Myth Hunters; Manticore Quest by Clinton Swish

By Clinton Swish Chapter 1 The Children of Discovery Once in the land of Eristrata lived two children. Lato and Edma. They were the children of the Emperor Wingodium. They loved to roam the palace gardens of the Sacred Kingdom of Eristrata. When they were young, they found many secret passageways and tunnels in the marble palace. Many of them lead to secret parts of the Palace Grounds, every other time they were watched by the caretaker, Menli. One of their favourite parts of the Palace was the royal library. They read and loved all the books about faraway lands and great, magical monsters and the wizards and witches who had captured or discovered them, for their land was filled with magic. Wizards and Witches were common and Good Magic was not feared, for it saved lives. Yet Dark Magic was greatly feared. Its use was very dangerous.
Lato and Edma had known they were wizards since they were able to talk. They learnt all about magic from the palace teacher, Jerimon, who was a nice, but very strict young man. Before he taught magic in the palace, he travelled around Eristrata and it's neighbouring land, Herticule. He learnt a lot from his travels and was very willing to pass on his knowledge.
Everyday he would teach them different hand and wand movements, how to pronounce magical words, how to conjure things up from no where and taught them how to transfigure animals and things into something else completely. Chapter 2 Myth Hunters One day, they were in the middle of a lesson with Jerimon. It was a beautiful day, the lush, green grass in the palace yards was swaying in unison with the trees and their lesson was being held outside. Jerimon was teaching practical magic to use if you are under attack. "It's quite simple," he said in his deep, smooth voice, " All you need to do is point your wand at the attacker and say Attackno , it should work straight away."
He swung around, picked his wand up and conjured up a rather large snake, poised to strike. "Lato," he said," Pick up your wand and do what I told you!"
So Lato picked up his wand, pointed it at the snake and shouted "ATTACKNO!"
The snake went flying backwards about one hundred meters and landed with a loud flump, knocked out cold. "Is it dead?" asked Edma, looking at the immobile snake on the long green grass near a large, solid oak. "No, it's just knocked out. Go and have a look!" exclaimed Jerimon. The two boys walked rather reluctantly over to the snake. Its neck had been tied in a coil. Edma prodded it with his wand. The snake lay still on the grass. With a swish of Jerimon's wand and the words "deconjure" the snake disappeared. "Can I have a go?" asked Edma. No sooner had she said this than Jerimon and conjured up another snake. Edma pointed his wand at it and stuttered to get the words out, but it had worked, the snake flew backwards but this time it hit the tree with a loud thud. Jerimon then made the snake disappear and told them to summon their spell books The Power of Wand by Ukanse Gerude. They lifted their wands, said "Curi" and within a few seconds, The Power of Wand was in their hands.
"Now," started Jerimon, "So far we have covered summoning, disarming and all the other basic spells. So today I think we will start on a bit of magical theory. We shall learn about Myth Hunters." Edma and Lato's faces suddenly lit up with excitement, they had wanted to learn about Myth Hunters since one of the palaces noblemen left to become a Myth Hunter. "Now as you both know," he continued, "there are many magical creatures in the world. Many we have seen, many are only myths." Lato had a look of such excitement on his face that it looked like his eyes would pop out at any moment; Edma was jumping up and down with excitement. Jerimon continued, "So, with that in mind, I want you to open up to page 439 and start reading." They opened The Power of Wand and began reading about Myth Hunters:

