"BLAHHHHH!"
Sphinx rolled in the grass, repulsed by its taste. As Priam watched her, a mory resurfaced in his mind. At age four, he decided to sample so grass in a park. Before his parents could stop him, he had stuffed a handful into his mouth. All kids had a great sense of timing to cause trouble before they could be stopped.
[Eidetic mory] reminded him of the taste of the grass - a kind of raw salad. He had promptly spat it out on the ground - who liked salad at four? - before searching for an earthworm. Fortunately for him and the potential protein source, he found nothing. A child's body was resilient, and he hadn't fallen ill. He would later learn that most grass species were edible.
In the background, his parents, too busy arguing, had not noticed a thing.
As if sensing that she was no longer the center of Priam's attention, Sphinx had gotten up. She seed torn between sulking and being concerned. Was Priam upset that she had disobeyed?
A reassuring smile lit up Priam's face as he approached and took her into his arms.
"Blue grass tastes awful," Sphinx whispered in his ear.
"That's because you're a sphinx. Rabbits like it," Priam replied. To divert her attention, he gave her a bowl of fresh sap. A few monts later, the adorable creature had forgotten the taste of the grass and was lapping up the contents of the bowl.
"Kazuki, et Sphinx, my best friend. Sphinx, this is Kazuki, the Hoplite Champion," Priam introduced Sphinx to the hoplite who was stowing his lance. Lips full of sap, Sphinx gave a big smile.
"A child?"
"I sense the judgnt in your voice from here, but I'm pretty sure she could give you a run for your money."
Upon hearing these words, Kazuki's deanor changed. "Nice to et you, noble Sphinx," he said with a nod. The hoplite seed to respect strength.
Sphinx emptied the bowl before sniffing in Kazuki's direction. Tilting her head, she blinked her eyes. One of her ears twitched cutely.
"I sense your karma rumbling," Sphinx declared.
Kazuki looked at Priam, who shrugged. "What does that an?" Priam asked.
Sphinx abandoned the empty bowl and leaped onto Priam's shoulder. A second jump allowed her to reach his head. Perched like an oracle on a promontory, she proclaid:
"Clad in power armor, you march to the fight,
Spear in hand, under a grim, starless night.
In the grimdark future, where all hope seems lost,
You’re the Hoplite's wrath, at a terrible cost."
For a few seconds, the spectators remained dumbfounded. Instead of admitting his incomprehension, Priam decided to applaud. After all, there were so nice rhys in there. He smiled as he heard Sphinx purring.
Suddenly, Priam stopped. "Is that a prophecy?" he worried.
He hated prophecies. Most were just self-fulfilling paths. Above all, he refused to have his destiny written in advance.
Sphinx shook her head. "Karma doesn't create prophecies. At least, I think so…" She seed to be searching for her words. "The karmic weight on his shoulders is imnse. I think my bloodline inspired ?"
Sphinx didn't sound very sure. Priam scratched her head to reassure her. "Don't worry. If you knew everything, life would be dull."
If a mythological creature specializing in karma manipulation couldn't say more, Priam decided he wasn't the best person to dwell on it. Kazuki didn't seem to agree.
"What do you an? Is my civilization in danger?"
Sphinx brushed the question aside with a sweep of her paw. "Perhaps. If so, there is only one solution."
"Which one?" Kazuki asked. All his attention was focused on Sphinx, and he didn't notice the bear struggling to erge from the portal Sphinx had opened behind him.
"Beco stronger!" Sphinx declared.
"..." Silence greeted her declaration before Kazuki respectfully nodded.
"A simple but eternal truth. Such is the path of the Hoplite. Thank you for reminding ."
Sphinx nodded solemnly, and Priam suppressed a smile. There was sothing amusing about seeing a hoplite over two ters tall seriously listening to the advice of a child sphinx. In one final groan, Blueberry slumped into the clearing, and Kazuki turned towards him.
"You humans don't all look the sa," he comnted.
"What? He's not a human. Blueberry is a bear,” Priam replied, before turning to the bear. "And he shouldn't be here. You were supposed to wait for my signal before crossing,” he added in English.
Blueberry grumbled as he got up. "But Sphinx—"
“Is a child. Are you?”
“... Sorry.”
Priam sighed. "What's done is done." He turned to Kazuki and switched to hoplite.
"Blueberry. A loyal friend."
Kazuki smiled. "Kazuki, Champion of the hoplites, pleased to et y—”
A brief cry cut him off. Priam turned abruptly to the portal. Alain had just collapsed in front of the portal. A feeling of horror washed over Priam as he saw the old man convulsing, face down on the ground.
He teleported next to his father. Using [Kinetic Control], Priam lifted him and leaped toward Log-a-rhythm.
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