Above, the sky ogars are planning the attack.Below, they are getting ready to take off. Seeking the machinery, they were ready to attack. No one knew whether there was a fight but something wasn’t right. Something was weird. Something rumbled, it didn’t sound good. It looked like a swarm of sky ogars. 

They had sharp claws to tear the human flesh, razor feet that if you get injected you will bleed to death and frightening eyes that stare blankly at you. They were descending really quick and if they could they would lock eye contact with you. Their wings beat like drums as they climbed upon the Aurora. He wondered whether he would survive the encounter. One by one the ogars pulled themselves up onto the sky ship. Some hovered over the ship, others biting the crew’s ankles. The stone-bears tried to help but they were too powerful. 

The crew were desperate to win this ongoing battle. Swarming the ship, the crew were wacking them with mops; doing anything to get them away. The game was on! There was  no going back now. Who will win? Ogars were everywhere, railings, sails and even in the pilothouse. They were tearing the balloon apart putting both long and thick slices in it. They were everywhere. 

Realisation hit David, he had a gem to get rid of them.Excited, David ran to fetch the gem. Worried that it wasn’t going to work, he threw it onto the deck. His fingers were crossed. A few moments later, a wave hit and they all disappeared.

With the creatures gone they had to get the Aurora back into shape and fix the hurt crew members. The ship became a hospital for those who got hurt. Those who didn’t get hurt were trying to fix the Aurora. Hopefully this does not happen on any other adventures.

Stepping backwards, she was frightened. Keia could feel butterflies in her stomach. Frozen to the spot, she didn’t know what to do. Why’s it there? What is it? Out of nowhere a voice hissed” come closer!” Undecided, Keira walked closer. Realising that they were friendly, she discovers that they are stone-bears. As she got closer Keira sees that they have the map they are looking for. The bears hand it over with hesitation. 

In a worried voice the stone-bear grunted “be careful they are coming!” Confused, Keira glanced behind her. She didn’t know whether she should trust a big bear. Minutes had passed, they were standing there in silence. Suddenly, a colossal bear appeared out of nowhere. It was the biggest one of the group and the oldest one. He nodded. 

Keira decides that she needs help understanding these bears. Searching for the crew members, she gathered them around the bears. Looking blankly at Keira, she points to the bears”listen…” The crew members understood and started to worry. 

Rushing to the ship, they all had to explain what was happening without the captain freaking out. Worried, Captain Cecil started to twiddle with his thumbs. Putting up the rigin, pulling the anchor up and hoisting up the sails. They were ready to set sail. But it was to late.. 

As the woods begin, 

Wait and listen for the 

Whisper of the wind 

As it brushes the branches.

Seek the breeze,

And head to the cottage 

Where your message awaits.

Grasp a scream,

And tiptoe to where a 

Star will take its shape.

Travel to the planets edge,

And grab a butterfly and feel 

The flutter of the wings. 

Climb upon the delicate winged glider,

And head to the hillside 

Whilst listening carefully 

For the chime.

The sky ogar

Prologue 

Have you ever had a family day trip on a skyship? In summer, you would have flown over the villages, soaring high above the clouds and across the ice blue lakes. When you flew, there would have been blue skies, a soft breeze and that wonderful sense of freedom. When you flew, there would have been the fields far below, boats with their brightly coloured sails and even a school of porpoises. You probably got taken to one of the nearby farms and landed the ship so that you could have a picnic. Travelling by skyship in the summer is like that. 

But travelling on an expedition to unknown lands is another matter. You should try a skyship trip when the wind whispers, the thunder rumbles the ground and the sky is split apart by jagged lightning. You should try being there when sky ogars attack, scrambling across the hull ready to spit their poisonous saviour onto your skin or worse – rip the skyships inflatable apart. You should try being there when the food runs out and there is not even a drizzle of water in the barrels. Few people would wish that on anyone. Even experienced flyers think twice about travelling east over the lake. No one knows what creatures might live there. Rumours have it that there are cave-robins, stone-bears and flying hippopotamuses. Few would for an encounter with a frost dragon… and most say that the rumours are for a good reason.

Chapter 1

The crowds gazed up at the skyship Aurora and gasped as it lifted up into the sky as the fumes seeped into the air. Captain Cecil stood at the steering wheel, shouting out orders. Smirking, Cecil was super excited to be setting off onto one of his greatest adventures of all time. They had done it! 

David and Keira stared down as they rose higher and higher,  the crowds turned into tiny blurry dots. The Aurora had just passed Theydon City and were about to approach Box beach as they sailed on they could see the sun shimmering down onto the sea making it look like a diamond was bobbing down the sea. 

They could hear the waves crashing down onto the sand and the gale wind whispering as it blew Keira’s hair in her face. Waving to the distant crowds, David and Keira stared at each other. Grinning, Keira was happy to be finally on the adventure she has always wanted to go on. Inside, her stomach was fluttering and her heart seemed to skip a beat. Is this the right thing to do? 

