I also included a reference to the prompt, which I hope was ok.
The Totally True Story of "Bob the Collector", as told by a Magi Academy student that was quite obviously not a history student:
Spoiler
“…But anyway, if Jensyn and Erdan had any amount of self control, we wouldn’t be so overloaded with history homework,” Lee ranted, a bit breathless from talking, walking, and carrying his large heap of scrolls back to the library shelf.
“Just because you don’t care much for the history of our entire culture doesn’t mean we don’t need to learn it,” Nor responded. “Though, I do wish that we weren’t all being punished for those two blockheads breaking some old statue.”
“Some old statue?” Dana asked. She continued speaking in a sarcastically formal tone. “I thought a history student at the esteemed Magi Academy would have a bit more respect for Lady Antel.”
“Yeah, well, Lady Antel can’t seem to hold on to her arms. She couldn’t have been that powerful,” Nor said, shrugging.
“Well, my research project is going to be the greatest ever. You just wait and see. While some of our fellow students are sticking purely to fact, I, on the other hand, have chosen to embellish my story,” Lee said as they sat down at a library table.
“It’s history class, Lee. The story has to be true.”
“But, see, it is true. It just has some added elements. You know, it’s inspired by a true story.”
Nor and Dana sighed. While Lee was a formidable magi, he had more of a knack for fiction than was probably good for him.
“Let’s hear it,” Dana muttered, hoping to get it over with quickly.
“Once upon a time, deep in the very heart of Magiland-“
“Magiland?” Nor asked. “Did you just make that up now?”
“Shh! I’m telling a story. Anyway, there was this guy. It was a long time ago, so his real name was lost to the sands of time, so I’m giving him a new one. So this guy, I’ll just call him Bob, was a Magi student just like us. Ready to go out into the real world and tame the magnificent creatures of the wilds. Bob was a very orderly student, so he somehow managed to get an apprenticeship with Master Belmos. Now, this was over a hundred years ago, so the records aren’t great, but-“
“Lee, I don’t think Belmos has had his job for over a hundred years,” Dana interjected.
“Yeah, but it’s more impressive that way. When has Professor Lake taught anything recent in history class? As I was saying, he worked for Belmos. You know, collecting creatures and such. He really liked the more intelligent creatures, you know, like the dragons and foxes. Then, one day, he disappeared. Just like that. Took a fair amount of creatures with him, which everyone knows is a huge crime.”
“A few years passed. Bob hid out in the mountains, waiting and collecting. No one knows why he kept collecting creatures, just that he had to do it. He filled cave after cave with his collections, organized perfectly. He became obsessed with collecting. Sometime while he was hiding out, he must have gone insane, because he decided that the only way he could complete his collection was by collection what he considered to be the most intelligent of all the creatures…Magi themselves.”
“Seriously, Lee? This sounds a lot like that ghost story you told me when we went camping in Alasre Mountains a few years back. I’m pretty sure you just changed the name,” Nor said, crossing her arms and considering getting up to leave, or at least starting her own history project rather than listening to Lee’s nonsense.
“Well that’s because it’s sometimes told as a ghost story, meant to keep young magi in at night. Otherwise, Bob might come and….collect them. It’s an old cautionary tale.”
“It’s completely made up!” Nor shouted, startling a group of younger students a few tables over. She had almost forgotten that they were in the library.
“Not completely! And will you let me finish the story, or do you have to keep interrupting?”
Silence answered him. Nor mimed zipping her lips and throwing away the key. Dana struggled to contain her laughter.
“Okay, so Bob would lurk around the outskirts of the Keep at night, waiting for unsuspecting magi to wander a bit too far from the guard towers. Then, he would swoop in on one of his many dragons and bring the unfortunate magi back to his caves where he would lock them up. He must have considered himself some sort of zookeeper or something, even though we’re not even allowed to keep our creatures in zoos. And, because Bob was one crazy Magi, he realized that, even though he was once a Magi, and still technically was one, he considered himself a different type of Magi. He was the Ultimate Collector, superior to any others that had collected magical creatures. And, crazy and obsessive as he was about completing his collection, he realized that that was what the collection was missing. The Ultimate Collector. So, driven mad by his need to complete his collection, one night he went down into the caves and locked himself in, completing his collection. Legend has it that he rotted away down there, locked in with his perfect collection.”
Dana clapped slowly. “Congratulations, Lee. You just made it perfectly obvious that you are not a history student. You know, you may be able to take that open spot in the Lore department after Professor Ren retires, that is if the headmaster is looking to hire Magi that teach their own made up Lore rather than true Magi Lore.”
“Or maybe,” Nor said through bursts of laughter, “A hundred years from now Magi like us will be telling stories about Lee, the great storyteller. Not just any type of stories, though. Greatly exaggerated ones that have barely a grain of truth in them.”
