Some Serious Focus

It isn’t just the animals doing all the work this summer. The kids are doing whatever they can to help on these risky missions and as time goes by, they find themselves getting better and better at it. In this scene, Bree is making use of a special talent of hers to find one of those ever elusive keystones.

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"Ughh...they’re everywhere!" shouted Shiloh. He tried swatting at the purple beetles, but they kept zipping by from every direction. The Haetae didn’t seem to mind. She kept leaping into the air, trying to catch one of them in her mouth. "How are we supposed to catch just one?"

"It has to be a specific one," said Sophie. She was desperately trying to hold on to the Lightning Bird who struggled against her hold on him. "And stop complaining. At least you don’t have to cuddle the flying bug zapper."

"Shhhh," prompted Bree.

"People standing around doing nothing don’t get to shush," remarked Sophie. "Do something already!"

"I am. Do you not see the game face? There is some serious focus going on here." Bree was carefully scanning the area, watching for that one beetle that was just a little bit different. The Jaculus was curled up around her waist, head resting on Bree’s shoulder.

"Anytime, Bree," said Shiloh. "I’m getting–"

"There!" An arm shot out, pointing at one of the many beetles zooming around them. "Fetch, Jaculus!" On command, the snake extended her wings and took off. Ignoring all others, the Jaculus kept after her target, a lone beetle with noticeably sparkly wings.

"Alright! Way to–" A stray shock from the Lightning Bird startled Sophie. "Good work, Bree, but you!" She glared down at the bird in her arms. "Knock it off. Sheesh!"

Throw Yarn At It?

Some missions are more dangerous than others and the Amazon mission is as dangerous as they come. The kids meet the not-so-friendly Cait Sith, a mythical creature with a deep connection to Faelan. What can Sophie, Bree and Shiloh do when a kind word and extended hand doesn’t amount to much?

* * * * * * *

The large black cat landed in the middle of the group, hissing loudly. "Crazy cat’s back! Do something!" shouted Bree.

"Like what?" asked Shiloh. He kept his eyes on the cat. He didn’t like the way the cat’s gaze darted back and forth between them. "Throw yarn at it?"

"I don’t...Just try..." Bree stammered. Without thinking, she rushed forward and raised her arms threateningly. "Aaghh! Raarrww! Rrrarrrww!!"

The cat acted immediately, lunging straight towards Bree. Bree stumbled backwards, tripping over a root and fell to the ground just as the cat’s claws shredded one of her sleeves. Eyes wide in shock, Bree said, "Scary!"

"Super scary! I told you!" shouted Sophie. She frantically looked around, searching the trees.

"We’re not arguing!" said Shiloh.

The cat whirled around at the sound of his voice. The creature took a few steps and pounced, claws outstretched. Luckily, Arrow intercepted the black cat and hit it with a solid headbutt. As the cat retreated, Arrow blasted a couple fireballs at it, missing each time.

"This is getting way too real, guys," said Sophie.

"Yeah, if not for Arrow I’d be a human scratching post. Thanks, buddy." Arrow sidled up close to Shiloh and watched the black cat. It was staring at them from the safety of a large branch. Its’ glowing, yellow eyes followed their every movement.

Total Happy Mode

Though Bree wouldn’t mind if it were, this is more than just a summer of fun for the kids. It’s a chance for all of them to grow as individuals and learn just what they’re made of. In this scene, we see Sophie do just that as she finally figures out what she can do.

* * * * * * *

"What’s the cord for, So-So?" asked Bree. She was propped up against Sophie’s giant stuffed bear, her usual spot in Sophie’s room.

"It’s for the furry one here," answered Sophie. She finished tying the cord and held the coin up for inspection, all the while aware of the small, yellow eyes glued to her every movement. "I promised her something special and this is it."

"For this little gold fiend?" Bree playfully swatted the animals long, green tail. "She gets in enough trouble swiping your mom’s stuff!"

"And now she has her own that no one will try to take back." She leaned forward and put the necklace around the Ramidreju’s neck. Using her little paws, the animal inspected the gold and sniffed at it thoroughly. "It’s yours. I promised, remember?"

The yellow eyes lit up and the Ramidreju stared lovingly at her new possession. "Ha ha! Look at her. The furball’s in total happy mode." Bree turned towards her friend. "And you, too. You’re looking much better."

"Yeah, guess I am," said Sophie. She brushed back her hair and watched the ecstatic creature at her feet. "All I can do is my best and hope it’s enough." She met her best friend’s eyes. "If it’s not, at least I know it was my best."

"Good answer!" Bree’s arm shot out with thumb raised "On behalf of all animal lovers–both magical and not magical–I approve!" The Ramidreju started chirping as she played with her coin. "And so does the furball."