Throughout the magical realm, there are many hundreds of creatures, sometimes called monsters that roam this land. Many have magical powers; many attack in mysterious ways. But not all of these monsters have been discovered. Many are only seen as Myths. They may be out there but due to little evidence, it cannot be proven.
There are certain people, who posses braveness, cunning and great skill of the practical magic that seek out these creatures. They are known as Myth Hunters. Many die, as most creatures out there are very dangerous and posses dark magical powers. Sometimes these creatures escape the magical realm and roam the world of science, where magic is obsolete. Sometimes, Non-Magic's will sight one of these creatures and believe it to be a mythical creature.
Myths in the Non-Magic world started with the Greeks, Romans and Latins, as they called them. These ancient "civilisations" sometimes captured or discovered these creatures and wrote stories about them called "fairy tales".
It is the Myth Hunters job to hunt down these creatures and bring them through the Magical Portal in the underwater city, Atlantis, a place that sank into the see from the science world and turned into the palace where many Myth Hunters live. Then they take them to the island of Mortenus, in the magical realm and release them in the Swiobne Wastelands, where the evil sorceress Shadeska rules.
You can become a Myth Hunter only after you've turned 16.

They finished reading and looked up at Jerimon. "Can we practise becoming Myth Hunters?" they asked in unison. O_o

The next day, Lato and Edma awoke in their bedrooms inside the topmost turret of the palace. The bluebirds outside were whistling and the sun was shining in the large window. They got dressed and headed down to the breakfast room, the smell of sausages, eggs and fried bacon wafting around the castle. When they reached the breakfast room they found Menli the caretaker there. He brought some bad news. "Lato, Edma, I am ever so sorry to have to bring you this news," he was crying with grief, "But your father, Emperor Wingodium was found out in the palace garden this morning." He started to cry. "He was - was - he was found dead!" He fell to the ground, tears streaming down his face. "WHAT!" they shouted, "This cannot happen!" said Lato in a rage of shock. "Who did it?!" shouted Edma.
Menli got to his feet and saw the two brothers holding each other and crying then said with a tone of deepest sorrow, "No one knows, he was found with small puncture wounds in his back, he was poisoned and he was completely drained of blood." He started crying again.
They ate breakfast very slowly, as it was very hard to cry and eat at the same time. Then when they finished Lato and Edma headed off, with stifled cries, to the palace library.

O_o

The palace librarian, Miss Slindel, who looked white as a ghost, very different from her usual beautiful olive skinned self, had soft, shiny tears running down her face. She had heard the news.
As Lato and Edma entered the library, she ran towards them and flung her arms around them, "I heard," she sobbed in the quite whisper that was her voice. "I am ever so sorry, but who is to become Emperor now? Now that your father, the great Emperor Wingodium has passed on?"
The two looked at each other, they had obviously not thought of this.
"Uhhh," started Edma, but he trailed off. "We are unsure, we do not, as we want to become Myth Hunters, maybe Jerimon?" continued Lato.
"Lato," whispered Edma in Lato's ear, "how are we going to make Jerimon Emperor? Do you think we should organise some form of ceremony to dub Jerimon as Emperor?" "We shall think about this afterwards," exclaimed Lato to Miss Slindel, "we came here to look at all the books on Magical Creatures."
Miss Slindel excused them, still sobbing in her hands. They went over to the Magical Creature section. There were about fifty books on Magical Creatures and they were determined to find out what had killed their father. They could remember Jerimon talking about a creature that drinks blood, many of them actually, but they could not remember which one.
They looked through The Magical Menagerie - a book of magical creatures, looking for words like puncture wounds, blood-sucking, poisoning and blood loss.
All they found was a picture of a vampire, but they were all living in the science world, so they couldn't have killed the Emperor.
Magical Creatures and their Habits had nothing in it about bloodsuckers.
They went through about thirty something more books before they found anything of particular importance.

Chapter 3 The Search It was in The Great Stories of Mythical Creatures of the Science World, that they found it.
"Hey, Edma!" squealed Lato in a beam of excitement and grief, "I found it, I found what killed our father!"
"What, where?" questioned Edma
Lato pointed at the book and saw the picture of a large scorpion like creature with the head of a human with three rows of teeth. He read the passage:

Manticore (Also known as Mantichora or "man-eater") Species: Humanoid/Animal Born: Over 2000 years ago in India in the Science world Size: 12 Feet Long Habitat: Lives deep beneath the desert. Description: Body of a Lion, Tail of a scorpion, The head of a human, 3 Rows of teeth. The ferocious, man-eating Manticore has powerful blue eyes and the voice of a trumpet. This "low-life" lives deep beneath the desert, close to the centre of the earth. The Manticore runs as swiftly as a deer and has the ability to leap over small buildings. He uses his tail to shoot poisonous, spine-like straws into his victims, through which he slurps their blood.

