Character Spotlight: Sophie Talbot

The last of the three children is the big time animal enthusiast, Sophie Talbot. Here’s a deeper look into this ever considerate character.

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1. Sophie freely admits that she’s something of a worrier, especially when it comes to these mythical creatures she promised to help out. Shiloh usually gives her a hard time about this, reminding her that these animals are probably more capable than she is at taking care of themselves. It never stops her from worrying, though.

2. The all-important mission Callum has given them is something Sophie takes very seriously. It breaks her heart thinking about all those magical animals trapped for so long because of Faelan’s plan. Whenever it’s rescue time, she focuses on the mission and does her best to help free these captured creatures.

3. Knowing Bree all her life, Sophie is well aware that she’s one of the few people that can calm her excitable friend down. Whenever Bree lets things get too crazy or takes things too far, it’s usually up to Sophie to bring her back to her senses. As you can imagine, this keeps Sophie pretty busy.

4. Considering her love of animals, this summer has been beyond amazing for Sophie. All these new and fantastic creatures she’s never seen before has made this the best summer vacation ever. The only downside she can think of is that it’s proving quite hard to find stuffed animals of creatures that by all counts shouldn’t exist.

Character Spotlight: Shiloh Talbot

Now for some information on the sometimes too serious Shiloh, a character whose curiosity is just a little stronger than his tendency to get freaked out by all this magic stuff.

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1. While his interest in animals is increasing, he still finds it hard to believe the lengths Sophie and Bree go to for these magical animals. It puzzles him to think about what goes on in their heads when they do crazy things and it kind of scares him to think he might eventually start to think like that, too.

2. Shiloh is a huge fan of the documentaries that Bree’s parents make. Whenever they come back from a trip, his mood always improves knowing he’ll get a sneak peak at whatever project is coming up next. Bree is quick to use that information to her advantage.

3. Being a little brother, he misses no chance to remind Sophie that he’s typically the responsible one in the group. Whenever a problem arises during a mission, Shiloh is pretty reliable when it comes to offering up a plan. It doesn’t hurt that he always brings a backpack filled with whatever supplies he imagines they might need.

4. Callum made it clear that raising a dragon is no easy task and Arrow constantly reminds Shiloh of this. Whether it’s chasing after something shiny, setting the lawn on fire or not listening to his partner during a mission, the young dragon makes it extremely hard for Shiloh to keep his cool. Still, the bond the two share is very strong and a few scorch marks won’t change that.

Character Spotlight: Bree Soares

To give you, the reader, a better look at the ever-enthusiastic Bree, here are a few insights into this energetic character.

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1. What she calls her "game face", this is a clear sign that Bree is about to get serious, whether it be during a soccer game or facing one of Faelan’s bizarre challenges. But just because she’s being serious doesn’t mean she isn’t still having fun.

2. "Love your life". That’s something Bree’s parents always encouraged her to do and she’s been doing an amazing job of it. So good that she’s took it upon herself to show her best friend, Sophie, how awesome life can be with the right perspective.

3. Bree certainly has her thoughtful moments, especially when she’s making use of her talent for remembering her surroundings. That’s a trick she learned from all her adventures with her parents and honed through many a soccer game. It definitely comes in handy when the rescue missions require a quick getaway.

4. Finding out about a magical world where mythical creatures exist put Bree on overload. She is constantly amazed by all the exotic and bizarre animals she keeps seeing. Sophie suspects it’s the uniqueness of these creatures that makes Bree want to ride them, even the ones that would just as soon eat her. Shiloh just thinks she’s weird like that.

Can You Be Brave For Me?

Learning as they go, the kids soon realize that not every animal is going to be all that friendly upon escaping their captivity. The mighty Shenlong–a large dragon of Chinese Mythology that governs wind, clouds and rain–shows this to be true. After being freed, he’s less than thrilled to be seeing other human figures standing before him and an angry master of storms is not a pretty sight.

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"Whoa...big," said Bree, craning her neck to follow the rising blue dragon as it took to the sky. "Not Zaratan big, but still...really big"

"And angry, too." Shiloh reached out to the growling Arrow, putting a hand on the much smaller dragon’s neck. "Even Arrow noticed it."

The Shenlong let loose a fierce roar. As if in response, clouds began to gather in the sky overhead. The light drizzle was now coming down harder and the wind followed suit.

With his arms around Arrow’s neck, Shiloh tried pulling his partner back. "We need to leave. Now. Seriously."

