For those of you who don't know, a bantam is the poultry equivalent to a miniature pony. On average, they're about six inches tall (as compared to the fourteen or so-inch 'standard' chicken), and the hens lay eggs about the size of a ping-pong ball (takes a lot of them to make an omelet). The roosters, however, serve absolutely no purpose other than the fact that they're entertaining. Like standard roosters, they place great value in intimidating all other creatures within their domain and establishing themselves as king of the coop. Unlike standards, however, they're too puny to do anything about it. It's a little sad sometimes.
The cockatrice is a version of the basalisk. Both are fictional creatures, and both are said to be capable of turning anything that catches their eye to stone. The cockatrice is fabled to have the body of a chicken and the tail of a serpent, and the birth of one involves a long list of impossible factors such as the hatching of a cockerel's egg that I'm not going to list here.
So, combine the feared monster of ancient myths with a six-inch bundle of angry frustration, and you have Ruby.
Ruby will be a character in a more recent novel that I've started. He's owned by a witch named Myrtle, and is her official guard, greeter, and errand-runner. He's highly territorial, but is only capable of paralyzing victims who meet his eye for a day or so. As usual, I managed to cut off his toes when I was drawing him and the tips of his wing when I was scanning him, and had I moved him just a little up and to the side I would have had him centered perfectly.
Keep an eye out for him in the future, and as always, enjoy the next chapter of Centaur Ranch.
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