Save the Mishypishy

Finding the keystones is just the first half of any mission for Bree, Sophie and Shiloh. Once they do get their hands on it, a spell is activated which summons the rogue Shepherd himself, Faelan, in an elemental form. After a cryptic message to the humans attempting to free the captured creatures, the fake Faelan makes a final effort to stop the rescue. In this scene, Sophie and the Farasi Bahari run into a stone Faelan as they try to release the Mishipeshu.

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"You sure you don’t need help?" asked Sophie. She held the keystone tightly in her hands as she watched her brother and best friend hold on to the thrashing lake creatures.

"Nem Rola! We have this! Save the Mishypishy!" shouted Bree. She had a tight grasp on the aquatic animal’s back as it tried to buck her off.

"It’s the Mishipeshu!" screamed a panicking Shiloh. "Just hurry up, Sophie!"

"Alright. Let’s go, Farasi." With a light kick of her feet, Sophie nudged the emerald horse forward, but he didn’t budge. Instead, Farasi reared back in surprise as the ground underneath their feet began to tremble. "Steady, boy!"

From the rocky lake bottom, a human-like form emerged, quickly taking the familiar shape of Faelan. In a gravelly voice, the stone figure said, "Well done, humans. You have taken the keystone. But understand this." The fake Faelan turned around and kneeled to the ground. "Some creatures won’t be so happy to see humans." In a flash, two palms struck the ground and a burst of magical energy surged forward, forcing a huge, algae covered rock to quickly appear.

"The Mishipeshu! We found it, Farasi!" Sophie’s joy was short-lived, though, as she took a good look at the stone. The algae was growing at an alarming rate, covering the entire surface. There was no telling now where the keystone would fit.

Faelan

The kids wouldn’t be on this great adventure if not for the actions of the rogue Shepherd, Faelan. Though the man himself is imprisoned by the Shepherds he once worked with, his trials are still in place, leaving many mythical creatures patiently waiting for humans to free them.

Faelan is member of the tall, elf-like Sidhe just like Callum; in fact, the two had a kind of student-mentor relationship with Faelan teaching the younger Shepherd all he knew. He is a highly competent mage, capable of performing many types of magic like controlling earth and plants, creating magical barriers, and much more. In his days as a Shepherd, Faelan was considered one of the best, not just in his ability, but also in his devotion to protecting the magical animals of Meurum.

Yet something tragic happened to Faelan’s first animal partner, something caused directly by humans. With a growing sense of anger and distrust towards the people of Earth, Faelan’s actions became more and more severe, eventually drawing the attention of one temperamental Cait Sith that chose the now bitter Faelan as his partner. Even now, his resentment continues to grow as he is very much aware at how long it has taken to find any humans capable of passing his trials. Whether Sophie, Bree and Shiloh will prove any different remains to be seen, but in their defense, their summer has just started.