"We can’t. Not yet." Sophie kept still, her eyes stuck on the sight in front of her. "We’re not done."

"See that grouchy dragon flying above us, So-So? He’s not trapped anymore. Job done," said Bree. "I don’t even want to try and ride him. I just want to get out of here."

"But look at him. He still thinks he’s in danger." Sophie looked down at the shivering Arkan Sonney by her feet. The small pig looked up at her and squealed softly. "He needs our help, Arkan. Can you be brave for me? Can you grow real big? Please?" Still shaking, the little pig squealed a little louder and started growing. As Arkan Sonney grew, Sophie jumped on her back and shouted out to the enraged dragon. "Shenlong! You’re free! No one is going to hurt you!"

The dragon slowly came down to the ground, its’ narrowed eyes fixed on Sophie and the now large Arkan Sonney.

Shauna Healy

Helping out at the Wales Animals Care Facility (or as Bree calls it, the "Pet Shack") is the twenty-three year old Shauna Healy. In fact, her whole family has been helping out Callum for some time now and this just happens to be her turn. At the W.A.C.F., Shauna acts as the driver, caretaker, receptionist, and just about anything else that keeps the place running. She sees Callum as something of an uncle figure, but easily gets frustrated that he hasn’t adjusted to being on Earth yet.

Like the rest of her family, Shauna has the rare gift of magical immunity. This means that magic has no effect on her and will actually vanish in her presence. This tends to cause some friction when it comes to her dealings with the magical creatures she helps take care of, but she doesn’t mind. After all, she understands what Callum is trying to accomplish and things like an annoyed dragon is a small price to pay.

Less Whining, More Action

Another picture from my artist friend, Elmer Damaso, has just arrived with the kids making a hurried escape into cold ocean waters. As with every rescue mission, the kids have to free the captured animals by putting keystones into a certain spot. This time the mythical creature is quite a bit bigger than previous ones and they realize pretty quickly it’s best to get out of the way as soon as possible!

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"Found it!" said Sophie. She stood in front of a rounded rock with a small hole in the middle, perfect for a keystone.

"Slam it in!" Bree was tugging furiously at the seaweed clinging to her ankles. "Do it before this stuff drags us back into the water!"

Sophie took the glowing orb in her hand and put it in place. The seaweed immediately stopped, dropping harmlessly to the ground. Water Lily Jaguar still eyed the plants suspiciously, claws ready to strike at a moments notice. Sophie turned to Bree. "Okay, where’s the Zaratan? Usually something happens by now."

Bree was running to the jaguar and quickly hopped onto his back. "Oh, it’s gonna happen!"

"What do you mean?" asked Shiloh. He stood behind Farasi Bahari with Ercinee flying overhead to provide light. He pulled some stray seaweed off of his backpack and threw it to the ground.

"It’s about to get way crazy here so you might want to..." She gave Water Lily Jaguar a playful slap on the side. "Run!"

"Wait! Seriously? What’s–" The sudden rumbling on the island made Shiloh pause. "Again? Why does every mission have to end with rocks falling all over us?"

"At least she warned us this time," said Sophie. She was already on top of Farasi Bahari and gave Shiloh her arm. With both of them on the emerald horse, they made a break for the water.

"Less whining, more action!" Bree and Water Lily Jaguar were already leaping into the air, right into the open water. "That’s how animals get rescued!"

Mythical Folk and Magical Worlds

In the story of Mythic Summer a lot of research was done on the myths and legends found all over the world. While looking for the various magical people and animals that different cultures believed to exist, many themes kept popping up that helped to shape this story.

One such idea is that of the figure that served as a protector or guardian of animals. Creatures would gather around them, forgetting all aggression and fear in their presence. An important role for these people would be to act as a mediator between humans and animals. An example of this is the being known as Desana, a dwarf found in the amazon with the magical ability to change into various animals. Any human hunters in search of game would need to get his permission first before any animal could be harmed. It was from beings such as Desana that the idea of the Shepherds came about.

Another constant theme was that of the hidden world found just beyond the view of humans. These places would be the true home of many magical people and animals and would exist right alongside the world of Earth. The paths to reach these magical lands would usually be kept secret to only those that lived there, but stories of humans discovering these worlds by accident happened on occasion. In Irish lore, the Sidhe were rumored to live in an invisible world that coexisted with our own world. Occasionally visiting the Earth, they would always find their way back to their own hidden home. The world of Meurum–the home to all magical people and animals in Mythic Summer–came to be because of stories like this.