Prologue

You’ve probably been on a sky ship before. In summer, you would have flown over to The Exotic Isles for a holiday in the sun. You probably had picnic with your grandparents on the beach: were a scuttleclaw stole your sandwich; were together you spotted drakeflies and rainbowwings; and helped cook a shimmerscale. Travelling by skyship in the summer is like that.

But not this summer…

I foresee a great fire dragon destroying sturdy citadels, char roofs and singe towers. The fireblood moon stings skin with its heat like an agitated stingfly. The clear skies only leave skyships visible to the dragon’s bloodthirsty eyes.​ I don’t advise going on holiday this summer.

Chapter 1

“I can see the whole world from up here,” Ancient mountains stood high and mighty above spotless, fluffy clouds; vast oceans smothered the pure islands that flourish with life; and birds danced in the clear, blue sky.

Henry and Dominic Ravenwood leaned over the balcony of the skyship known as The Hunter’s Mistake as it ascended into the fume-filled air. ”Oh, stop being so positive,” moaned Henry. The water thrashed about below the ship as Henry regurgitated his lunch (a toasted cheese sandwich and some crisps) into the ocean. “How could I not be positive?” Questioned Dominic, “The sun is shining, the birds are singing, lunch was amazing! C’mon, you at least got to admit that lunch was good,”

“Okay, okay, lunch was good,” admitted Henry. “It will be interesting to see what happens during this trip,” Captain Lightbrick ambled over to Dominic, hauling a large glass box containing water, some pebbles and Lyra, Dominic’s sapient axolotl. ”What do you want me to do with this?” ”In my cabin will do,”

Within an hour, The Hunter’s Mistake was drifting through the fume-filled air, soaring high above the clouds. “I wonder if we will find that lost explorer, Lord Marco Carter,” she muttered, “Last time we went on a trip we ran out of fuel on the way back. That night, the weather changed drastically:

Thunder boomed it’s sacred roar; rain fell heavily like small balls of lead; and lightning clawed across the moonlit sky, tearing the skyship’s balloon apart. The Hunter’s Mistake fell.

Chapter 2

The second they woke, Henry and Dominic were enchanted by the beauty of the scene around them: tri-tails swirling and dancing in their murmuration; exotic plants reaching their arms into the sky; a shimmering lake that seemed to stretch for miles; and jagged peaks ran down the island’s back like a spine, binding the land.​ According to Henry’s map, this island was called Revenge’s Call.

The wreckage of The Hunter’s Mistake looked like it had been chewed on and spat out of someone’s mouth. The splintered ship cast scorched planks from its body, like a side-tracked child picking at a wound. Thrown from the wheel, Captain Lightbrick stirred, waking from her slumber. Across from the remains of the skyship, a clue of some sort lay on the bark of a tree: the letters MC.

The wind stilled. The plants stilled. The ocean stilled. Everything stilled. To one side of the two children, bushes rustled. A twig snapped. To the other side, shells crunched. Water splashed. Next to a broken shell a damp page lay on the sand. A diary entry.

Tuesday 13^th July

During my exploration this fascinating island, I have discovered a secret that has been forgotten for centuries. The chro-

The writing stopped there. It was at that moment that they knew. A  silhouette darted through the trees “Captain Lightbrick!” Dominic shouted, “I’ve found something,” Dominic turned to face Henry, but there was nothing but air were his friend had sat.