Stupid White Hart

One of the biggest challenges this summer has been keeping the magical animals a secret from their parents. Whether it be unexplained scorch marks or missing gold jewelry, the kids have to think quickly to keep things under wraps. Such is the case with the White Hart who doesn’t seem to understand the word subtle.

* * * * * * *

"Sophie! Bree! Trouble!" shouted Shiloh. He threw open the door to Sophie’s room and stood in the doorway. "Move it!"

"What? Mom or Dad issue?" asked Sophie. Sitting up on her bed, she caught the stuffed unicorn Bree was tossing and dropped it behind her.

"More like a ‘That stupid White Hart just appeared in the backyard when Dad was taking out the trash’ issue," he answered. Turning around, he started for the stairs. "Move it!"

"Alright! It’s mission time!" Bree threw her hands in the air excitedly.

"More like busted time!" Sophie raced after her brother. Once outside, she could see that Shiloh was right: the White Hart was just grazing on the lawn as their dad banged on a trash can lid. "Oh, no."

"Get going! Come on, now!" Samson Talbot crept closer to the deer, but it didn’t seem to mind the noise. "Move on already!"

"Uh, what’s going on, Dad?" asked Sophie.

"Stay back, Sophie." He moved between the deer and the kids. "Not sure it’s from around here, but it’s not staying."

"Oh, ummm...that could...totally be from around here," Sophie stammered. "I’ve read about those before. White crows, white tigers, white...rabbits. Totally believable."

"Nice save," whispered Bree. She gave Mr. Talbot a thumbs up. "Totally believable!"

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.

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: 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.

* * * * * * *

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.

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!"

Just a Bunch of Feathers

For the kids, part of their job is to learn how to work with these amazing mythical creatures and no one has it harder than Shiloh. Being a partner to a young dragon like Arrow certainly has its’ drawbacks. Whether it’s cleaning up after him, keeping him fed, or trying to break him of his peculiar dragon habits, Shiloh has a busy summer ahead of him.

* * * * * * *

"Arrow, don’t do it," whispered Shiloh. He slowly crept up to the young dragon and reached out to touch him. With a hand on Arrow’s wing, Shiloh did his best to keep his voice calm. "It’s just a bunch of feathers. Only feathers."

The dragon paid no attention to Shiloh, instead focusing on the yellow and black bird in front of him. A low, happy growl rumbled in his throat and his eyes shone excitedly.

"Leave her alone, Arrow. You can’t have her feathers." Shiloh stood in front of the dragon, trying to block the Ercinee from Arrow’s view. The dragon kept craning his neck over Shiloh, pushing against the boy insistently. As Shiloh wedged his body up against Arrow to hold him back, he looked at the Ercinee and said, "Stop glowing already. It drives him crazy."

As if surprised, the Ercinee flapped her wings and squawked shrilly, her feathers glowing even brighter. Arrow immediately took notice and quickly knocked Shiloh to the side to pursue his object of obsession. In an instant, the bird took flight and the young dragon was off after her.

"Arrow! Get back here!" Shiloh started to run, but stopped and shouted behind him. "A little help would be nice!"

"Can’t, ‘Loh! Staring contest with Jaculus!" Bree was on the ground, facing the winged snake.

"And I’m the judge," added Sophie.

"And Sophie’s the judge! Deal with it!"

"Ugh..." Shiloh glared for a moment, but turned back to join the chase. "Don’t make me get the squirt bottle!"

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?"

Shiloh and Arrow

In Mythic Summer, magical animals from the world of Meurum have the ability to form a bond with humans (or human-like beings) which can last a lifetime. When chosen, the animal's mark will appear on their partner’s hand, a sign of their pact. Every Shepherd has bonded with some kind of mythical creature and because of this, has sworn to protect them. It is true that most of these bonds are with those from Meurum, but it has been noted that humans from the world of Earth have bonded with these mythical creatures from time to time (though none have been considered Shepherds). Such is the case with our young friend, Shiloh, who makes a powerful connection with a juvenile dragon he names Arrow.

Arrow would be considered a European style dragon, complete with spikes, wings and fire breath. As he is still very young, this dark red dragon has quite a lot of growing to do, but for now, he is roughly the size of a large Great Dane. Aside from his natural talent for breathing fire, Arrow has already proven to be an excellent flier and his keen eyesight certainly does come in handy on missions. Arrow is a very playful dragon and loves to interact with those around him. As with many dragons, he is especially attracted to shiny things, a habit his partner is trying hard to break. He has shown to be very protective of Shiloh and tends to get nervous when he’s not with him.

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."

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.