Manticore composition tests

For the past few weeks, I've had the idea of a Manticore in my head, as part of the same universe as my gunslinger magician a few posts down. I finally sketched out a satisfactory version of my Manticore this evening, and I'm now testing out how it should fit into its environment. I have a few basic thumbnails here. The landscape will be based on Theodore Roosevelt National Park.


First thumbnail, very basic. This creature is part of a short story that I'm writing, so elements from that story (an animal skull, and a torn up blanket) will be arranged somehow in the foreground.


This second thumbnail is the same, but the badlands in the background have been moved higher. I prefer the first version, since its flatter landscape is a better match for how I imagine this creature's environment. The human skull in the foreground will also be done away with; too trite, and inappropriate for the story that I'm telling.


A bit more of a drastic change here. The main Manticore has been moved to the right, and a second one, along with some rocky forms, have been added to a shadowy area on the left. I don't like this option. The image works better with a lone Manticore, I think, surveying its vast, bleak territory.
So, I like the first thumb best. I fear that it might not be interesting enough, though. It's a very basic composition, after all.
Input on this would be awesome, those few of you who look at this blog.