Onward

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As I panted for breath finally that we gotten away, Barley laughed.

BARLEY: Ha-ha! That was unbelievable. You were just like... (magic sounds) And the beam was just floatin' there! My brother is a wizard!

Ian was a little bit proud of himself.

IAN: I can't believe that worked.

BARLEY: Oh, you're gonna nail Dad's spell now. And you Em, you really had a way of your magic. Even your hair is changing.

I tipped my head confused.

EMMA: My hair? I don't see anything wrong.

IAN: Emma, it's true. Your hair is turning blue.

EMMA: Blue? It's what?

I lifted my hair up. A section of my blonde hair was turning into a light bluish color.

BARLEY: It's because you are experiencing magic, isn't it?

EMMA: Does it look bad?

IAN:I don't know. It looks good on you though.  Except we don't have a map.

BARLEY: But we've got this! BEHOLD!

Barley reveals the kids menu that he had snatched on the way out.

BARLEY: Look, on a quest, you have to use what you've got. And this is what we've got! Best part is, little Kayla already solved the puzzle.

Ian took the menu and studied the puzzle.

IAN: Well, according to Kayla, we just have to look for "Raven's Point." Raven's Point... Raven's Point...

He reached to the glove box and pulled out a real map and slid it across the dashboard and looked. At the tavern followed the road and there, it was Raven's point, a mountain.  I can't believe. I was suddenly taking everything seriously. So far, Barley has been pretty right about everything.

EMMA: So Raven's Point is real.

BARLEY: Yes! The gem must be in the mountain. We can be there by tomorrow morning.

IAN: Tomorrow morning?

BARLEY: That still gives us plenty of time with Dad.

IAN: Yeah.

I nodded my head, Ian looked at Legs and put his finger on the tavern on the map and he traced a route to Raven's Point.

IAN: Well, it looks like the expressway should take us right there.

BARLEY: Eh, expressway is a little too obvious. On a quest, the clear path is never the right one--

IAN: What?

Confused, I lifted my head up.

BARLEY: During one Quests of Yore campaign, Shrub Rosehammer and I took the easy route... led him straight into the belly of a gelatinous cube. Only reason I didn't suffer the same fate? I followed my gut. And it's telling me we take an ancient trail called the Path of Peril.

Path of peril? He showed Ian and me on the map, A small skinny road was on it. 

IAN: But the expressway is faster.

BARLEY: Maybe not in the long run.

IAN: I know you want this to be like one of your adventure games, but all that matters is that we get to spend as much time as possible with Dad.

They stopped at a traffic light and Barley thought about Ian's words. Legs moved in front of the van.

EMMA: So, we should just take the expressway. Right?

BARLEY: Yeah. You're right. (beat) But if you end up inside a gelatinous cube, you are on your own.

When the light turned green he steered the van onto the ramp that lead to the express way.

Bright lights flashed as firefighters battle the roaring flames. The other people seemed okay but suddenly, a blue female elf was looking for something.

LAUREL: Excuse me? Hello! Please, I'm looking for two teenage elves?!

MANTICORE: Okay, okay, I told you already, there were two teenage elves and a human girl...

The woman turned and saw the manticore wrapped in a thermal blanket talking to a police officer who was taking down her statement.

LAUREL: Oh! Those are my sons! Where did they go?

MANTICORE: Oh, they went on a quest to find a Phoenix Gem. But don't worry, don't worry. I told them about the map, and about the gem, and about the curse.-

Suddenly, she realized.

MANTICORE: I forgot to tell them about the curse!

LAUREL: The what?

MANTICORE: Oh that's right. There was this human girl who suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

LAUREL: What? A human?

OFFICER AVEL: Hoo boy... Listen, this one's gone a little (whistle)

MANTICORE: Your boys are in grave danger! But I can help--

The officer stopped her because she was about to get up.

OFFICER AVEL: Whoa, hey. You're not going anywhere. We got questions for you.

He begin to guide the manticore to the police car.

MANTICORE: (calling to Laurel) I know where they're going! We can still save them!

Laurel was desperate, she looked around trying to figure what to do. There was a first aid kit in an open flatulence nearby. This gave her an idea. Seconds later, she approached the manticore and the police officer, who was taking down with the manticore was saying.

MANTICORE: Last name 'Manticore.' First name 'The'.

LAUREL: Hold on! You're right, she has gone a little– (whistle) It's no wonder with a wound like that.

OFFICER AVEL: That's just a scratch.

Laurel pulled out a quest of yore card about the manticore and waved it around like it was some official document.

LAUREL: Oh, I'm sorry, are you an expert on minotaurs?

MANTICORE: (correcting) Manticores.

OFFICER AVEL: Well, no.

LAUREL: Well then you wouldn't know that when their blood is exposed to air, it makes them go bonkers.

MANTICORE: I don't think that's true.

LAUREL: See! She's already losing her grip on reality. So why don't you let me save her life before it costs you yours?

OFFICER AVEL: Okay!

LAUREL: Thank you! Could we have a little privacy here, please?

So the officer stepped behind the police car, giving them some privacy but he listened. 

LAUREL: (O.S.) Just lie back. That's good.

OFFICER AVEL: Just don't take too long back there, okay? (beat) Hey, you hear me? I said, don't take too long back there, because I– 

He turned and looked at the manticore's silhouette. As he walked around the side of the car, he saw the source of the shadow, the source is the burnt mascot. Laurel and the manticore were gone.  The back of Laurel's car gave all sparks as it dragged against the asphalt carrying weight of  the manticore in its back seat.

LAUREL: Alright, how do we help my boys?

MANTICORE: Oooooh, I'm gonna like you!