"Okay, we're almost there... I think," Eden frowned as she turned the map sideways.

"You think?" her friend Tyrus peered over her shoulder in hope of seeing anything on the parchment, but seeing it still blank he shook his head. Adjusting his inventor's goggles slightly he jotted down different land markers in his journal as they went. It was a system they came up with in case they had to backtrack since the enchanted map wasn't reliable. They lost the regular map in a mishap with a creaky old bridge and three hundred pounds of angry hooligans while finishing a quest to retrieve the emperor's stolen goblet (which Tyrus normally not one to back down from a challenge had not wanted to do).

"So, tell me more about the bridge," said Eden.

"There's a toll price for crossing the bridge."

"Because it crosses into empire territory?"

"Because it's run by a sphinx," Tyrus turned his journal over to an older page showing several depictions of the creature. Some where half woman and half feline from the waist down, while others were just felines with a human head. But what they all had in common was that they all had wings and razor sharp teeth.

"So pay the toll? Or else?"

"Pretty much."

"Alright, what's the currency? Silver, gold, something glittery? Please don't say my firstborn. Because the amount of times that has been counted as valid currency is concerni-"

"Knowledge," Tyrus interrupted, putting his goggles to the top of his head finally looking up to meet Eden's eyes with his own, "the sphinx wants knowledge. She normally gives a riddle. Those who answer right get to go across obviously, and those who don't-"

"Let me guess, they get eaten?" Eden's mind flashes back to the one drawing in the journal of the sphinx roasting something over a fire. Hopefully chicken.

"They used to. Nowadays she normally just turns them away, or she accepts... other forms of payment," Tyrus reached into his satchel and pulls out a giant piece of jerky, "they say this one likes beef."

"Beef is good," Eden nods as she mentally prepares to separate herself from the good piece of jerky she'd been saving.

Up ahead going the opposite direction as them a farmer driving a mule drawn cart suddenly pulls up beside them.

"You folks should probably turn around,” said the Farmer, “There's no crossing the lake."

"Why is that? Is the bridge under construction?” Eden inquired.

The farmer shook his head, “I wish it was. But it’s worse then that.”

“Please don’t say delayed construction,” Tyrus muttered.

“Did a bridge troll takeover?” Eden’s eyebrows creased. Bridge trolls where tough to defeat but, nothing that Eden and Tyrus hadn’t dealt with before.

“Worse. The sphinx has stopped giving riddles.”

“What!” Tyrus’ mouth dropped along with his journal.

“Oh. I’m guessing that’s bad?” Eden shrunk under the incredulous stares from Tyrus and the farmer.

“Travelers alrighty,” the farmer whispered to the mule.

“Bad? If the sphinx isn’t giving out riddles it means no one can cross or she’s eating people,” said Tyrus.

“Not yet she isn’t. But she sounds mighty close to it,” the farmer scratched his head, “She keeps denying the usual toll offerings. Never in my fifteen years of using this bridge has the sphinx ever turned down a good steak.”

“Maybe she’s craving something without hooves,” said Tyrus as he picked up his journal. Eden elbowed him in response.

“Thank you for the warning sir,” Eden smiled at the farmer while ignoring Tyrus’s glare, “But we’re going to keep going. We have to cross that bridge. Besides, the sphinx hasn’t met us yet. We can be pretty convincing if I do say so myself.”

The farmer traded a look with his pack mule then shrugged, “If you insist. Just thought I’d give you folks a warning. Now, could I interest any of you in some produce?”

After the farmer gave some extra food and another map, they walking another mile until finally they came to the lake.

“Woah,” Eden stopped.

It was breathtaking. The air was fresh with the scent of clear water. The stillness of the lake reflected the sky and trees around it like a mirror. The light of the sun glinted across the surface causing the water to sparkle.

“It’s beautiful,” Eden breathed in awe.

“Look,” Tyrus pointed to the right.

Over to the far right following the path they’d been traveling gravel made way for stone until it met the colorful river stones that made up the bridge. From the templelike structure of the roof truss and arch and the pillar like railings Eden could tell it was old. Maybe even older then the temple she and Tyrus had visited recently. But this bridge was well takencare of. Eden could see that a lot of love and care was put into it. Even the statue of the sphinx at the top of the bridge roof still had it’s paint!

Wait.

Eden’s eyes squinted as she strained them to get a better look. Did the statue just blink?

With a shriek the sphinx that most definitely wasn’t a statue unfurled a pair of flaxen colored wings and lifted off the roof of the bridge. Suddenly it was making it’s descent and landed right in front of the two travelers.

