The Sphinx Queen raises the crystal glass to bask it in the rays of the sun; it sparkles in brilliant light, colouring the liquid inside in all colours of the rainbow. She gazes at the dancing liquid, her eyes filled with wonder. But there was more in her deep eyes; there was a memory of something magical.

“As long as I live, I’ll never forget our first meeting. [DesertMirage].”

Like the rainbow in her glass, a brilliant mirage comes alive, filling the space with colourful images and vivid sounds. Through it, she tells a charming tale.

===[Mirage]===

The Sphinx had just the right riddle, one which stood the test of time. Neither wised kings nor battle-hardened warriors were able to answer it. Grinning down at her prey she purrs out her iconic riddle.

"What has one voice, walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?"

A wyrmling rumbles a deep chuckle. “Meow, but why must it be you who asks? I have a riddle of my own, something I’ve prepared just for you, meow-meow.

“…” The sphinx blinks. No one had ever dared to turn the game upon her. How… daring. How… audacious.

“Meow?! What’s up with that look? Are you afraid of a challenge? Afraid to lose?”

“I am not! Make your riddle, wyrm.”

The wyrm’s golden eyes gleam in mischief. “Then tell me, Riddle-Mistress.” His voice is like shifting sands, smooth and deep.

"What burns without flame, yet sets the strongest of hearts ablaze?

What cages the wildest beast, yet has no bars or chains?

What makes a queen of any who bear it, yet cannot be stolen or gifted?"

The Sphinx flicks her tail in excitement, her ears twitching at the question. She knew that answer before he had even finished, but the way he spoke it, the way his gaze roamed over her form as if she were the answer itself – oh, the wyrm was clever.

“Beauty.” She purrs an answer, lips parting in a slow, pleased grin. “A smooth tongue for a beast of scales, I liked your riddle.”

The wyrm only chuckles again, pleased that she had caught his meaning. But he was not done. His coils shift, his scales sparkling in the desert sun as if poised to dazzle her.

“Another, meow. One more, for the Lady of Riddles,” he meowls enticingly.

Without waiting for her agreement, the wyrm speaks his riddle. Each word is spoken with burning heat, hot like the desert sun, but instead of scalding, it’s just pleasantly warm.

Words full of fiery passion are spoken.

“Who are they, who are both ancient and eternally young?

Who are they, who are adorned with the strength of a lion and the grace of a falcon?

Who are they, whose gaze holds the secrets of ages, and whose voice echoes with the wisdom of time?”

She arched a brow, then let out a soft, pleased purr. “Now you seek to flatter me,” her cheeks flush. “The answer is a Sphinx.”

The wyrm meowls in approval, his voice rumbling. “Meow! Indeed, and she is the most enchanting answer.”

The Sphinx, for once, found herself a fitting match. She was used to playing with mortals, watching them squirm beneath her questions, revelling in their foolish demise. But here was one who knew how to play his riddles well, using her wisdom in his own favour.

A dangerous Wyrm for sure…

“You are bold, Wyrm, to so brazenly turn the riddles against me.”

“And you are radiant, my Sphinx, to answer them so well,” he meowled smoothly, whispering in the desert wind.

The Wyrm coils closer to her, his eyes gleaming with something dangerous, his scales shimmering like a molten treasure under the scorching skin. He lifts his head, his posture poised to strike the final blow.

"What jewel outshines the sun, yet is never set in gold?

What treasure is sought by kings and dragons, yet cannot be hoarded?

What has a beauty that ensnares, wisdom that enchants, and a voice that lulls even the fiercest desert beasts into submission?

Tell me, Sphinx, what do I desire the most?

"

The Sphinx stills, her tail curls, her wings flicking as the weight of his words sank into her.

She knew the answer. Oh, she knew it well.

Slowly, a sunny grin stretched across her lips. Then, she stretched like a great cat, her wings flexing, her golden coat glistening. “My, my…” She purrs. “A Wyrm who knows how to spin words like silk.”

The Wyrm chuckles, his smile mimicking hers. “I have great teachers. So? What’s the answer?”

She met his gaze, amber to gold, her cheeks burning like the sun above.

“The answer…” She purrs a murmur, voice heated like a desert breeze. “… is me~.”

The Wyrm nods, coiling ever closer. “Precisely. Now, come and be my Queen, my Lady of the Riddles, my dearest Sphinx.”

This was not how it worked. This was not how the riddles were meant to go.

All three times, she got it right, and yet she felt defeated. No… she felt something else.

