EP 26- MAKING PLANS.

"What do you think is the answer?" Kyra asked still pondering on the riddle.

" Honestly , I don't know". Levi shrugged .

" I got lost immediately he started the riddle."

Avyanna rolled her eyes. She turned to face the Sphinx.

"Hey , you ! How many chances do we get at answering the riddle?"

"Only one , of course." The sphinx replied.

There was an uproar by the remaining members of the Adventurers Society as Eva said this. "Alright ! " Eva gave in.

"But then again..." The sphinx said . "There are three of you , so three chances."

Kyra nodded. " I think I've an answer."

The sphinx was suddenly interested at what the impudent mortal had to say.

"I think that the man who didn't get his hair wet, swam to shore while on a piece of an old wood which must have broken off from the boat when it overturned."

The sphinx spoke again." Is that a definite answer?

Kyra glanced at Conrad who was looking anxiously at her . She gulped and nodded.

"The answer is ..." The sphinx declared.

Su ling held her breath.

"Incorrect! I said the boat capsized but I never stated it broke into pieces You still have two more Chances before I eat you or should I go right ahead?" The sphinx mocked.

"Could it be that The man did not swim at all?" Avyanna muttered.

"Wrong! If he didn't swim how did he get to shore? You have only one last Chance." The sphinx said.

"Wait! That wasn't my final answer, You cheat! " Avyanna accused the sphinx.

"Guys!!!!! My life is on the line!!!!! Stop making stupid guesses!!"" Conrad yell.

"Yell at me one more time and you wish you were eaten by the sphinx ! " Avyanna spoke angrily to Conrad.

Conrad retreated. "You can do it ! I believe in you!" He cheered.

"That's more like it!" Levi was deep in thought. He was confused. He tried to visualize the scenario. The man could have been carried to shore but it was impossible for his hair not to get wet. So what if...

He stepped up. "The answer is he has no..."

Avyanna put her hands on his mouth."He doesn't know what he's saying. We'll just be over here."She dragged him to another location in the vast forest while Kyra followed.

"Do you want to get Conrad killed?", She asked.

"As much as I would like to see that , that wasn't what I had in mind." Levi said.

"We have only one chance left. Since no answers are forthcoming ...

" Didn't I just tell you that I have got an answer ?" Levi questioned "Seems you don't even believe in me . I know that I am unbelievably and dashingly handsome ..."

" But with no brains." Avyanna mocked.

John waved his hand in Eva's face . "I'm right here, Ya know!"

"We have to find another way . And I have no idea what to do." Avyanna said bluntly , ignoring Levi questions.

"If you can't beat them..." Su ling said "You get a stick and give it to someone who can do your beating for you!"

"Isn't the saying 'If you can't beat them , join them?" John said smugly.

"We should focus on the task at hand , not give ourselves more riddles." Kyra said at last.

"That gives me an idea." Avyanna said suddenly.

"That means she's gotten another half-assed crazy idea." Levi scoffed.

"Anything's worth a shot at this point." Kyra said flatly .

"What about if we trick spinx into answering the riddle for us by playing on its vulnerability... After all everything has a weakness." Avyanna explained.

Kyra nodded at her "That's is a good one . It just might work. Outsmarting a con master."

Levi sighed." I will give it to you, that's a pretty decent idea , but need I remind you that we're dealing with A F*****g Sphinx!!!! You CANNOT trick a trickster! So I advise you let him die. Well mourn him for... 2 weeks, tops . We get another Brown haired boy , Same height and mental capability and call him Conrad."

Kyra stared him down and said "That may work for you but not for me. Other reasonable ideas?"

"The only way we can get Conrad out of this predicament, is to beat it at its own game. But I doubt if my answer will be considered this time."

Avyanna pushed Levi's head aside. " Just shut up and stop being full of yourself." A spark of thought entered levi's head. "The sphinx is kinda of like a god right?"

"Technically ..." Obi sucked air through his teeth . " It isn't a god. It originated from..."

"No one asked for a book report Obi ! " John said .

"Then let us find a higher god that can defeat him . Avyanna listened with all curiosity.

"Then?" She asked.

" The sphinx has no choice but to obey or if it dares goes against it, there must be some kind of punishement . That's how its been done in the realm of the gods.

" So who do you have in mind"? Avyanna asked?.

"I was hoping that's where you could come in. Don't you have any divine friends that could help us?" Avyanna questioned.

"Friends?" He hissed. "All the fools I had called friend were all backstabbers and traitors."

I noticed an abandoned temple when we first passed and I could try to summon a warrior spirit or something."Avyanna said.

"I'm not going to waste my time for a lost cause. I'm staying put!" Levi announced.

"You have to roll to staaaaaaay".Eva sang in John's ears.

John muttered to himself and rolled.

'2'

In frustration, John banged his head on the table and handed the dice back to Eva.

Kyra passed a quick look at Conrad as he paced aimlessly about on the mountain top. She felt a fear rising in the back of her throat. Did she have what it took to save him?

She would do anything to save Conrad.

Because that's what he would do for her ...

or at least for any of them. But she had one nagging dark part of her, whispering in her ears her most feared thought...

Would they ever see Conrad again ???

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