The sphinx suddenly started struggling. He thrashed his neck and let out muffled shouts against his gag.
‘Calm down, calm down,’ Louis said, leaning over to remove his gag. The sphinx stopped struggling and looked earnestly up at Louis.
Like most intelligent creatures, sphinxes were built in the same way, broadly speaking. Two arms, two legs, one head. This sphinx was fairly muscular, bit in a lithe, spindly way. His body was covered in thick fur, although more coffee-coloured brown than the gold that was most typical of sphinxes. His head, feet and tail were practically identical to that of a lion and though his hands were more humanlike, his fingers did come with claws. His full mane was so dark as to be black and his eyes were a captivating golden. Louis also noted he was draped in patterned silk, which was finer attire than the other sphinxes he’d seen, although his clothing left part of his chest and legs bare, undoubtedly for the heat.
‘What is your name?’ the sphinx asked.
Louis hesitated. He wasn’t sure introductions would make his decision any easier. But then, he was pretty set against killing this man. ‘Louis,’ he said.
‘I am Hasib,’ said the sphinx. He had a foreign lilt to his bassy voice. ‘Do I understand correctly that you and your friend are shapeshifters and that you and he were discussing whether to kill me and take my form?’
‘Uh, yeah,’ Louis said awkwardly.
‘And you need my form to enter the city so you can slay a monster. A gargoyle, did he say?’
‘Yes.’
Hasib though about this. ‘May I see your true form?’
‘This is it,’ said Louis, gesturing to his naked, human self. ‘I was born human.’
‘I see,’ said Hasib. ‘Have you decided what you’ll do with me?’
Louis sighed. ‘I’m just going to let you go. I’m not killing you.’ He reached for Hasib’s bindings.
Hasib interrupted him. ‘If you release me, won’t the other kill me?’
‘I won’t let him,’ said Louis, firmly.
‘Are you certain you can?’
Louis thought about this. Hawk wouldn’t do it now Louis made his feelings clear about it, would he?
‘And if you save me,’ said Hasib, ‘might he kill one of my brothers instead?”
Louis continued to say nothing. How did he know Hawk wasn’t doing that right now?
Hasib sighed. ‘If I might offer my view on this decision. Of course, I would choose to live if I could. But if I must be killed by one of you, and have my soul taken, I would choose it to be you.’
Louis blinked in surprise. ‘You would?’
‘Your cause is noble and your morals are just. I believe I can trust you to use my soul well. And to kill me in a more humane way than beating me to death. If you cannot guarantee my safety by releasing me, then I humbly request you at least save my soul from being taken by… your friend.’
The way he’d said that last word made Louis shiver. He couldn’t help hearing the implication that Hawk was, in fact, the enemy. How would Hasib react if he knew they were actually lovers?
‘If you are to take my soul, I ask that you do it now,’ said Hasib, closing his eyes. ‘The anticipation is agony.’
Louis couldn’t dawdle in this decision any more. That would be unfair. He looked down at his hand and flexed it out into the dragon’s claw. Then, as quickly as he could, he slit Hasib’s throat. There was a gasp, a rattle and then nothing.
The invisible ghost of Hasib sat up, looked down at himself and realised the restraints no longer bound him. He lowered himself from the stack of carpets and walked over to Louis. Louis shivered as a rush of heat, sweet flavours, smoky smells and a feeling of laughter washed over him. He immediately put the new soul to use.
He grew, not so much as some of his other forms, but enough. His muscles swelled and shaped themselves, while his belly shrank and waist thinned. His feet reshaped, forcing him up onto tiptoes, as if constantly ready to pounce. He wasn’t strong and powerful like the orc, the dragon or the horse, but he was agile and nimble. He had the urge to run and jump and climb.
Then hair, thick and dark, blossoming around his head, falling in curls over his shoulders and sprouting out of his chin, his neck and down to his navel in a narrow, straight line. His teeth sharpened, his ears flattened then he bristled as whiskers pricked out of his broadening snout. The rest of his skin was filling in with the dark brown fur now and a long tail flicked out between his legs. He shivered as his cock leapt upwards into a neat little pouch, surrounded by more busy, dark hair. He flexed his fingers as his fingernails thinned into claws.
He felt… different. Other than his human self, it was the least ‘animal’ of all the creatures he had. Where every other soul gave him an instinct or rage or aggression or power, this one felt calm, patient and intelligent.
At that moment, he heard the flutter of wings. He turned and saw Hawk perched on a nearby carpet, staring at him.