For once, the Sphinx had no retort; only the heat of the desert sun, and the heat of something far more dangerous coiling in her chest.

===[Mirage END]===

“Of course, the riddling didn’t end there. But let’s not go into detail about what happened next.” She made a pleased purr, her cheeks blushing. “My meowling, ahh, he knows how to riddle a lady.” She purrs again, hotter this time.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“I see… So, he made you his Queen?”

“Yes. I am his scorching sun and he is my desert wind; we are destined to be together~. Ahh, Isn’t my meowling just the best thing ever~?”

“Hmm… I guess he’s all right.”

“More than that, he is great~. He’s the Great Desert Wyrm, the only and true Pharaoh of the Scorching Desert!”

“You’re so devoted to him.” He nods with a happy smile, his eyes landing on a certain item left on the nightstand. “Now I understand why you got a delight made in his image.” He looks at the rod in the shape of the wyrmling.

“Oh… Ahh… umm…” The Sphinx rushes to the nightstand, quickly showing the rod in the top drawer. “Sorry about that. I forgot I’ve left it there.”

“Huh? It’s quite all right. Nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s actually very cute of you to have a magical rod fashioned in the image of your beloved. By the way, I’ve been told many of the rods are collectable. Is it the only one you have?”

“…” She pauses bashfully, her cheeks reddening. “My meowling is enough. I don’t need other delights, just one.”

“So not a collector then. I’m asking because I’ve got one for my wife.” He takes the delight out of his inventory. “What do you think?”

“Spider King…” The sphinx looks, her eyes growing wide. “This is very impressive. A legendary delight… Just how many functions does it have?”

“As you can see it’s packed with enchantments, so loads. But I haven’t been able to test it.”

“Oh my… what are you trying to say…” She flutters her wings.

“Huh? I’ve been told these rods are powerful, even dangerous, so you know…”

“I see… I just thought you want to test it now…” she turns away, hiding her eyes.

“I’m not even sure how to use them. But can I? Can you show me how?”

“Spider King, what are you saying… I’m a married woman you know…” She hides her face behind the wings.

“Huh?”

“I’m flattered, I am, but this is something you should do with your wife, the Lamia Queen.”

“Oh, I get it. After all, it is her gift.” He puts the legendary delight back into his inventory.

“Phew….”

For some reason, the air in the room grows awkward.

As if to clear that air the sphinx lets a deep sigh, her wings flapping to cool her heated body.

“Say, Spider King, was this a test?”

“Huh? What?”

“To test my loyalty. To my dearest mewling, and to you?”

“What a strange question… I’m not here to test anyone. I was just curious about you two, that’s all.”

“My loyalty lies with my dearest mewling, so don’t tempt me like that alright?” Her tail flicks out with determination.

“I still don’t get it. But alright. Speaking of which, where is he? I really need to talk to him.”

“Right… I think I’ve delayed you enough. Come, I’ll escort you to my dearest meowling.”

She leads him through the WyrmPalace, taking him deeper, lower, to the inner reaches.

They end up either in the basement or the palace dungeon, whatever you want to call it. But it wasn’t quite that either. It was a huge space, much like storage would be, but it was filled to the brim with various items of gold. There were piles of chalices, candelabras, cutlery, plates, frames, sculptures, and all sorts of other gold items.

This was even more gold than he had in the treasury of the Spider Kingdom.

“So much…” The Spider King looked with a slack jaw.

“Yes~,” the Sphinx purred. “Our hoard of treasures. We pulled them together. Isn’t it magnificent?”

Yes, yes it was. But there was more to it.

In the middle of the hoard, slotted in the flooring, there was a vat full of molten gold. Spiders and fennec alike were running towards the vat, dropping golden items inside. Even the magnificent statue of the wyrmling was painstakingly dragged through the floor and then hurriedly dropped into the molten gold pool.

“What’s going on…” The Spider King was left confused.

“Meow!” Out of the pile of gold, a noodly fellow slithered towards him, his tail kicking the scattered gold around. He’s bigger and longer than the Spider King remembered, but clearly still a juvenile wyrm. “Greetings Master!” The wyrmling welcomed him with a stretched tail.

“What’s happening here?” He asks.

“Meow? I’m destroying the eviden… I mean, I’m melting all my gold.”

“Your statues too? You’re melting them?! I can’t believe it…”

“What statues? Meow? I’m melting everything, yes. Making coins.”

“Coins?”

“Meow, have a look. [Inventory].”