The sphinx towered over them, an imposing woman from the chest up draped in white linen with coiffed brown hair adorned with pearls and earrings made of polished river stone. Eden could have mistaken her for one of the ladies of the emperor’s court, if it weren’t for the rest of her being a literal lioness or having razor sharp teeth that glinted in the sunlight. But despite that, Eden couldn’t help be a little bit conscious about the fact that she probably smelled like the farmer’s pack mule and her light brown hair hadn’t left it’s braid for a few days now.

“Greetings,” Eden gave a small wave, “My friend and I have come to-”

“Bargain for travel. Yes, that’s why all you roadkill ever come. Well there is no passage to be found here, So I suggest you look for another way across,” the sphinx turned around preparing to leave.

“Wait! We have payment,” Eden brought out the jerky plus the bacon that the farmer gave holding it up in offering.

“What good is that when the stomach is empty? Now be on with it,” the sphinx began to flap her wings.

No, nononono. This wasn’t good, they needed to cross that lake. Think Eden, think! But it was hard when the eyes of a razor toothed noble lady were on her.

"Um, if I may oh, perplexing one?" Tyrus stepped forward raising his hand like was in class.

"You may speak four eyed one," the sphinx stopped her ascent now bringing all her attention to Tyrus, which is good because now Eden can think, but bad because now her attention is on Tyrus.

"Right," Tyrus' eyes narrowed halfway then smoothened out remembering that the sphinx may not take to kindly to that, "Um, why did you deviate from your usual riddles? Don't get me wrong, changing things up every so often is great but-"

"I know! And that's what I told that feather hearted goodie four shoes too. But did he listen? Noo. Radames said that routine is the structure of which our lives take and to deviate is to break the pillar that keeps our lives in order. Bah!" the sphinx batted a river stone sending it skipping far into the middle of the lake with a plonk.

The sphinx began to pace back and forth, "I'm a Hellenic Sphinx. I don't do noble and steadfast. Not like him. That Pharaonic jerk! What right does he have to demand I change? I'm as wild as the river rapids of Elvie, shouldn't he know that?" her voice cracked at the end.

Oh no. Eden’s eyes widened her eyes locking on to Tyrus's as they both realized the dilemma at the same time.

The sphinx didn’t close down the bridge out of malice. She closed it out of heartbreak.

“You know, maybe fighting the sphinx wouldn't be so bad after all,” Tyrus whispered to Eden.

“Tyrus,” Eden hissed out at him, then walked forward towards the sphinx, “If I may perplexing one?”

“Speak roadkill.”

For the sake of crossing Eden ignored her ire the best she could.

“Have you ever talked to…your friend about any of this?”

“How could I? To measure up to someone so great, and the disappointment to admit that I can’t meet his expectations? No, I already know what he thinks. No need to bring out the inevitable.”

“But you don’t know that for sure though. Not unless you try. What if we went and brought him here?”

The sphinx bared her teeth as she barked out a laugh, “He won’t want to see me. If he did he’d be here.”

“But what if he thinks you don’t want to see him?”

The sphinx reared back as if she’d been bopped in the face and didn’t know what to do about it.

Tyrus shouldered forward angling himself slightly in front of Eden.

“What my friend means is that sometimes things play out differently then you expect. If you did speak to your friend and he reacts like you’d expect then you get the knowledge of being right and at no expense of yourself. But what if you speak to him and things turn out differently? Don’t you at least want the knowledge of knowing for certain? Aren’t you at least a little bit curious?”

The sphinx was still for a moment before nodding her head.

“Very well then. You may try,” the sphinx agreed reluctantly.

"Great! So, where do we find him?" asked Eden.

With a growl the sphinx tore out a piece of parchment from a pocket in her linens and threw it at the feet of the travelers.

Eden picked up the soggy parchment by the edges.

"Make of that what you will. A creature of comfort never deviates from routine," the sphinx said bitterly. Eden and Tyrus stepped back as she began to flap her wings in preparation for take off.

"Hunt down Radames and bring him here to me by nightfall tomorrow. Fail to do so and I hunt you," the sphinx’s eyes narrowed into slits. With a giant flap of her wings she lifted off and flew away.

Slowly Eden and Tyrus turn to face each other.

“Well, nothing could have prepared me for that,” Eden said lightly hoping to lighten the mood.

“Yeah,” Tyrus took out the map that the farmer gave them, “We’d better take a look at the scroll. The sooner we can find this Radames guy the better."