It's a Sophie Thing

The mythical creatures found in Mythic Summer are anything but ordinary. They all have their own unique talents and even more unique personalities. The Farasi Bahari is no exception and Sophie finds this out in a most heartbreaking fashion.

* * * * * * *

"I’m...just going home. Okay?" Sophie turned away from the others and headed back to the Pet Shack. "Later."

When she was out of earshot, Bree smacked Shiloh’s arm with a fist. "Seriously?" Shiloh snapped.

"Well?" Bree waited for a response, but only received a blank stare. "Go after her! You’re the brother."

"Don’t think so." Shiloh dropped his backpack and absently rubbed his arm. "Dad lost the home. Grandma’s in the hospital. Those are brother things." He wiggled his fingers in the air and rolled his eyes. "Magical green horse throws a hissy fit? That’s a B.F.F. thing."

"Bro thing!"

"B.F.F. thing!"

"You’re both wrong," piped in Callum. "It’s a Sophie thing."

"But look at her," said Bree, pointing at her friend. "She’s really bummed out."

"She’s some learning to do," he replied. "Farasi left for a reason. Sophie has to figure what that means to her."

Shiloh picked up his black bag and slung it over his shoulder. "So what? Put up with mopey Sophie for a while?"

"If that’s what she needs." Callum planted a large hand on Shiloh’s shoulder. "But if she wants to talk, listen. That’s what brothers and friends are for."

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.

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!

* * * * * * *

"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!"

Crab Bowling

Throughout their summer, Sophie, Bree and Shiloh will be going on all sorts of missions to rescue the captured mythical creatures. They’ll have many dangers ahead of them, but they’re determined to find the necessary keystones to free each and every animal in need of help. In this scene, the kids come face to face with a small army of creatures known as basket monsters. Even with the help of their animal helpers, can they get the keystones away from these crab-like creatures?

* * * * * * *

"You sure those...crab things have the keystone?" asked Shiloh.

"Keystones. I saw two of them," said Bree, holding up two fingers like a peace sign. "All Callum said was look for colorful, roundish stones and that’s what I saw."

"But how do we get the stones away from them?" Sophie leaned down, carefully reaching a finger out to touch one of the creatures. In a flash, a pincer shot out and almost latched on to one of her fingers. "I kind of like my fingers the way they are: on my hand."

"I can have Arrow, um, blast them?" The dragon was too busy eyeing the crab creatures. "Pretty sure he doesn’t like them."

"No! We don’t want to hurt them," said Sophie sharply. "Maybe we can just knock them over until we find the keystones."

"Knock them over?" Bree tapped a finger to her chin thoughtfully. Her face brightening up, she shouted, "Got it! Crab bowling!" She put a hand on the large, scaly creature next to her. "Veo, ball time, okay?" The animal gave a low hiss and obediently rolled up into a giant ball.

"Did she just say ‘crab bowling’?" asked Shiloh. He folded his arms in disbelief. "I bet she’s smiling, too."

"Don’t hurt them!" yelled Sophie.

"Ótimo!" With an exaggerated effort, Bree started pushing the Veo forward, knocking the clawed creatures over as she passed. She was smiling.

It Actually Did Look Tame. Kind Of.

Whenever a mission is about to start, Ghost the White Hart appears through his magical mist to escort Sophie, Bree, and Shiloh back to his partner, Callum. It doesn’t matter if they’re at home, the park or even the mall; Ghost will show up to perform this essential task. This is the first meeting the kids have with this mythical creature.

* * * * * * *

"It doesn’t look like it’s from around here," said Shiloh nervously.

"What? There aren’t any deer in Colorado?" asked Bree. She was already giving the white deer a vigorous back scratch.

"Not that color. It’s probably wild, don’t you think?"

Sophie joined Bree and reached out to pet the animal. "Come on, Shiloh. He looks friendly enough. Not like he has rabies or something."

"It’s possible," said the boy. He was still a good ten feet away from the others, but he looked ready to jump back at a moment’s notice.

Sophie let out a small laugh. "I think he just rolled his eyes at you."

"Just pet him, Loh. He’s super fuzzy!" Bree buried her face in the deer’s side. "Stop being such a kid."

Shiloh eyed the deer carefully. It actually did look tame. Kind of. "Fine. Better not get ticks from him." Slowly, he approached the animal, hand outstretched carefully. "Goooood boy. Good boy."

"See? He’s not biting," said Sophie. "If you can befriend a dragon, a deer should be no problem." Sophie noticed the strange mist spreading around their feet. "Um...why is it getting foggy all of a sudden?"

Ohmanohmanohmanohman...

