Chapter 28

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[Dungeon]

“Which creature that lives without gazing upon the grace of the stars, walks upon four legs in the morning when the dawn rays do pierce the sky yet remain unseen. Upon two legs in the afternoon when the baking sun warms its sunken home and upon three legs in the evening when the endless night folds in?” the sphinx continued, her velvet sultry tones distracting.

I pondered for a moment, four legs… two legs… three legs. Some form of metamorphosis then. Tadpoles had no legs, then two legs as they began to morph then four legs once they were a frog. So, not them.

As I thought about the riddle, I looked back over the sphinx, she had settled down to watch me as I puzzled it out., intent it seemed to wait for however long I needed it.

After thinking for a while, I had nothing, there was no animals that I could think of that morphed in such a way.

Four legs…

Plenty of animals walked on four legs, wolves, cats, horses that those silly humans loved so much. Yep, plenty of animals walked on four legs.

Two legs…

Again, plenty of animals walked on two legs, birds, all of them, humans, dwarves, elves even the beast-men walked on two legs often.

But three legs…

No, there wasn’t much that walked on that, in fact the only thing I could think of was the sentry golems that I had seen in the store. No insects or bugs that had wandered in and nothing I had seen thus far walked on three legs.

Tripedalism didn’t seem very efficient a design, it would always be unbalanced for directional movement.

So, perhaps I was taking it too literally.

Four legs… two legs… three legs…

No stars… sunken home… endless night…

Perhaps it lives underground, then it would never see stars, it lives in a sunken home and the endless night would be… death. Sweet death would be the endless night. so the riddle is talking about life in general.

It took a few moments before I thought of it. Crawling… crawling on four legs, standing on two legs and with a cane for three legs.

Tricky sphinx

“A dwarf, who is born a baby underground, never seeing the morning rays and crawling on four legs, who grows up in the sunken homes beneath the mountains and live on two legs and then who’s weak aging bodies use canes to stabilise themselves. A dwarf lady sphinx.”

“Well done master, an easy riddle solved adeptly. Perhaps you hold some hope after all. We shall see… what do you require?”

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“Thank you, sphinx,” I replied cautiously. The warning note from the store about them being dangerous to dungeons still present in my mind. She could see me and though I didn’t feel threatened I was certain she could cause all manner of chaos. Especially when I was unable to act directly because of the adventurers. Oh yes, I could see how she could cause trouble, best be polite and perhaps she could be good company. She was certainly intelligent enough.

“I am building a glorious dungeon, the likes of which I am sure will have never graced this world before. Sweeping caverns and floors of impossibly intricate design that will bring adventurers from across the world to challenge me. And many many deaths to quench our appetites. And you, my beautiful sphinx will be able to challenge them to a test of wit, a test I’m sure they will fail time and time again for there is nought as sharp of wit as you. And when those bumbling buffoons fail, then you can have the pleasure of sharpening your claws in them, gutting them… feasting upon them…” I told her, the vision for this place grand in my eyes, a vision so real I could almost walk around it.

Her high-pitched laughter broke my thoughts like the tinkling of broken glass, and I came back to reality. To my small dungeon, I may have made progress, but I was sure I had a long way to go.

“A nice vision master, but can you pull it off? Can you do that which you say? After all, if wishes were fishes, we’d all eat for a thousand years master, will I be hungry?” the sphinx replied, seemingly questioning me.

“Lady sphinx, you shall be happy and fed on the bodies of the adventurers too weak to fight you and too stupid to solve your riddles, of that you have my guarantee. Come, let me show you the dungeon, I would have you see the worlds I have created.” I replied, nervously, yet trying desperately to keep it out of my voice. The sphinx dipped her head in acquiescence, and I guided her up through the dungeon. It wasn’t hard for her to navigate it, flying making the process a lot easier. Nor did anything wish to challenge her. I was glad, though I could control everything in the dungeon, it took an active will and I was sure I would need it for dealing with her. Something told me this was only the first step in her tests. I was sure she wasn’t done yet. Master only in name I thought to myself.

I showed her the gently waving grasses of the forests and woodlands that were my early levels, of the insects and bugs, of the voles and mice and of the wolves and cats and eagles. I showed her the trees that were as tall as the tallest of trees that the surface dwellers had seen and the bountiful treasure that was but waiting to be found.

I showed her the harsh winter that loomed over the ice levels, the yeti’s wrapped in their warm coats, disguised as one of the many snow drifts, the ice phantasms, and the orcas. I showed her the ice run and the mirrors and the synth cat that had driven the adventurers from my core.

And then I showed her the fire and heat, the dry desert and grand temple, the gorge and the would-be volcano for my boss level.

And when I finished showing her all that I had done I asked her to be a part of my world, a part of the dungeon.

“What do you think sphinx?”

“It is… ok… a good start but not the masterpiece that you said would draw people from far away lands. Not even a guild at your doors. No, you have a lot of work to do… master”

“You’re right, I do, lots to be done, truly there’s so much to do and so little mana and time in which to do it. But what say you sphinx, will you join me?” I asked, hoping she would agree, I wasn’t sure what would happen if she didn’t.

“Very well master, I shall join you… for now, we will see if you have what it takes eh…” she replied, slowly thinking over her words.

“I’m glad sphinx, but I can’t keep calling you that… if you are joining me, I must think of a name for you…”

She growled, turning to glare at me…

“You think you have the right to name me?” she spat out.

“Of course not, my lady, just to suggest a name to you” I replied cursing my stupidity.

“You’re all right dungeon, if you can solve my riddle, I shall let you suggest a name for me to consider, remember I am a cat, a queen amongst the lowly creatures, the name you suggest must be fitting, or else I shall be most upset.”

“Of course,” I replied nervously.

“Two bodies have I

Yet joined into one

The more still I stand

the faster I’m gone

what am I?”