Salvador and Eleanor had been walking in the forest for around ten minutes and it was a wonder they hadn't gotten lost, or worse attacked. Yes I did just say attacked; you see the two soldiers were not yet in the Ibarra, they were in a forest that was joined to it.

The forest they were in was called A Forest of Mystiche Kreaturen, and was full of creatures that on Earth only exist in myths and fairy tales.

Five minutes later their luck ran out, as the snapping of a twig amongst the undergrowth, signalled that the two were no longer alone. There was something close to them, but not close enough for them to see who or what it was.

''What was that?'' Vador whispered to Eleanor.

''I don't know without actually seeing it, but let's just carry on, we're only twenty five minutes away,'' Eleanor responded pulling Salvador with her as she began walking away.

They didn't get much further until they heard more movement coming from the bushes around them. But never the less they ignored it and continued to walk along.

It was mid afternoon in the forest, meaning that it wasn't likely that Salvador and Eleanor would run into a creature that could seriously harm or injure them. However, the feeling of being watched never left Salvador. He couldn't understand how Eleanor was so calm about the situation. Salvador knew Eleanor had heard the rustling of the bush beside them a few Yards back; he grew even more puzzled when she had started walking quicker than she had before. 

Eleanor did know what was following them and if they noticed it then they'd need to use their wits to get away from the creature that was edging closer and closer to them.

''Eleanor what is following us?'' Salvador demanded stopping abruptly. He had had enough of her just turning and carrying on walking. If the thing behind them was dangerous then he had the right to know.

''It's nothing you need to be concerned about, now come on,'' She replied walking off again, but stopped when she noticed Salvador wasn't behind her. ''Salvador I'm not being funny, we need to go before...'' It was too late because as she turned around she saw the creature that could spell disaster; not so much for her, but for her friend.

The creature never the less was beautiful in looks. It had the body of a lion; its golden coat shimmered in the small amount of light that had made its way through the gaps in the trees. The head of the creature was that of a woman and had necklaces hung around its neck; it made the creature seem more precious and regal rather than dangerous. The magnificent being that stood in front Eleanor and Salvador was a Sphinx.

Sphinxes are known by most as Greek, Egyptian or even Persian mythological hybrids. By most I mean those who live on Earth because well as you can see sphinxes are not made up on Mistic Anino, they are quite real; as Salvador just found out, as the magnificent creature stood in front of him.

At first he thought it was just a trick of the light or Eleanor trying to play tricks on him with her shadows. However, after blinking several times and the creature still being there, he soon begun to believe what he was seeing.

Eleanor on the other hand, was not standing and thinking any of the things Salvador was. As a child she would often venture from Ibarra and into its adjoining forest; so she new many of the mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians that in habituated A forest of Mystiche Kreaturen. So seeing a Sphinx was not that much of a surprise to her, neither was she worried for her safety, but she was extremely scared for Salvador's.

The thing that made Eleanor afraid for her friend was that he was a Batalanto, a race essentially born to become soldiers. Salvador being a soldier wasn't the problem, the problem was that he was a Batalanto. When the Batalanto first became a civilisation the first thing they learnt was to hunt  and the first creature a Batalanto hunter saw, well you might as well guess, was a Sphinx.

Now I know what you're thinking, surly a Sphinx is immortal and aren't they meant to be full of wisdom, coming up with cunning traps. If that's what you've heard or read, then I'm afraid you are very wrong. You see the Batalanto came into existence two thousand years ago, so when a Sphinx first came across a Batalanto hunter, it thought they were just a Drei Occhi or Ijoba.

For centuries the only species' on the planet were the Drei Occhi and Ijoba, so the sphinx did not attack for the Drei occhis' and Ijobas' had made an agreement that either one could roam each other's forest in peace, However nobody told the Batalanto this and so because the Sphinx did not attack the new civilisation found the creature to be easy prey and well there's no need to tell you what happened next.

Eleanor being worried was because the Sphinx in front of them was old, possibly one of the only ones left as well. She was worried at how it would take the presence of a Batalanto in her forest.

''That's a...'' Salvador began, but stopped when he became aware of not just Eleanor's eyes staring at him but the creatures also.

''Yes I am a sphinx Salvador solider from the mountains in the East. I must say a Batalanto unarmed in my forest is something I have not seen in a long time, a very long time,'' Her voice was like silk, every letter of every word rolled off her tongue like water would flow in a river.

''I don't understand,'' Vador felt strangely uncomfortable about the creature knowing who he was and where he was from.

''That was evident in the way you seem unable to comprehend what is going on around you. As well as you, yourself being too young to know what your people did here centuries ago,'' Salvador looked over towards Eleanor needing some context behind the words of the Sphinx, She sighed before opening her mouth to explain.

''The Batalanto used to hunt Sphinxes, at first it was for food, but soon they got bored of the taste. That unfortunately didn't stop them, so they started hunting them for sport,'' Eleanor couldn't carry on as she hated thinking about such magnificent creatures of beauty and wisdom being slaughtered 'Just for Fun.'

''I am so sorry, but you must know I had nothing to do with that,'' Salvador thought it was right to defend himself, seeing as the Sphinx was giving him an intense hard stare.

''I am aware, but I swore to my fellow Species that if I ever saw another one of your kind again, then they will have to answer a riddle correctly, for them to be free to roam the forest as they wish,'' The Sphinx explained, softening its gaze, but not by much.

The only thing Salvador did was nod, accepting that if he did not answer correctly, then it would just be Eleanor visiting her parents alone.

''You must answer the question I ask you correctly, otherwise you will not live to see the end of this day,'' Once she had finished speaking, Salvador and Eleanor both swore her eyes flickered red before turning back to their original blue, green colour.

''You will always find me in the past. I can be created in the present, But the future can never taint me,'' As the Sphinx spoke, she waved her paw and her words appeared as glistening gold letters that just hung in the air.

Salvador looked over at Eleanor for help, but she just shook her head; no matter how much she wanted to help, she could not help him. All she could do was watch as he tried to think of an answer that wouldn't get him killed.

'Found in the past, and can be created in the present, but the future won't taint it,' Salvador thought, trying to simplify the riddle in his head. Then it hit him, the words his parents had said to him all the time 'Make us proud and create history.' The answer was history, it had to be because everything that happens in the past is history and in the present it's being created and the future, well the future is unable to change it. History can never be tainted by the future.

''I have my answer,'' Salvador said clearing his throat slightly.

''Then I will hear it,'' The Sphinx replied blinking slowly, which somehow made the words in front of her to disappear.

''History,'' He croaked out suddenly feeling his answer was very wrong.

''Salvador Cymont, Batalanto solider, you are correct and therefore is able to pass through this forest in peace,'' With those words the Sphinx turned to leave, but suddenly stopped and turned back around to face them.

''I almost forgot I have a message for both of you, a message that you must not forget for it will be the first of many I am sure.''

Eleanor tensed; she knew that if a Sphinx had a message then it would usually be part of what may happen in the future. She knew that it wouldn't just be a message, it would be part of a prophecy of some kind; and if it included her and Vador then it had something to do with Charlene as well. That scared her even more.

''A journey will end,
as the light turns to dark
Soldiers' but still children
Will travel far
To save everything.

No one must know,
i alone am the one to tell
that the children will travel far
So very far
To save everything.''

After hearing the 'message,' Eleanor swore it sounded more like a prophecy. The two friends looked at each other neither really knowing exactly what it meant.

''But what does it mean?'' Eleanor asked. However, she had asked the question to nothing. The Sphinx had disappeared leaving them alone in the forest once again.