When the girls watch a young dragon disguised as a Great Dane, the unimaginable happens and the magical creature goes wild. Unfortunately for them, Sophie’s younger brother, Shiloh, is watching the whole thing unfold. Will this mishap prove too much for the shy Shiloh?

* * * * * * *

"Get the fire, not the dog!" shouted Sophie.

"But he’s the one making the fire!" Bree kept the extinguisher pointed at the dog, but stopped spraying the large animal.

"It’s not working, is..." Sophie stopped and looked over at her brother. "Shiloh, back up! The–the dog is out of control!"

Shiloh stared openly at the scene in front of him. He mumbled, "He’s just scared...like I was. Leave him alone."

"We’ll handle it, Loh," said Bree. She was aiming her spray at the fire spreading on the grass. "We’re the pet sitters, after all."

"You’re making it worse. He just needs..." In a flash, Shiloh grabbed the tablecloth from the picnic table, sending the plates and silverware to the ground. "Ohmanohmanohmanohman..."

Sophie let out a surprised yelp. "Don’t, Shiloh! It’s dangerous!"

"I don’t care! He’s scared! I know it!" With tablecloth in hand, Shiloh sprinted for the dog and half tackled, half hugged him. As he tried to cover the animal up, he said, "Calm down, you stupid dog!"

"Sério?" said Bree. She pointed the nozzle at the pair and gave them both a quick burst of foam. "I thought I was the crazy one."

Horses Don't Do That

This scene is the girls’ first confusing encounter with the animals Callum has them watching. After hearing some strange noises late at night, they go down to the pool to investigate. What they discovered was beyond what they could have expected to find.

* * * * * * *

"I’m telling you, it’s Farasi," said Bree, racing towards the gate to the pool.

"No way. I put him to stable myself." Sophie was close behind her friend.

"You heard the splash, didn’t you, So-So? That horse loves the water." She stopped at the gate and faced her friend. "That’s what Callum said."

"Maybe it’s–" She looked past Bree towards the pool and stared openly. "It’s the...horse!"

"Ha! Told you." The two girls walked closer to the pool and peered into the water.

"What’s he doing?" Sophie was leaning over, hands resting on her knees.

"Hmmm...let’s see." Bree crouched down to the edge and dunked her head into the water. The horse raised his head and looked up at Bree before laying back down. She noticed a strange, shimmery gleam to his coat. "Heebss bleeebinng!"

"What?"

Bree pulled her head out of the water. "I said he’s sleeping!"

"In the water?" asked Sophie, a worried look on her face.

"Looks like it."

"But...but..." Sophie struggled to get the words out. "Horses don’t do that!"

Bree stood next to her friend and looked down at Farasi. "Not normal horses, anyway."

The Kids

There are many characters in Mythic Summer--both human and animal alike--so the best place to start is with the three kids from Wales, Colorado whose amazing adventure we'll be following all summer long. From left to right, they are Sophie Talbot, Bree Soares and Shiloh Talbot.

The (soon to be) thirteen-year-old Sophie has always adored animals, especially horses.  She spends as much time as possible at the Talbot Compound, either helping her dad with the horses or giving her mom a hand at the vet clinic.  Shiloh jokes that she feels more comfortable around animals than she does other people!  An extensive stuffed animal collection takes up much of Sophie's bedroom, one for every animal she's seen up close and personal.  As far as this mission goes, Sophie takes it very seriously.  As soon as Callum explained to her how all those mythical creatures had been captured, her heart went out to them and she was determined to do whatever she could to help.

As her mother is fond of saying, Bree is about 90% enthusiasm.  Bree lives with the Talbots when her parents are off making their documentaries and while she does help out with the animals, she usually just ends up finding more and more ways to have fun with them.  Good thing her best friend, Sophie (or So-so as she calls her) is around to keep her in line.  Bree has a huge love for soccer and has been playing for over half of her thirteen years.  She sees Callum's mission as a once in a lifetime chance to see some of the most amazing and bizarre creatures around.  But while this is all kinds of fun for her, she never forgets how important this job is and to always do her absolute best.

Shiloh is Sophie's younger brother, a somewhat withdrawn eleven-year-old.  While animals certainly pique his interest, he doesn't seem to share his sister's passion for them.  He typically acts hesitant around animals, but it takes a surprise encounter with a young dragon the girls are watching to open him up a little.  Shiloh is a pretty skilled artist and has a few sketchbooks filled with animal drawings he's done in secret.  The grand adventure in Meurum is sometimes overwhelming for him, but his curiosity gets the best of him and keeps him interested.  Besides, ever since Shiloh made a connection with Arrow the dragon, he has begun to understand his sister's love for animals of all kinds.