Sam’s heart stopped, riding up in his throat. He tried to step back, but his legs were frozen. He attempted to channel his skills into his limbs, but was left grasping at air as his mana refused to respond. Whatever grasp the goddess had on him, it extended into his very soul.

  “Answer me, mortal,” Bast hissed, blackened bone extending from her fingertips.

  “No,” Sam gasped. He didn't think; he just responded. He flinched as the claw lunged towards his head, but he kept his eyes open, fixed on the cat-headed deity.

  The tip of the claw stopped millimetres from his eye. It stayed there for a long moment before retracting, the goddess's menacing aura disappearing in a puff of smoke.

  “Very well,” she chuckled. “A shame, but even if you had said yes, the Arbiter would never have allowed it. And besides, I'm not in the habit of taking on worshippers who betray their oaths.”

  Sam collapsed as the force that grasped his legs released. He stumbled backwards and landed on…something. The ground—if you could that—flexed beneath him. He began to look down, but quickly averted his gaze. Worlds spun beneath him at a frightening pace, and he was overwhelmed with a profound sense of vertigo.

  “What would have happened if I'd said yes?” Sam asked.

  “Then I would have killed you, of course.”

  Sam frowned, cocking his head. “I thought you weren't allowed to interfere directly. Killing me outright seems like a pretty clear violation.”

  “Oh, I wouldn't have killed you,” Bast purred. “I would have returned you to the Dungeon and let Mai do what she does best.”

  Sam gulped, remembering the ease with which the sphinx had disarmed him. “Fair enough. What are you going to do to me?”

  “I'm still going to send you back,” she smirked. “Only I won’t ask my minion to put her claws through you. No, instead you will be able to ask her for a boon. Choose wisely, for her gifts are not frequently given.”

  A soft chime rang in his ear, and he let out a sigh of relief as the quest completed. It had been down to the minute, and he wondered if the Arbiter had stretched the time in the pocket dimension for dramatic effect.

  “Can I also ask you for a boon?” The words slipped out before he could stop himself.

  “Oh? And what would you desire of me, mortal?”

  “Could I ask you a question?” Sam looked up at the goddess looming over him, too unsteady to climb to his feet.

  “I would allow a single one.” Bast’s voice grew hard, her feline eyes narrowing.

  Sam took a moment to consider his options. Questions tumbled around in his brain, but he settled on the one that had occurred to him as the goddess taunted him.

  “You said I had as much chance of hurting a god as a gnat did at killing…that sand worm thing. But is it possible? Can gods be hurt? Can they be killed?

  Bast stared at him for a long moment, then glanced upwards, eyes going distant. She stood there for a while before eventually returning to herself.

  “You are full of surprises, Samuel Lin. You are also incredibly stupid. You could have asked the nature of the next Ring, or the location of a priceless treasure. Instead, you ask about doing the impossible.”

  “So it is impossible, then?” he asked, deflating.

  “Nothing is impossible, but the sequence of events needed to complete such a task would be…unlikely. And you could not do it alone. We gods have gone to war before. We can cause harm to one another. You would need a divine force behind you, bolstering your strength.”

  Sam bit his lip. “So you're saying no human could do it alone.”

  “Correct. The divide is just too great. Even with divine arms and armour, even with magic and a host of companions. It would not be enough.”

  Sam nodded, unsure whether or not to take the goddess at her word. Nothing he’d gleaned from the deity suggested she would lie, but in this case, she had a legitimate reason to steer him in a certain direction. Of course, she’d want to convince him it couldn't be done.

  Instead, all she’d done was tell him that it was theoretically possible to harm a god. As long as there was even the slimmest chance—he’d take it.

  “Thank you for your answer.”

  “It changes nothing.” She shook her head before returning to her simple throne. “Your enmity with Zetos is amusing, if nothing else. I will admit, you've accomplished more than was expected. Though your misunderstanding about the mark is—”

  Her voice cut off, and her entire body froze. Sam got unsteadily to his feet and was about to say something when the ground gave way beneath him. His stomach lurched, and the world spun as he was unceremoniously dumped back onto the sand. Beside him, Siel remained locked in a trance-like state.

  The Sphinx had settled down among the dunes, paws casually overlapped as she watched the two Warriors with mild disinterest. It kept enough distance that Sam was confident that he could at least respond if it attacked.

  “Welcome back,” she said, voice sounding mildly disappointed. “You surprised me, human. I did not expect you to resist the call for power. Especially given your…situation.”

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Sam shook his head, not taking the bait. “Yes, well, it helped that the Arbiter wouldn't have allowed it. What the hell happened? Why did she freeze like that?”

  “I am unsure,” the sphinx replied. “Though I do detect the Arbiter’s presence more than usual. Perhaps they were forced to intervene. It is rare, but it does happen.”

  Huh, Sam scratched his chin where the patchy stubble was relentlessly pushing through. She said I was misunderstanding something about the mark. What could be more obvious than Zetos wanting me dead?

  He shook his head and walked over to Siel. Her eyes pulsed beneath her lids, as though she was in an intense dream.

  “How long will she be like this?” he asked the sphinx.

  “As long as is necessary.”

  Sam shook his head and summoned his weapons, once again positioning himself between Siel and the monster.

  “You are brave, I'll give you that.” The sphinx rolled her eyes at the display. “But it would make no difference. If my mistress commanded me to kill your companion, nothing on the Ring could stop me.”

  Sam frowned and inspected the creature.

