I entered the library. On the left side of the hall stood a massive wooden table, completely unadorned. Behind the table, perched atop several sacks of money, sat a sphinx. Its body was that of a lion, but its face was oddly humanized—a curious blend of man and beast. It didn't resemble the Sphinx of Giza; that one was practically human compared to the creature before my eyes. Some of the sacks beneath it had split at the seams, spilling silver sesterces and golden coins onto the floor.
On the table in front of the Sphinx sat an enormous ledger, a greenish glass, and a bottle filled with amber liquid. I had seen a similar bottle in the dean's office.
"Hello there!" said the Sphinx cheerfully, baring a row of sharp teeth. "I don't believe I've seen you around here before. Here to take out a loan? The interest rate's lower for first-years."
"N-not exactly," I stammered, stunned.
I wasn't sure what had shocked me more—hearing a sphinx speak or hearing a sphinx offer me a loan. Or maybe just seeing a living sphinx was already too much for me.
"No problem," the Sphinx said good-naturedly. "Soon enough, you're bound to become one of my clients. There's hardly a student at the Academy who doesn't need a loan at some point."
"Excuse me," I asked, "isn't this a library?"
"The library is just a secondary function," the Sphinx replied kindly. "You see, very few students come here to borrow books. Very, very few. When you think about it—what do they need them for? But loans? Now that's something nearly everyone needs. Now, allow me to make you an offer…"
The Sphinx didn't get a chance to finish the sentence, because the door suddenly slammed against the wall, and the three boys who had been chasing me burst into the room.
"We've got you now, you little rat," shouted the biggest of them, grinning. "Now there's nowhere left to run. We're going to grind your bones until you whimper like a mutt."
In an instant, they surrounded me, forcing me to press my back against the wall.
"Hey!" thundered the Sphinx. "I don't allow anyone to rough up my potential clients. Out!"
The three turned toward him, annoyed.
"Stay out of this if you don't want to get hurt," one of them said. "That runt is ours, and we need to teach him a lesson. He dared to defy our friend. Plus, he's a non-mage, and he needs to pay the price for sticking his nose where it doesn't belong."
The Sphinx slowly raised his front paws onto the table, a low growl rumbling from his throat.
"Here's the deal," he said. "Outside the library, do whatever you want. But in here, I make the rules. Not even the king interferes with my business. The library is my domain. Got it? Now get out of this room before you find out how I treat intruders."
The blond boy and the middle one started muttering to each other, but the big guy stepped forward menacingly.
"I told you to shut up, you old beast!" he snapped.
The Sphinx's tail began swishing rapidly from side to side, knocking a sack of money with each sweep. A few coins clattered to the floor.
"You dare call me an old beast?" the Sphinx roared, his voice vibrating with outrage. "This is the first time in three centuries that anyone has spoken to me so rudely. I am Ribathrum, a magical being—I do not age! Remember that!"
The biggest boy decided it was time to strike. Stretching out his hand, he cast a spell and hurled a jet of fire straight at the Sphinx's nose. To my astonishment, the blaze burst apart with a dry pop, doing no damage at all. The Sphinx's face wasn't even singed.
With a roar like a furious beast, the Sphinx leapt into the air and launched himself at the three boys. What followed is hard to put into words.
Three things happened at once. While airborne, the Sphinx sank his fangs into the shoulder of the largest boy, slamming him to the floor. At the same moment, he extended his left paw and slashed the arm of the second boy with his claws. And with perfect coordination, he used his lion's tail like a whip to strike Doric across the face, leaving him bloodied.
Piled on the floor with the Sphinx on top of them, the three boys began to scream in terror, afraid they were about to be torn to pieces.
"Stay right there until I say otherwise," growled the Sphinx. "You made me get off my money sacks for the first time in fifteen years."
The three remained still, not daring to move. The Sphinx continued to growl as he spoke:
"Listen carefully, boys. Today you were insolent and you got the punishment you deserved. Let it be known: magical creatures are immune to most of the cheap spells you lot know."
One of the boys stirred, lifting his head slightly, but the Sphinx's growl made him freeze.
"If you want forgiveness," he continued, "each of you will come back to me tomorrow with one thousand sesterces. If you don't, I'll put you on the blacklist, and no Sphinx in the kingdom will ever loan you a single coin for as long as you live. I trust you understand what that means for your future. Now leave—and don't forget to bring me that pouch of money tomorrow."
Without another word, the three troublemakers scrambled to their feet and fled through the library door.