It was one of those sunny days where you don’t feel like doing particularly anything, just laying in the warm light of that glowing orb in the sky was enough. Letting your skin soak up the rays and giving yourself a lovely glow that would cause the envy of others later. That is what Kahula was doing. She was a young Sphinx who lived hidden among the sands of the Sahara, specifically the Atlantic Coastal Desert. The faro echo of the waves lulled the fledgling cub to a comfortable silence of her mind and a relaxed being.
“Kahula!!!!!” Her golden tail flinched in mild annoyance as her state of silence was broken and tumbled like shattered glass at her paws. Kahula refused to move or ope her eyes to acknowledged the voice even as the sound of its feet drew nearer to where she lay. “Kahula!! What goes with a carriage, comes with a carriage, is of no use to a carriage and yet the carriage cannot go without it?”
At the mere mention of a riddle, Kahula’s instincts awoke her mental eye. After all she was a Sphinx; riddles were their life. Turning her head to reveal violet hues alight with fire, she spoke. “The answer is noise. Something I wished to be absent from, Va-ma-ma-lin.”
Vamamalin was a male Sphinx close to her age who enjoyed teasing her with endless riddles, no matter where she happened to be. Her violet eyes filled with vexation met with his grey ones that beamed with delight and mild disappointment at once. “You answer too fast, Kahula. Where’s the fun is that? You’re so icy.”
“How often do you intend to say that?It’s merely because you torment me with these riddles. You surely will be the one Sphinx to get into the history books.” Kahula glared at him before she turned her face back to the direction of the sea. True, she was sharp witted and had a keen mind, yet she preferred to remain within the tribe of Sphinx’s and stay by the sea. Sometimes, she and her friends would imagine the ice from the North came sailing past the coast they lived by.
Vamamalin just huffed at Kahula’s sharp tongue. Unfurling his wings, he removed a small bag from his hip. He placed it between them and let the contents fall out. The clicking of glass caused Kahula’s ears to twitch to better her the sound. “Marbles again? You know how well you fail at this game, Vamamalin. A riddle for a marble, my collection grows immensely thanks to you.” Her own wings spread out in a show of pride as she continued, “You won’t be able to catch any fair lady like this if you can’t beat them.”
“Perhaps I’m not trying yet,” Vamamalin retorted as he circled the marbles in a ring of sand with his talon. “Ladies first,” he said with a toothy grin.
“Though I live beneath a roof, I never seem to dry. If you will only hold me, I swear I will not lie. What am I?” Kahula decided to begin simple. She knew Vamamalin was as clever as she, but for one reason or another, he didn’t try quite as hard with her as he did others. Vamamalin closed his eyes and begin to process the riddle.
As he did so, Kahula watched him carefully, her paws crossed over the other like a regal cat watching a mouse dance before it for its entertainment. She took in his colors, gold and brown fur with wings tanned by the sunlight. His hair was ruffled by the wind and sand, coarse brown hair that roughly framed his face with neat lines that brought attention to his clear eyes.
“My tongue. Is that it?” Kahula frowned, but nodded. “Correct, you take a marble.” A victorious grin beamed from Vamamalin as he lifted a green marble from the ring. “Surprised, Kahula?” “A bit, you didn’t take as long this time. Well done.” A mutual grin was shared as the game continued. Despite his warm demeanor and her, somewhat cold personality when disturbed, these two shared a special bond that created quite the mystery.
An Open Window 