The Manticores

• Alex Leonov, Grade 10, Meridan State College -
• Short Story
• 2018

Excellence Award in the 'Horizon of Dreams 2018' competition

There was no denying it; the walls of Malwrath were insurmountable to the legion. Even the almighty Zeus trembled at the sight of such a city, for even his divine aid could not overcome Cerberus, the monstrous guard of the underworld. The stench of death proliferated from the nearby river canals; Hades, hated by gods and men alike, was at work again, spreading his diseases and suffering like a plague upon his realm.
It came to Zeus’s attention that his divine envoys began begging him to retreat. It was a futile request. “There shall be no withdrawal!” bellowed Zeus. Instead, he raised the monstrous lightning bolt in his hand, and let out a thunderous shout. For a minute, there was silence. Then, the defendants of Malwrath jeered at their assailants. The morale of the legion began escaping them like sand in an hourglass…
Splash! Clusters of rock had begun to plummet into the river canals like rainfall droplets. Everyone’s gaze had turned to the same direction: up. As everyone started at the ceiling, a huge ravine had formed, with blue light meticulously seeping its way through the interstices of the two tectonic plates. A faint roar could be heard, which grew evermore as the creatures flew closer. The legion shuddered when they saw the monsters; one combatant cried out in fear, “It has the head of a lion, the wings of a dragon and the tail of a scorpion!” Zeus grinned as he recognised the figures. “Do not worry, for they are here to help us!” exclaimed Zeus. This force was unprecedented, for such a creature to even exist was nothing more than a myth. Only one name could be bestowed to such a terror: the Manticore.
Without warning, the manticores plunged from the sky and let out a deafening growl. The defendants of Malwrath, even Hades himself, were taken afar by this petrifying myriad of fabled legend. They all turned to Cerberus, the three-headed Hellhound, to reassure that everything would be fine. However, after staring at the alpha Manticore, it recoiled inwardly from the malice in its eyes. The fiend howled viciously, before submitting to the superior force. Hades was enraged by the lack of retaliation. However, he had no choice but to flee, or face total annihilation. He cursed the enemy, before using his helmet of invisibility to escape the city without a trace.
His dismayed army was liberated, and the legion of Zeus marched triumphantly throughout Malwrath. Victory processions were held and the pain and suffering lifted from the city. Zeus, on the other hand, was looking at the grand scheme of things. For his map told him that one more city was yet to be freed from the underworld. Unfortunately, this was no ordinary city. It was the capital of the underworld, the dreaded city Malacath. Yet Zeus felt ready, for with the Manticores at his side, nothing scared him anymore. He pointed his lightning bolt at the city, and a smile emerged from his face.