“Morality, a concept used to convince oneself that they are good, pure, innocent. A mask to cover the darkness that festers within. But that is a lie. No one’s hands are clean. Human nature is composed of both light and dark.”-Words found scrawled on a temple that once housed The Sphinx.
Softly warmed drifts of summer wind drifted through the open window that led into the living room of the home of The Sphinx. A hearth sat centre stage, a meeting place for gentle conversation, for plans to be laid, meals to be shared. A place for diplomacy instead of brute force. The Sphinx had learned this from Dollia Trypp. His mind was a swirling mess of thoughts, the memory of his conversation with Ares, the things that Ares implied he knew about The Sphinx, was unsettling in ways he couldn’t accurately describe by any means. Thus he sat quietly deep in thought, wondering what exactly Ares had been hinting at with his cryptic remarks.
Dollia strode along the southern facing wall, her soft doe like eyes gleaming brightly as she eyed a set of two matched swords hanging on the wall. Her fingers drifted along the handle of each sword, a open and innocent curiosity present in her eyes,
“These swords are beautiful, yet deadly. How did you come to own them? Do they have names?”. Dollia’s voice was little more than a whisper, her breathless question spoken aloud in her usual gentle and light way of speaking.
A booming chuckle burst into the air, the sheer volume of the sound bringing a wide smile to Dollia’s face.
The Sphinx: “Years ago I commissioned a set of twin blades, for use in battle. A larger one meant for myself and smaller meant for you. The larger is called Phaesphoros or light bringer. The smaller is called Heosphoros or Dawn bringer. I hope you’ll never need to fight but should the day come that battle is your only choice, I wanted you to have a weapon that belonged to you.”
“You wanted me to have a weapon? But I don’t know how to wield a sword, much less use it to take a life.” Dollia’s tone spoke of sorrow, a thread of terror coursing through her veins as she considered that one day she may find herself in a situation in which she may be required to take a life.
The Sphinxes' features softened momentarily as he looked deep into the eyes of his little sister.
The Sphinx: “I want you to have a weapon, to know how to protect yourself my Empath, my little sister. You won’t master it overnight, it will take time to learn how to properly wield the blade, but once you know how, you’ll be unstoppable, you’ll rise and rise until you find your inner strength. This is just the start of how a lamb becomes a lion.”
“That was almost poetic of you, been studying Shakespeare again?” Dollia teased, her smile growing wider, much much wider as she began to laugh, her shoulders shaking from the amusement that coursed through her veins.
The Sphinx: “Always. One must read the scholars of old in order to understand what may happen in the future. The gameboard of the gods has been laid out for centuries, each of us are pieces on the board, moving according to some predestined fate. Fate brought us back together, as brother and sister, you are the calm to my violent storm. Fate keeps on moving, our paths are now one, as I uncover more of who I am. So too will you grow in strength, your empathic abilities will increase, you’ll see more, know more about the past we share.”
Dollia paused to consider this, her thoughts were spinning as she considered all that she had learned on this day. Knowing that The Sphinx had acquired a weapon for her was touching and yet at the same time she didn’t know how to feel about doing violence even if it were to be in self defence.
“So how do I start learning to defend myself?” Dollia questioned her voice was a mix of concern and nerves.
The Sphinx: “We shall start out with wooden sparring sticks, given your small stature you’ll need to move swiftly, strike first, use your speed to your advantage.
Dollia nodded swiftly, her eyes narrowed and keen as she readied herself to undergo her first attempt at wielding a weapon, her first attempt at sparring against someone who would be physically stronger than herself.
//Training Studio, one hour later//
Dollia stood on one half of the mat dressed in a loose singlet, grey leggings, simple breathable material. Her hair had been tied up into a neat bun, thus enhancing the gentle and youthful visage of her nature.
On the other side of the mat stood The Sphinx, clad in a black singlet, pale blue leggings. It was obvious that this would be a David versus Goliath training session. Each of them wielded a wooden training sword in their hand, just the one, to keep it simple and focus on getting the basic techniques down.
The Sphinx: “As noted earlier you are smaller in stature, speed is on your side. Ensure your movements flow like water. Breathe, find your centre, stay calm, stay focused, control your emotions Dollia” The sphinx spoke sagely, his words straight forward and logical.
Slowly her breathing calmed down, her eyes studying the larger form of The Sphinx. The sword felt heavy in her hand, despite its wooden design. Her movements initially began gracelessly, as she tumbled forward onto the mat, the sword falling from her hand.
“Damn it” Dollia muttered under her breath.
The Sphinx: “It’s only your first day, you won’t master the art of sword fighting in a single session. I have faith in you. You’ll learn in time. One piece of advice, your body too is a weapon. Strengthen your body, and this will serve as a foundation upon which you can then build your skills, until you can hold your own against anyone.”
A smile teased her lips as she spoke. “Your wisdom is appreciated. You speak as though you understand warfare. As though each time you fight, it’s like coming home. What does fighting mean to you?”.
The Sphinx: “War is what I know. At my core I’m a fighter, a warrior who seeks only the finest of competition. Fighting comes easily to me, it’s the academic stuff I struggle with, in essence I’m a purely physical entity. A brawler, the blunt tip of the spear to Drake Nygma’s well read academic. This is why he and I form a complete entity, I am his darkness, his aggression, his most primal self. He is my lighter half, the half that reads endlessly, devoting his entire mind to the pursuit of higher knowledge.”
“The youngblood title, held by someone you teamed up with briefly in the tag team tournament, what do you wish to tell them?” Dollia asked, her lips turning in a brilliant and genuine smile.
The Sphinx: “My eyes have now turned to the pursuit of the youngblood title. I think it’s time for a new youngblood champion, you and I shall do battle in the main event. Violence has come to your doorstep, the only question remaining is who will be left standing once the dust settles.”
“Prepare yourself Eun-young han, you claim the title of enforcer. You think you know violence? Come the main event you will see what true violence really looks like.” Dollia smirked as she guided The Sphinx to a place that lay just out of sight, a ferocious growl rumbling through the air.