They quickly ran out of the library with the book under Lato's
arm. They found Menli and showed them the book. He told the palace guards and the search started.
The guards looked all around the palace gardens searching for clues that a Manticore had been in the grounds.
"They've been searching for about an hour," said Edma in despair, staring out their bedroom window. "Do you think they've found anything?" O_o

Nearly four weeks had passed, they had their 15th birthdays and were learning to become Myth Hunters, and catch the Manticore that killed their father. They informed Menli that they had chosen Jerimon to become Emperor. He told the palace advisers and the following day, the celebration of the Becoming of the Emperor took place. Emperor Jerimon told Lato and Edma that they need study for only 1 more year to become Myth Hunters and then they could set out on their quest for the creature that killed their father, the late Emperor Wingodium.
And so they did. The read through nearly every book in the vast palace library with Miss Slindel answering all their questions. She helped them practice magic and took them on walks and told them all about the land outside. "There are 4 great, magical lands, floating on the Sea of Twinkele. They are Eristrata, Mortenus, Herticule and the main island where the Lords of Magic themselves live, Bardeskup."
They listened with rapt attention as she told them all about the islands, the wizards, witches, sorceress and warlocks that lived there, as well as special landmarks and the kind of creatures that lived there. They learnt a lot in one year.

A Year Later...

On their 16th birthdays they received gifts from many people in the palace that may help them on their journey. From Emperor Jerimon they received a compact-compartment bag. About the size of a small handbag, light as a feather and with 4 locks, you could put as much as you wanted in each of the magical compartments. You put the magic key in, turn the dial to the compartment number and jammed stuff into it. It never got full and ever got heavy, a very expensive and valuable gift. From Menli, they each received an assortment of books including, Magical Creatures - Find, Defence and Capture by Warlock D. C. Volto and Tricks of the Magical Trade (Learn and Use Wisely) which Menli himself had written. Miss Slindel gave them a map of the entire Magical Realm and an Atlas of the Science World. These would come in really handy. The Adviser, Alaba Dijjily gave them each a MagiSword and Talisman to guard themselves with and the palace guards had given them clothes, books, parchment, writing material and different variations of wands, each with there own special powers. They packed their clothes and gathered their money from the palace vaults. They put on their cloaks and set out for the palace gates, amid a medley of screams, cries, cheers and claps. They reached they gate, Emperor Jerimon conjured up thousands of small, white doves, and then they exited the palace gates. Leaving the small village inside the palace gates behind them, probably never to see it again.

Chapter 4 The Land Beyond the Gates The palace gates closed behind them, blocking out all sound. The land outside the vast palace walls was large grassland, covered in the lushest of lush, green grass. The sun was shinning brightly and the sky was a pure blue.
They checked the map. "The closest city is Rinoa," said Lato, "about a half day journey.
As they travelled, they had fun conjuring broomsticks for travel, turning birds into compasses and a rather large oak into a pile of mouth-watering food. They ate it all. By the time they had finished eating they were almost prone to burst at any moment. They kept walking. O_o

