A dragon. Reptilian body, deep green in the males, light green in
the females. Broad batty wings. They vary in size.
Behaviour
Although they can’t speak fire-breathers understand everything that’s
said to them, especially insults. They work in the transport business,
and need a runway to take off.
A phoenix. Its plumage is mainly red, and it has an iridescent blue
throat. It song is the most beautiful of all birdsongs.
Behaviour
When the flame-bird is ready to die, it gathers together some spices
and builds a nest. At sunrise, it faces east and sings, and then it
bursts into flame and burns to death. It is reborn from its own ashes.
A tall, elvish being that is always dressed in white. When the
lickit is really a sinistrom in disguise, its canine teeth are longer
and it has a slightly unpleasant smell.
Behaviour
Lickits specialise in magical cookery, and are usually employed as
chefs.
A brownie – brown hair, brown skin, brown eyes, brown clothes.
Behaviour
Brownies are fortune tellers, and run the crystal ball parlours.
They always look a mess, and their houses are a tip. Their true vocation
is to tidy up after human beings, but as there aren’t any human beings
in Betony’s world they always feel as though they’re missing out on
something they can’t quite put their fingers on.
A sphinx. The head and
shoulders of an amberly, the body of a lion, and the tail of a dragon.
It has wings which enable it to fly short distances – or long ones, with
lots of rests in between.
Behaviour
The riddle-paw’s
extraordinary fondness for puzzles means that it looks for intelligent
game, capable of understanding the concept of a bet. It prefers a dry
climate and lurks on pathways, waylaying unwary travellers and asking
them to solve its brain-teasers.
