is not my court. You must be one the scholars of Wissen, yes? Your bag at least has their emblem. "Faust commented pleasantly, while looking at the emblem on Hermes's bag. A sword and a long rolled up parchment crossed over a round shield.

"Y-yes, I am. I was just about to thank lady Hena for allowing me to enter her library to take some notes for my fellow scholars. So much knowledge in there I can't even fathom..."

"Well you might have to hurry. The Spirit of Chaos Discord seemed to just leave you town of scholars."

"What! By gods and spirit, if anything has gotten damaged!... Lady Hena if such thing has happened I might need to come by more often. Hopefully it won't be a problem?" Hermes visibly panicked with suddenly puffed up feathers, looking at Hena pleadingly.

"Of course it won't be. Now hurry up and fly home you fluffball." Hena said nodding at the direction of the doors. Without hesitating, Hermes spread his wings and took flight right out the doorway, not even bothering to greet the two princesses when flying by them. Not out of disrespect, but out of the urge to help preserve valuable knowledge the town had gathered for safeguarding.

"He seems like a nice griffin."

"Yes, he is." Hena answered with little smile to Faust's comment.

"Are you two an item perhaps?" alicorn asked with a mischievous smile, which caused the sphinx to flinch and stutter, while also neding to correct her glasses.

"Whu, what?? What makes you think that?"

"Weeell, his gaze did linger at your rear for a moment and you spoke to him with a pet name. But now I too have to hurry. Hopefully we can meet again, farewell!" she continued while leaving, still smiling. By the time Hena could have answered, all three alicorns had left, most likely to continue their chase after the Chaos spirit.

"Why would she say something like that? Me and that parchment smelling fluffball are just friends...Aaand were did that come from?" Hena thought out loud, while getting mildly confused at the choice of her own words about her fluffba-... Hermes! And to add to her small confusion, she once again herd the odd 'tick-tock'-sound.
'There is that sound again... What on earth does that mean? Could it perhaps be some vague hint of things to come? Or just a random sound in my head that I'm overthinking now?' she thought, before checking the outside of her lair and then heading into the library to do some light reading. Maybe a little bit from a two thousand page block of knowledge this time, followed by some light time-training?

Hermes felt his wings and lungs burning from the nonstop flying, stopping to land near one of the town guards, another griffin, doing a routine patrol. He definitely needed some basic physical exercise.

"Oh Hermes, you came back alive. And even got some notes by the look of things."

"Hi Mark. And yesh, I did gather some interesting knowledge, bhut I think I need to make some more trips in the fhuture. Is everything all right here? I heard that Discord came this way." Hermes gasped back, still catching his breath.

"Oh he certainly did, but we got off easy. Most he did was turn the water in the west-squares fountain into whipped cream. Then he took a look around, noticed one of our building project, apparently said 'Nope, not touching that bureaucratic hamster wheel' and just left in a odd looking boat."

"Huh? Which one was it? We do have couple in progress in town."

"Oh it was the one that Archivist Grogar planned and commissioned to be built."

"Odd. One would think someone like Discord would cause much more mayhem. But on the other hand he seems to have the Queen of Equestria and the two princesses on his tail."

"Well then, lets take those news to the city Council. And they will definitely want to see the notes you collected from your beastie girlfriends library."

"Whuh?! Lady Hena and I are just friends, that's all. Why does everyone in the campus keeps saying that?"

"Well you keep mumbling about 'a trim sphinx bum' whenever you nod off when translating scrolls, and some creatures like to gossip."

"Aaaaaargh..."