Osamu PoV
I smiled as I kept reading about cats. The book had fun facts about all kinds of cats, small and big like lions.
It had some fun facts about griffins which were lions with eagle-like features. Some used them in ancient times for war like pegasus now. Their powerful roars inspired both fear and courage. Fear on the enemy and courage in its allies.
I turned the page and saw a picture of an cat. This one wasn't angelic or heroic. It was the manticore, a being corrupted by demonic forces. The cursed energy turned them from guardians of the wild into monsters.
Its fierce visage was a blend of a lion's body, a scorpion's tail, and a human-like face twisted into a snarl. The book described how they could mimic human speech to lure travelers into traps and decour them.
I shivered at the thought of encountering one. Closing the book, I hid under my blanket and snuggled Leo.