Seemingly out of thin air, a tiny portal opens. A coin flies out of the portal and right into the Spider King’s hand.

This coin wasn’t just money, it was a piece of art. The rim of it was framed by a coiling wyrm, the Great Desert Wyrm himself. He ate his own tail completing the perfect circle. On one side there was an embossed image of three imposing spiders, nested close to each other like brothers in arms. The three were: Lord G Bling, Spider Archmage, and Spider Advisor. The three had a somewhat menacing look about them, almost as if they were ready to jump out of the coin and strike. The other side had an incredibly detailed image of the SpideryPalace, it was surrounded by endless fields of tomgrape vines.

“Amazing… but why?”

“Because, meow, the barter system can do only so much.”

He was right, the Monster Realm traded mostly by swapping one item for the other. Sometimes it was for now-fallen Holy Empire coins, but that was a rare exception.

The wyrmling continues, his tail pointing at the massive coin press by the molten gold vat.

“By the edict of the Spider Council, meow, I’ve been entrusted in overseeing the minting of the coins.”

“I get it. What a brilliant idea! But isn't this your gold? You’re even melting your statues…”

“What statues, meow? By the way, a good portion of the hoard belongs to my wife.”

He looks at the wife in question, who was patiently standing all the time, her eyes solely locked on the wyrmling. “But Sphinx Queen, are you alright with that?”

“Ah!? Sorry, I’ve got distracted… What is mine is his. My dear meowling can do whatever he likes with the hoard. *Smooch!” She leaps to kiss the wyrmling on the head.

“Meow! Not in front of my Meowster! … And what is mine is yours, Master. This is a gift from us to you.”

“A gift? I still can’t believe that you’re willing to part with your gold so easily… There must be a trick.” He gives the wyrmling a piercing stare.

The Sphinx leaps to reply. “There is no trick. I’m marrying into your family, so part of it is my dowry to you, Spider King. I’ll be looking after your son from now on, please bless our marriage.”

“A son…” He wasn’t sure the word quite fit. “He’s my familiar… but it is true that I sort of hatched him.” He mumbles mostly to himself. “A son then… Fine, you have my blessing. I hope you live happy and in prosperity.”

“Yes! *Smooch!”

“Meow~!”

[ChaosBlessed activated]

A Wyrm and Sphinx both look at each other, then to the Spider King.

“ChaosBlessed, meow?” He tilts his head.

“ChaosBlessed? … Thank you?” She flicks her wings.

“Erm… You’re welcome?”

Truthfully, he didn’t know what it did exactly. But a blessing is a blessing, so no point in overthinking it.

“Meow. By the way, Master, you’ve come earlier than expected. Neither the gold coins nor the pyramid is finished. Meow…”

“Yes.” The Sphinx adds with a nod. “The wedding ceremony is still weeks away.”

“Meow-meow, do you intend to stay?”

“I’ve rushed in because I was shocked by the news. But after seeing the Sphinx Queen and talking with her for a bit, I know you are in good hands. I can’t stay, but I’ll be back for the ceremony with the Lamia Queen, and perhaps… Centauri Champion.”

“Meow? Centauri Champion, meow-meow~…” The wyrmling leans to whisper to his wife.

“Oh my…” the Sphinx gives the King a sultry look. “…so the two of them…”

“Meow… Meow-meow~, *Whisper-Whisper.”

“… just like in that novel… what was the title again?”

“Meow… ‘The perfect ride for the perfect Master’, I think.” He whispers.

“Hah! You know whispering right in front of the King is quite rude! And who's writing these novels? I really need to talk with them!”

…

From that day on, all the Monster Realm coins were minted in the WyrmCity.

Not only minted there but stored as well.

The hoard of gold only swelled with each passing day.

As the Monster Realm grew so did the piles of the treasure.

That was The Trick!

While the coins belonged to the Spider King, the wyrmling was the custodian of them, hence getting to store them in his hoard; and that was what mattered.

So many coins, so many.

Moreover, they even carried the image of him on the rim, so in a sense he had thousands upon thousands of mini-statues of himself.

So what if few left his hoard? – Even better, because as they left they carried the glory of the Great Desert Wyrm, spreading it all around the Monster Realm.

Meow~!

– Great Desert Wyrm; the Only and True Pharaoh of the Scorching Desert; minter of all the coins; owner of the Greatest Hoard in the world; dearest meowling of the most beautiful and the wisest Sphinx Queen; envy of all dragons, drakes, wyrms, kobolds, and men alike.