In fact, the only strange thing about him was the large, red-gold bird that often sat on his back. This bird was a pheonix, and was Cilan's closest friend. His name was Saeryph, or at least, that was what he said. Pheonixes rarely gave out their true names to any but their own kind.
On this particular morning, the sky was clear and sunny, and the forest seemed peaceful.
In hindsight, something was bound to go wrong.
Cilan was trotting through the forest, following one of the humans' dirt roads as Saeryph flew above him. The centaur stopped suddenly and cocked his head to the side. "Do you hear something, Saeryph?" He asked the pheonix as Saeryph perched on his back.
"Yes." The red-gold bird said. "It sounds like something is coming this way. Probably a predator of some kind, it's trying to sneak up on us."
Cilan snorted. "Not doing a very good job then, is it? The only thing that wouldn't hear it coming would be a human." He said, snickering.
"Hey, be quiet! I'm trying to stalk you." A voice called from the forest. Cilan turned to see what it was as the voice continued. "Oh, hell's bells, I've given myself away. Ah well, best get on with it, then."
A large shape snarled menacingly at them as it leapt out from the cover of the forest. It had the body of a lion, with outstretched claws, but the head of a man, sharp teeth bared. It's bat-like wings were folded across it's back, and a scorpionlike tail whipped out behind it.
Cilan stepped to the side, and the manticore crashed into the ground. The manticore growled. "Nothing personal, but I'm gonna kill the both of you for that!" He screeched as he got up. Cilan just kicked him in the face with a rear hoof.
"This guy's not so tough." Cilan laughed.
"Watch out, Cilan! Manticores are more dangerous than you think, and their tail causes instant death!" Saeryph called from high in the air.
The manticore grinned and shipped its scorpion tail back and forth. It leapt forward and flung the poisenous tail tip at Cilan, who narrowly avoided it.
A sharp screech came from above as Saeryph dived. The pheonix's sharp claws dug into the manticore's back as it yowled. "Run! Cilan, run away!" He yelled.
The centaur took off, and the pheonix followed in the air. Snarling, the manticore took off after them determinedly.
They raced along the road, a centaur, a pheonix, and a manticore behind them. It wasn't long before they ran out of road. They had arrived at the ocean. A thing length of sand stretched away east and west.
Cialn cursed, reared on his hind legs as he reached the edge of the sand, and wheeled around. The manticore was catching up to them, and now stood in front of the centaur.
"I've got you now." The manticore grinned. "Me in front of you, and a sea serpent behind you."
Cilan looked behind him. Sure enough, a huge, ugly snakelike head rose up from the water. The sea serpent watched him hungrily from deeper water. Though it could not come too close to land, its long neck would enable it to pick off anything that entered the water.
Saeryph wheeled around in circles above as the manticore eyed him warily. The pheonix dived again, but only managed a passing blow to the manticore's head.
The manticore flicked its tail, and this time the tip buried itself in the bird's breast. The manticore sneered, and tossed the lifeless body into the sea, where the sea serpent eagerly went after it.
"Saeryph!" Cilan watched in horror as his friend died. He turned to the manticore, flailing his front hooves in anger. Within minutes, the centaur had subdued the manticore and had him pinned under his heavy body. He dug his hoof into the manticore's tail, and the creature screamed in pain.
"There has to be a way to save Saeryph, right?" Cilan said. "A spell, or...something."
"I don't know! I don't use magic, I'm just a manticore. Ow!" The manticore winced in pain. "Maybe if you could go to the underworld..."
Cilan nodded. "How do I get to the underworld, then?"
"I don't know." The manticore snapped. "It's not a place I typically go to for summer vacation, you know?" He winced as Cilan pressed harder against his tail. "But I know someone who might." He gasped. "There's a sphinx that lives near here, practices magic. I've heard she has a spell to go to the underworld."
Cilan wondered briefly why anyone would want a spell to the underworld, but dismissed the thought. "Where does she live, then?"
"Go west along the beach until you come to a human road and follow it. You'll meet her eventually, she likes to hunt around there." Humans? Cilan shuddered, humans weren't known for being friendly to harmless magical creatures like centaurs and, well...centaurs.
"Now will you let me up?" The manticore demanded.
"Of course not. You'll attack me as soon as you're free." Cilan said.
"Well...okay, yeah I would." The manticore sighed.
"You'll be coming with me." Cilan stated.
The manticore gulped nervously. "To the underworld?"
Cilan smiled, but didn't answer.
"Ow. Ow. Ow." The manticore groaned everytime his head hit a rock, which was often. He was on his back, his paws and tail hogtied, and was being dragged by the centaur, who ignored him.
"Well, we're gonna be traveling together for a while, eh? I guess we better get to know each other. I'm Hediru. What's your name, kid?" The manticore asked.
"Cilan." The centaur said, and fell silent again.
"Hey, Cilan. Do you think you could loosen these ropes, just a little? My paws are killing me."
"No."
Hediru cursed. His head hit a particularly large rock, and he yowled. Cilan ignored him.