Myths and Legends

Chapter 2

But of course, Daniel couldn't sleep just yet. He walked through the maze of corridors, waving to the few people who were still wandering around; the staff, finishing their jobs for the day, and the few residents of Castle Carson, going back to their chambers after a late dinner. The Prince's greetings were half-hearted at best. His thoughts were elsewhere. When he arrived at his chambers, he paused outside the gold inlayed doors, before opening the them and entering. He passed the many works of art on the walls, flickering in the candlelight. He passed the cupboards containing his royal armour, and formal clothing. He passed the golden doors leading to the bathrooms (though with a lot less conviction). He paused only to throw his crown, a silver circlet, onto the table, and then proceeded to flop onto the king-sized bed. Daniel lay there on his back, staring at the ceiling, which, like everything else in the castle, was covered in gold and silver swirls. After lying like this for a few seconds, the Prince rolled over and grabbed a book off the bookshelf next to his bed. Sitting up in a more attentive position, with his back against the wall, Daniel flicked through the many pages that he knew by heart. To an observer, the book was old and dusty, the cover hanging on by threads. The title was barely legible, faded from the many hands who had brushed over it, cradling the leather, reading its stories.

MYTHS AND LEGENDS

Though, thought Daniel, most myths are not myths at all. Many, of course turn out to be truths in disguise. The Prince's hand stopped flicking. The creature portrayed on this page had been the subject of nightmares all across the world of Anthanasia for hundreds of years.

THE WRAITH

Wraiths are like part bear, part dragon. Huge. Accurate measurements are hard to come by, though many place them at about 8 feet tall and 5 feet wide. They are totally black, except for its eyes. The eyes are the only way to distinguish the individuals. No two wraiths have the same eye colours. And no wraiths have the same colour in both eyes. Their hands are furry, with thumbs so they can grip tools. Their teeth are as long as your middle finger. The Wraiths have wings but are so bulky they can't fly. Instead they use their wings as a way to boost their jumping ability. They can also glide. The Wraiths have claws. They are longer than your average dagger, but not too long to impede grip. They have scales under their fur which act like armour. The scales are softer over the Wraith's heart, and they have no scales at all: knees, underarms, the joint where the neck meets the shoulders, it's elbows, and most of its face. The scales can only be pieced by Styren, the strongest metal in Anthanasia (see Styren). The Wraiths are the strongest things known to this world.

At this point, Daniel skipped a few pages. He had no need to re-read the Wraiths capabilities. They weren't easy to forget. The Prince adjusted the candle to better illuminate the book, then continued reading.

Unlike what many will tell you, the Wraiths are highly intelligent and do in fact have their own language. Often mistaken for primitive grunting, the Wraith's language is hard to understand, and harder to speak. Some sources may tell you this is purposeful. Others think this is just the easiest way for them to communicate. Every now and again, you'll find a Wraith that can actually speak Anthan. Though there are few, this again proves the theory that there are more to these beasts then meets the eye. Before the great war, Wraiths were believed only to be myth or legend, a story used to scare young children. They chose to reveal themselves in the most gruesome way possible (see great war). They were eventually forced back out of Anthanasia, though how is still a mystery, and onto the island of Valissis. To our knowledge, the wraiths haven't left Valissis since. We don't know if they even exist anymore.

Well that, thought Daniel, was an absolute fib. There had been plenty of sighting of Wraiths on the mainland. You just wrote them off. The Prince yawned. Maybe Mallory is right. I do need sleep. A smile crept onto his face. Better not let her hear that. With the smile still on his face, Daniel closed the book, and slipped it under his mattress. Though his father almost never came into his private quarters, it always helped to be prepared. Daniel knew only too well that the King did not approve of this subject. The thousands of books burned by Wiliam's hand proved this point. Quickly weighing the options of sleeping or going to have a shower, Daniel sighed, knowing he should have a shower but, despite what he had said to Mallory, really wanting sleep, the Prince chose sleep. I don't have anything on in the morning, right? I'll have a shower then. With that thought on his mind, Daniel rolled over, blew out the candle, and drifted off to sleep.