By the time the sun had almost gone down, and the sky was turning a bright pinkish yellow, they reached the gates of Rinoa. They knocked on the palace gates and they opened. What they saw inside made their jaws drop.
All the houses were made of gold, the palace itself, were at least two hundred stories high with very complicatedly chiselled marble, gold, silver and platinum gargoyles. Rinoa was known as the "City of Immense Wealth", and they had just found out why.
They walked around, looking for a hotel to stay in. After about half and hour, they settled down in the Rinoa Gardens Hotel. A beautiful building covered in ferns and with a statue outside of a large Redwood Phoenix, trickling water into a pond.
They rooms had two four poster beds with phoenix feather mattress, covered in duck down bedspreads, the posters were made of two large fangs, that they both recognised as Basilisk fangs. They drapes over the beeps were made of velvet and covered in golden paintings of past Emperors of Rinoa. They recognised a few from the Magical History lessons. There was Emperor Friuldarn the Loyal, Empress Lowilda the Beauty and Emperor Atricula the Articulate.
They rested down in their beds, said good night to each other ("Early start tomorrow, ‘Ey!" said Edma) and drifted into a deep sleep.

O_o

As the night progressed, Lato started to have wild dreams about them finding the creature (if it really was a manticore) that killed their father. They were in a cave and heard loud, booming noises then a flash of bright light and they had captured it and become famous. He kept on tossing and turning.

O_o

"Wake up Lato," came a whisper, "Wake Up!"
Feeling rather groggy, and not remembering his dream at all, Lato reluctantly woke up. "Lets go have some breakfast and explore the city!"
They got dressed in their black cloaks, dragon hide shoes and sleek, black velvet wizarding hats and set down the winding marble staircase to the breakfast room.
The shovelled down their food at the speed of light itself and set of outside to explore Rinoa.
The city was bustling with people, eager to do some shopping or to set out to the local events or library, going to school or just having fun. They walked into McDracos and brought themselves a dragon burger then left.
As they walked through the city they noticed signs outside of shops with thinks like:

Spellbound Sweets Sale!

Twister Pops (spin uncontrollably) - 4 Drods each
Dragonbreath Mints (stinky fire breath) - 5 Gullags a packet
And Blood-Berry Sugar Sweets (vampire or bloodsuckers treat)- 1 Trung a dozen

They went in and brought about 3 dozen Blood-Berry Sugar Sweets (for just in case a blood sucking monster cornered them outside Rinoa)

They kept walking.................

Monster Captures - The Myth Hunter’s Store
Dragon Detectors at a low, low price
Creature Compasses - Detects a specified magical creature from up to two kilometres in all directions

Lato spotted the Monster Captures store, grabbed Edma by the arm and quickly dashed in. There were all sorts of things in there. Magic EyeGlasses that could see any creature or being around, wether it was hiding behind a tree or right behind you! They brought a pair of these each, a few creature compasses and a pamphlet about local creatures on Eristrata.
They left the store, put all their shopping in their compartment bag at kept on walking.
At around midday, that went to eat at a small, alfresco coffee shop. They had lunch at read the Creatures of Eristrata - What, Where are More! Pamphlet. It was a very interesting read for example:

"In the late 14th Century BS (Before Science), a law was passed to stop cross-breeding of dangerous animal species. Some of them included Blast-Ended Skrewts, a cross between a Manticore and a fire crab, The Cocklisk, a cross between a Cockatrice and a Basilisk and The Mertroll, a cross between a Merfolk and a troll."

They kept eating and reading until about one o'clock and set out again. Lato consulted the map yet again. "Okay. … Let me see, the next city is Quadell and then past that is the Desert of Death." Edma had a look of shock on his face at the very thought of a Desert of Death. "Now," continued Lato in a feverish tone of fright, "according to the Creatures of Eristrata pamphlet, the Desert of Death is home to the only Manticore in the Magic world. The other lives in a desert in Madagascar in the Science World. Now, we can either kill it," "KILL IT!" screamed Edma, "Or…" Lato continued with a tone of seriousness in his voice, "Or, we can capture it and hand it into the Eristrata Museum of Magical and Science Realm Myth Creatures and be granted an official Magical/Science Realm Myth Hunter License."

After lunch they set out of the city. "Ok," said Edma, consulting the map, Quadell is a few days walk and a bit of a hike over Treachery Hill. If we conjure broomsticks it will take about a day and a bit to reach"
When they got out of the city, they conjured up broomsticks, kicked off from the ground, levitating four metres off the ground. They shot off in the direction of Quadell.