“You’ll see, you two. I’ll get the highest marks on my research project. Everyone needs to learn about Bob the Collector.”
“Just because you don’t care much for the history of our entire culture doesn’t mean we don’t need to learn it,” Nor responded. “Though, I do wish that we weren’t all being punished for those two blockheads breaking some old statue.”
“Some old statue?” Dana asked. She continued speaking in a sarcastically formal tone. “I thought a history student at the esteemed Magi Academy would have a bit more respect for Lady Antel.”
“Yeah, well, Lady Antel can’t seem to hold on to her arms. She couldn’t have been that powerful,” Nor said, shrugging.
“Well, my research project is going to be the greatest ever. You just wait and see. While some of our fellow students are sticking purely to fact, I, on the other hand, have chosen to embellish my story,” Lee said as they sat down at a library table.
“It’s history class, Lee. The story has to be true.”
“But, see, it is true. It just has some added elements. You know, it’s inspired by a true story.”
Nor and Dana sighed. While Lee was a formidable magi, he had more of a knack for fiction than was probably good for him.
“Let’s hear it,” Dana muttered, hoping to get it over with quickly.
“Once upon a time, deep in the very heart of Magiland-“
“Magiland?” Nor asked. “Did you just make that up now?”
“Shh! I’m telling a story. Anyway, there was this guy. It was a long time ago, so his real name was lost to the sands of time, so I’m giving him a new one. So this guy, I’ll just call him Bob, was a Magi student just like us. Ready to go out into the real world and tame the magnificent creatures of the wilds. Bob was a very orderly student, so he somehow managed to get an apprenticeship with Master Belmos. Now, this was over a hundred years ago, so the records aren’t great, but-“
“Lee, I don’t think Belmos has had his job for over a hundred years,” Dana interjected.
“Yeah, but it’s more impressive that way. When has Professor Lake taught anything recent in history class? As I was saying, he worked for Belmos. You know, collecting creatures and such. He really liked the more intelligent creatures, you know, like the dragons and foxes. Then, one day, he disappeared. Just like that. Took a fair amount of creatures with him, which everyone knows is a huge crime.”
“A few years passed. Bob hid out in the mountains, waiting and collecting. No one knows why he kept collecting creatures, just that he had to do it. He filled cave after cave with his collections, organized perfectly. He became obsessed with collecting. Sometime while he was hiding out, he must have gone insane, because he decided that the only way he could complete his collection was by collection what he considered to be the most intelligent of all the creatures…Magi themselves.”
“Seriously, Lee? This sounds a lot like that ghost story you told me when we went camping in Alasre Mountains a few years back. I’m pretty sure you just changed the name,” Nor said, crossing her arms and considering getting up to leave, or at least starting her own history project rather than listening to Lee’s nonsense.
“Well that’s because it’s sometimes told as a ghost story, meant to keep young magi in at night. Otherwise, Bob might come and….collect them. It’s an old cautionary tale.”
“It’s completely made up!” Nor shouted, startling a group of younger students a few tables over. She had almost forgotten that they were in the library.
“Not completely! And will you let me finish the story, or do you have to keep interrupting?”
Silence answered him. Nor mimed zipping her lips and throwing away the key. Dana struggled to contain her laughter.
“Okay, so Bob would lurk around the outskirts of the Keep at night, waiting for unsuspecting magi to wander a bit too far from the guard towers. Then, he would swoop in on one of his many dragons and bring the unfortunate magi back to his caves where he would lock them up. He must have considered himself some sort of zookeeper or something, even though we’re not even allowed to keep our creatures in zoos. And, because Bob was one crazy Magi, he realized that, even though he was once a Magi, and still technically was one, he considered himself a different type of Magi. He was the Ultimate Collector, superior to any others that had collected magical creatures. And, crazy and obsessive as he was about completing his collection, he realized that that was what the collection was missing. The Ultimate Collector. So, driven mad by his need to complete his collection, one night he went down into the caves and locked himself in, completing his collection. Legend has it that he rotted away down there, locked in with his perfect collection.”
Dana clapped slowly. “Congratulations, Lee. You just made it perfectly obvious that you are not a history student. You know, you may be able to take that open spot in the Lore department after Professor Ren retires, that is if the headmaster is looking to hire Magi that teach their own made up Lore rather than true Magi Lore.”
“Or maybe,” Nor said through bursts of laughter, “A hundred years from now Magi like us will be telling stories about Lee, the great storyteller. Not just any type of stories, though. Greatly exaggerated ones that have barely a grain of truth in them.”
“You’ll see, you two. I’ll get the highest marks on my research project. Everyone needs to learn about Bob the Collector.”
