WANTED URGENTLY: a wife for the king

Are you currently seeking a marriage? Do you know how to dance and how to please a man? Can you speak Latin? Do you want to rich and powerful and also be Queen of England? If so, look no further

We are seeking a beautiful young princess to become our beloved new queen. Who will be able to produce a son and heir. First imagine becoming the new queen and having all the riches of the land. Further more we will be offering a guaranty of protection from our many soldiers and king henry VIII. Our unimaginable offer includes lots and lots of jewellery very pretty dresses and a giant banquet every day and a life time money. Additionally, we will provide you with a beautiful home, a splendid court filled with lodes of food and exquisite chandeliers covered in diamond. If successful, you’ll be crowned queen of England and be in the paper.

Don’t miss this opportunity of a lifetime. Grab this chance of a lifetime and apply now and live in the palace

If you feel like this job is for you, you will be expected to:

• Speak Latin
• Please a husband
• Sew and give the king an heir
• Sit still and be quiet

In return, we will reward you with:

• Beautiful dresses
• All the riches of the land
• Power and banquets every day

If you’re interested in becoming our new queen please come to the palace this afternoon

Ps: you might get your head cut off

They had heard a loud thud from the other side of the ship. Ava rushed over to discover what happened, but could not see anything but the lush emerald grass below. So where had that noise come from? She thought. THUMP! A creature had landed before, half lion half eagle, at first sight she knew what it was; a legendary griffin. But this one looked smaller than normal ones, maybe a baby? She twisted her body to call Finn but when she turned back it was gone.

Meanwhile, Finn had wandered into what used to be the captain`s cabin, abruptly he sensed he was not alone. Behind him stood the creature. He turned around shaking, “W-w-what do y-you want?” he asked anxiously, the animal squawked and started scuttling towards him. He tried to backed away but the wall of the cabin was behind him.

After spending five minutes frozen in terror, he realised that if it meant harm it would have done so ages ago. So, he took a deep breath in and crouched down. “Well your quite lovely aren`t you?” he stated imagining this was Apple their old dog they owned before Dad disappeared.” I`ll call you Gloria,” he announced. As this bond was forming, he found himself happily rubbing the griffin as his own pet.

“Finn!” Ava called as she burst the door open to find him and Gloria together.

“Ava!” He yelped happily, “Meet Gloria!”

“You named the griffin!? She asked. “I don`t think Captain Rusty would be happy with this,” Ava issued as she glared at the griffin with disgust.

Prologue

People say that a skyship is the best way to travel: clear skies, amazing view, and dazzling sunsets. That’s what the people of Berry Bay say it`s like at least. But most people forget about what happens when on a real adventure; when you must battle against the Great Griffins or the dangerous Sky Dragons that’s when you know it`s not just a tour, just like what happened on the way to The Indoor Isles.

Chapter 1

Lightning flashed, thunder boomed, and sky dragons swooped around The Black Pearl as it wondered through the air. Every minute or so lightning bounced off the balloon. “Hold on tight!” Captain Rusty yelled over the commotion to Ava. Ava is a 14-year-old whose parents recently disappeared and she is now on a great mission to find them. Her ginger hair was blowing about madly as she tumbled down to lower deck. Meanwhile, in his cabin her brainy brother Finn was rummaging through the library. “Get up here and help Finn,” Ava roared.

“I`ve got it,” he yelped excitedly, “The key for calming sky dragons is to play this sheet of music on a harp.”

“A harp? Where are we meant to get a harp from?” questioned Ava.

“I’ll check the cupboard,” Finn declared as he scuttled off. He was only 12 and didn`t take losing their parents easy. He also wasn`t a major fan of change, particularly the momentous change from having an ordinary routine like going to school to now living and working on a skyship.

Suddenly the ship jolted forwards, “The engines,” muttered the captain under his breath. As Finn came back empty-handed Ava sighed and shook her head. BANG! A lightning bolt had hit one of the main ropes, detaching it from the other ship, this was not good. They were now falling to the sea, only another 200m and SMACK! Each sibling looked at the other one. They knew what each other was thinking. After a small nod, they swung on the parachutes, Finn grabbed Dad`s old emergency bag and they jumped…

I would take an everlasting banquet to feed hungry crewmates,

The skin of an acid dragon to camouflage me from dangerous predators,

I would take a magical scroll that can answer any question,

A size changing tarantula (as a companion) to scare unwelcome visitors away,

I would take a phoenix feather to heal any damage or wounds,

My trusty axe, as sharp as glass, to cut fire wood and to protect,

I would take glasses, which are made from eagle bone, that can see through solid objects,

A compass that not only shows north but reveals the location of a long-lost treasure map,

I would take a shield (made of a white elephants’ tusk) for protection.

The poison dragon wakes,

After a long winters nap,

Beady black eyes flashed open like a searchlight of the police helicopter chasing a criminal,

Scales are a metallic purple like the velvet on St Edward’s Crown, but shimmering with gold and turquoise,

Her skin sweats highly poisonous acid oozing between scales like icing out of a piping bag,

Her teeth are all perfectly aligned with two daggers like fangs at the front injecting, oodles of venom with one single bite,

She is the in-between of

night and day or war and peace,

Her tail is like a whip,

with a dangerous arrowhead at the end,

She has a forked tongue,

Like a grass snake that hisses when threatened.

When fully stretched her long leathery wings let her glide through the wind,

A deafening noise is made as she sharpens her claws,

Like cutlery against china,

The Poison Dragon is now sleeping,

Peaceful as can be,

Let’s keep it that way now,

Untroubled and hushed….

You are whooshing waves crashing against the rocky cliffs of Cornwall,

You are a miner, feeling the horrible, hot, humid, bad-tempered environment,

You are as recognisable as the bluebell; humility, constancy, gratitude and everlasting love,

You are the ongoing breeze blowing shivers around the hills,

You are December, as cold as the Northern Sea, with the constellation Orion shimmering on the silent waters,

You are the 422 miles of Cornish coastline overlooking the British Channel,

You are the memory of Bodmin Moor`s sunset dazzling the sky like a flaming fire in the west,

You are the liquid melting out of the inky black tin bearing ore,

You are Cornwall.