deep forest

The forest was deep, but never as dark as one would think it should be, the ginger color of her hair stood out in the somber green hued light, …She wandered but it wasn’t as aimless as it would appear to any watching eyes, and there were watchers aplenty, some the usual curious woodland creatures , and some who warded the realm which she skirted.

She casually walked into the part of the wood that few would even see ,let alone have the awareness to cross the invisible boundary and stand in a primal realm of magic and power, she felt the pressure of the watchers intensify, but she knew that unless she was deemed a threat they would simply watch.
At most they usually only had to deal with some simple soul who stumbled into the wood on accident, a few simple nudges usually got them back into their proper place,..

This place though insulated with ancient trees that predated the first stumbling steps of human kind was far from quiet,… There was a pulse of life that thrummed through the very air like hushed voices of ancient knowledge being passed from one moment to another, like gossip in a royal hall,…Here time was different,… She suspended that internal clock that would keep warning her that she was tarrying here far too long.

When she did that deed she felt the wind , subtle and almost palatable, shift and sweep around as if in mild surprise ,… It had been a long time since she visited this place and she hoped that the keepers were still at their task.

From the edge of her field of view she spotted in the distance a small group of insects swarming in a cloud as if in search of something, she turned her head to better see and the cloud was then a flock of small starlings, perhaps drawn by the feed?,… No she suspected that she was being inspected , things seldom were as they first appeared, especially here.

The starlings swooped and darted about,… She looked about for other denizens that might be about, but all were well hid, …As her view passed back to the birds she saw they were now a large murder of crows , silent in their milling about but most clearly focusing their attention on her.

Then from the cluster a huge raven flew out and over her head ,…As she calmly turned to follow it’s trajectory she felt a power manifest in the direction of the crows,… Turning back she found herself an arms breath from a massive dark shadow with piercing green eyes and the cocked wingspan of a small cottage towering over her,… sphinx! One of the many old guardians.

As her eyes adjusted to the shadow she was only a tiny bit disconcerted to be starring into her own face upon the massive strawberry blond head,

She stood straight,quirked a small smile and said, “You flatter me guardian, my breasts are no way near that perky.”

In a dark voice as smooth as a silk garrote the sphinx narrowed it’s eyes and replied, “Don’t mock me human, I know not what you are, witch or mage, for you have it somehow hidden, but know that you stand no chance in any but a test of wits against me,..and in that you may only win your way alive from this place. “

For several heartbeats the two stood, the human calmly standing her ground and the sphinx looming like a spring-loaded trap, wary of so much unexplained composure,… The human did not seem to be demented in any way,…and yet,…

“I have nothing blocked”, the smaller of the two calmly said,” You just need to look deeper.”

Narrowing it’s eyes again the great beast lowered it’s head to eye level with the eyes of the unknown it confronted,… It plunged deep into the spirit of the woman, and almost reeled from the revelation .

Backing a step the silk voice choked,” Lady!, why do you come like this, surely you need not test?”

“No, not a test or anything more than a bit of discretion on my part, there are those who can feel my comings and goings and I preferred this method “, she continued holding the gaze of the sphinx , “ I come to ask a boon of the guardians here and I know this to be the locus where I would find them easiest.”

“But?” said the sphinx cocking it’s head that still wore the visage of it’s guest ” What could Eris possibly need to ask of us that she could simply invoke??”

Eris beamed a wide smile “ Ah, There is a puzzle for you! “ and as the sphinx’s eyes widened, she pressed on.” The request is something to expedite a situation in which I have an interest, in fact we all have an interest in it, but I can’t say more,… you know the rules.”

With a raised eyebrow the sphinx said “ Ask as you will Lady, for you know, as do we, it will come to pass,”

Eris smiled again and explained,“This is something that may go against your very nature, but the outcome will be the same no matter the course this I know , but knowing the potential that the results could be eons in the transpiring makes it important that I ask for this to be handled as only you can allow.”, drawing a breath she continued ,“ There will come a demoness and I would ask that you not impede, and if possible, aid, her mission.”

Looking completely unconvinced, the sphinx asked , “And, how will we know this demon?, these creatures that usually come to steal and despoil?,… Of course none have a goddess speaking for them,…” becoming suddenly animated the sphinx said with a cock of her head with a sweep of a great taloned hand,” Seldom is there much of a contest to dispose of them,…Eons?” great green eyes sought the connection of their counterpart,..

Eris offered,“Ruby isn’t just any demon,… If she deserves a title it would be “Lucifer’s bane”,.. She’s as powerful as she is beautiful,perhaps surpassing Lucifer himself,” and doing a spin on one foot she quipped “But I didn’t say that”,… Locking eyes with the sphinx she continued, “I believe her potential is as of yet an unknown, but as surely as I know you, I know that at this time you and your kin will have very likely met their match,.. I would avoid that waste of time and spirit”

The sphinx sat back on it’s haunches, “So you vouch for this demon?,. Obviously that is good enough for us,”it said flatly.

“No” Eris calmly said with a sweep of her hand” Use your senses and don’t act rashly,… My purpose is to ask you to not use the learned reactions that have served you since the beginning, it’s time to trust the core of your instincts and evolve as best serves,… You will know her, and without the automatic reaction to ‘demon’ you will find her true, as I did, this is what I’m truly asking,… This is the puzzle, ‘Can spots change?’”
The sphinx sat up it’s spine straight and it again looked down upon one it deemed master, and said, “We shall see.”

As they were talking the myriad denizens, major as well as the ever curious lesser spirits , gathered about to listen in,… This was an unparalleled event, though most knew the goddess few had seen her in a human guise,..

Looking around Eris smiled and said, Hey!, it looks like a party”,.. then looking to the sphinx she smiled and said , “It’s too bad I must go,… Be wise,… Have fun!”, And with a small swirling dance she melted into the ground and was gone.

One of the large ravens looked at the sphinx and croaked, “She’s truly mad” The sphinx smiled, “Of course she is”,,.. and with that,,dissolved into a swarm of bees that made a beeline into the deep forest,..