By the time the sun fell, there was still no sign of Quadell. They decided to set up camp. Lato conjured up the tents and magically set them up. They had a large supply of food, so they conjured a fire and cooked their meal. Chunkawoonka meat, which was their main mean, was very delicious but very hard to come by, but not if you conjured it from dirt.

As is got later, they started to fell tired and decided to get to sleep. At about half past 3 three in the morning though, a loud crooning sound woke Edma up. “Wha-“, he started, but, looking around, he saw that Lato, too, was awake and staying as still as he could, he slowly pointed out side.
There was a large shadow outside of some form of monster. It was a Manticore.

“Do you think it - “, but before he could say any more, the creature ran away. They quickly got out of their tent and with a flick of their wands, the tent was gone and they were airborne again, quickly chasing the creature as it ran for it.

Chapter 5 Manticore About an hour later, past the city of Quadell and in the Desert of Death, they saw the manticore disappear. They zoomed up to where it had vanished and found a dimly lit cave. They hopped off their brooms and entered, putting their “conjure power” wands away and quickly extracting their “death” and “defend power” wands from their pockets.
They walked through the dimly lit cave for a while, walking as slowly and quietly as they could, until suddenly, -
CCCCCCCRRRRRRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNCCCCCCHHH CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH.
They stopped and squinted further into the distance. They saw the large shadow of a lion-like creature with a long tail that had a sting on the end.
They tiptoed up but the shadow had heard them. It quickly turned around and ran towards them, they ducked just in time to miss a large payload of poison darts, they weren’t about to die like their father had. “You’re father was delectable, let’s see what I can make out of you two!” It screamed. “I, Undrea the Manticore will finish you off!” there was something not right about this creatures voice, it seemed too human, it sounded quite like their fathers, “We are armed, to kill!” warned Lato as the creature approached them cautiously, eying their wands.
But the creature didn’t seem to care, it shot another load of darts, Edma quickly stopped them with a quick freezing spell (“Poisondarts Hitohnome”).
They dropped in mid air and fell to the ground.
“Well, um, yes!” said the manticore nervously and backed away a little bit. It was getting furious but scared. Suddenly, a loud booming noise emitted from the depths of the cave. Then Lato aimed his wand quickly at the manticore and muttered something very, very quietly that sounded awfully like, “You were my father, now you die!”, he then shouted out quickly “Anima Cadevra” And it was dead in a flash of bright, vivid blue. They dragged the body out of the cave O_o

When they got out of the cave, it suddenly collapsed throwing dirt and gold in the air. Edma jumped quickly for the gold and grabbed as much as he could, placing it in their magical, feather light bag.

It was an hour on broom before the got back to Quadell; they stayed there for the night, Transfiguring the dead manticore body into a small, red disc and placing it in their bag. They slept until the early hours of the morning and when they awoke, decided against broomstick and took the fastest DragonBus out of town to the Eristrata Palace.

When they arrived at the palace a few hours later, they braced themselves, they had been gone only a month or two but they expected much anticipated excitement at their return. They opened the palace gates and walked slowly to the marble castle. When they got inside, they found Menli.
“You killed it!” he said in shock, they extracted the disc from their bag and Un-Transfigured it. It now looked like their father. “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh” screamed Edma, “What the f-“ but Menli stopped him, swearing was strictly prohibited it the palace walls.

Lato then proceeded to tell Edma the story about how, when they were both 10, a manticore savaged the emperor, he escaped but the consequences of getting away from the manticore, meant that he himself would turn in to a manticore, so their father had faked his own death and ran away, but Lato and never forgiven him, he wanted to kill his father for making only him and a few people in the palace have to put up with the memory of him as a manticore, everybody else’s minds were erased.
“And that’s why the manticore has turned back intro our father, he is dead. Then Edma realised why Lato had said “You were my father, now you die!”, he realised it better now.

The End

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