  [Guardian Sphinx of Bast - Bronze - Epic - Boss]

  “You're still only Bronze. We’ve defeated Ring Bosses before.”

  “Oh-ho, confident, are we?” The sphinx leaned forward, a smile curling at her lips. “I am no mere boss, and this is my domain.” She gestured to the gem set into the golden necklace at her throat. “My goddess further empowers me. You have no chance, Warrior. Be grateful you passed the test. I am not an enemy you are meant to defeat.”

  Sam opened his mouth to respond when Siel collapsed behind him. He spun to see her sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath.

  “Siel!” He rushed over, trying to ascertain if she was injured.

  “I'm alright, I'm alright.” She waved him off. “I just need a minute. That world of hers was deeply disorienting.”

  “But you passed the test?” Sam asked, trying to keep the panic from his voice.

  “Of course.” She raised an eyebrow. “How could you even call that a test? There is no world in which I'd betray my goddess, and you couldn't worship her if you wanted to. Against weaker minds, I could see her finding success, but against us…” Her voice trailed off. “Please. I was expecting much worse.”

  “Is that all? You were in there a long time.”

  “Later,” Siel mouthed, nodding to the ceiling.

  Behind them, the sphinx cleared her throat, evidently not used to being ignored. “Well, it seems my mistress has deemed that both of you are worthy of life. Congratulations on completing the trials.”

  Behind the monster, the Great Pyramid began to rumble. A door appeared in the rock, and beyond, a shimmering portal appeared. It lit the sands with a dusky golden glow, casting the sphinx in sharp relief.

  “As such, you may ask one boon of me. If it is in my power, I will grant it. A level in a skill, a sum of spira. Such have been the gifts I have granted past Warriors.”

  Sam glanced at Siel, but she looked distracted. She gave a quick shake of her head, and the sphinx’s eyes fell on him.

  “Alright, uhh…” he paused, trying to come up with something the creature might actually grant. He debated trying to boost one of his skills when his eyes fell on the beast itself.

  “That's a soulstone, right?” he said, gesturing at the gem at its throat. “I'll take that. While I may not worship your goddess, I can still use her powers, right?”

  The beast stiffened, a low growl emanating from her chest. “You ask for a mighty prize, human. Had you not impressed my goddess so, I would have killed you for the arrogance of asking. However, she approves your request. I think she's curious to see what you'll do with it, if you're ever able to craft a [Divine Core].”

  The creature reached a massive paw behind her neck and let the necklace fall. The gem popped out with a sharp crack, and the sphinx batted it over. The gem swirled with a deep orange glow, like the light of the setting sun.

  Sam picked it up cautiously, but it didn't burn his hand like [Hel’s Heart]. He gave it a quick once-over before storing it.

  [Beacon of Bast - Bronze - Epic]

  The light of love and home shines from deep within the stone. Rejoice in the warmth of the eternal hearth.

  It was certainly a contrast to the intimidating description of his other soulstone. He allowed himself a small smile before turning to Siel.

  She stood rigid, eyes straight ahead. If Sam didn't know any better, he would say she was nervous.

  “What are you planning?” he projected mentally, not wanting to alert the sphinx.

  “Maybe something crazy. Be ready to fight.”

  Sam let out a breath. “Crazy, eh? That’s usually my job.”

  Siel took a step forward, then another, slowly walking up the dune towards the sphinx. Sam followed at a distance, weapons ready but trying not to look suspicious.

  “Well, child of Ot, what would you beg of Bast? What would you ask of her greatest Guardian?”

  “My request is you.” Siel’s voice was clear, but Sam thought he could detect a slight tremor.

  “What?” The sphinx blinked, taken aback.

  “I want you. Come be my Familiar, and help me climb. You can still worship your goddess, but for the duration of the War, serve me as well.”

  Sam’s breath caught in his throat. Of all the boons to ask, that was certainly the most outrageous. He tightened the grip on his spear, ready to charge the monster.

  The sphinx opened her mouth to respond, but she froze, face growing puzzled.

  “Your boon is…accepted. You are fortunate, Bast and Lady Dianae are on good terms.” She turned and looked up at the star-strewn sky. “Really, mistress? You would have me serve this mortal? Is it not beneath me?”

  If the god answered, Sam couldn't hear it. The sphinx batted her teeth and shook her head before staring down at the sylvan.

  “Very well, mortal. I will accompany you, but do not command me as you would some mindless animal. I am a creature of thought and spirit. You would do well to remember that.”

  “Of course,” Siel let out a fierce grin. The sphinx shook her head and began to glow, rapidly shrinking in size. In an instant, the creature had compressed to the size of a large house cat, her human face shifted to that of a haughty-looking feline. At a glance, the sphinx looked more like some kind of desert wildcat.

  “That's quite a skill,” Siel said, eyes wide.

  The cat merely swished her tail and began walking towards the portal.

  “Are you sure about this?” Sam asked, stepping up beside her.

  “No, but you said you wanted me to get a powerful Familiar.”

  “I did, but I was kinda hoping you'd be able to control it.”

  Siel shrugged and set off after the cat. “The bond is still forming; give it time.”

  “Do you think she can still talk?” Sam asked, during the retreating form of the desert lynx.

  “She can, when she chooses to.” Mai’s voice echoed in his mind, and judging by her reaction, in Siel’s as well.

  “Great,” Sam said with a chuckle. “Everything's always better with a talking cat.”