Within an hour, the Aurora was already flying across box beach. Down below, Keira could see boats sailing across the ocean, schools of fish migrating and flocks of birds catching their food. David sighed ”I wonder if we will ever find the map” twiddling with his thumbs. Grasping the rigging Keira replied” and I wonder if we will come across anything unpleasant because I don’t want a repeat of last time, when we met sky dragons and goblins. That was horrendous.”

As the sun set, a catastrophe happened. A sheet of mist covered the sky. They couldn’t see where they were going but David could see a glimpse of green and lights shining on the river.

Dear Captain Harriet Culpepper, 

I am writing to apply for a job on the skyship Aurora as a crew member for your next journey.I hope that you are looking for a young eager skyship traveller that will bring you many different talents. 

Firstly, I am brilliant at tying ropes into knots. This may be helpful if you need to stop the skyship or put the sails up. I have always been good at swimming. This means that if the skyship sinks I will be able to get everyone out of danger. I am a big help and I am willing to take on any unwanted tasks. I don’t speak a lot but I have a great singing voice. I am proficient at dancing, I would therefore be able to distract the enemies and scare them away.

Moreover, I have had previous experience in sword fighting. This might be useful if we go to battle. I am brave and loyal. If we were to go to battle, I am good under pressure and can think on my feet in any emergency. I have also had a job on skyship steering so I can steer a skyship in any conditions.

Finally, I am a skilled dinner maker. I have the ability to cook. As a result of this, I can cook the whole team a quality dinner. I am a quick learner and can whip up a meal in ten minutes. I can cook a very good Mexican dish and can cook with the least amount of supplies ever needed. I can make the best french toast. Therefore I should be in your crew. 

Please consider me as one of your crew members. I don’t make a lot of noise and I will work hard for you. 

Yours sincerely, Isla Moore.

The Explorer’s Handbook 

The handbook -which is in alphabetical order- will help you determine what equipment you will need. When you go on your next magical adventure, it will tell you what creatures will help you and what creatures you must not go near. 

A-D

Beware of ancient trails because there might be something that will fool you. Do not enter any of the bright ancient trails as it will not go the way you want it to go. When crossing a bridge always look under it as if it is made with metal you will end up falling through it and into the water. Always collect any crystals that you find on the way, as they may come in handy later in your adventure. Dragons (which you are most likely to stumble across) will be the most difficult challenge on your next adventure. They will put up a fight but keep going.

E-H

Watch out for the evil fairies! They are tiny but can do damage so if possible avoid them. The best thing you can collect on an adventure is flying poisons. They will give you the ability to fly so that you can give your legs a rest and avoid any of the dangers on the ground. Beware of the goblins, if you don’t know what goblins are, they are short, ugly and horrible things. Usually they hide under bridges but you never know with them. Keep a small bag of daisies with you in case you need to purchase healing-water.

I-L

Invisibility is key when trying to pass all of the dangers, so make sure you never run out. Do not make the mistake of forgetting to write in your journal! When you set off on your adventure, always keep your keys right by your side. If there is any water make sure you don’t let them get wet as they will not work. Lightning spells are super useful and are great to scare away any creatures you must avoid.

M-P

Beware of the mighty beasts these are the creatures that you must avoid. If you ever stumble across one, use all the spells that will scare them away. One spell that can be either really helpful or really unhelpful is the never ending night spell. This will help because it will make your days longer. Ogar’s look funny and sound funny but you will never want to be standing near one. Never be fooled by a pegasus, they may look nice and sweet but don’t be tricked. They look all nice in the movies but in real life if you don’t have food they will attack you. So if you ever want to approach one make sure you have some sort of food for them.

Q-T

Beware of quicksand do not fall into the trap of walking through it. If you are unaware of what quicksand does then read this: quicksand is sand that if you walk on it, it will suck you in and it is really hard to get out. Some rivers you come across will have really clean water that you can drink, others are poisonous so if you are ever drinking river water beware. If when crossing a bridge you are scared, do not cross it! Don’t risk your chances. Instead of risking it, use the stepping stone spell that will insure you that you make it across the river safely. Trolls (which are similar to goblins) are the most common thing you will come across. My best advice is to just ignore them.

U-X

If you stroll upon a unicorn do not worry they are nice and will not harm you. Voodoo dolls are very petrifying but will not kill you. Winged beasts sound very scary but it is actually very simple, you stay away from them and they stay away from you. When using x-ray vision you must be careful if you use it wrong you could burn your eyes. 

Y-Z

Yuxa’s are super cool and will not harm you only if they are a snake. Do not make them angry! If ever in need of something strong that will not break, zinc will do the job.

On the island of Mysa,

I saw green splodges

Like Nude, Green Leaves and Bust.

On the island of Sol,

I heard a roar of raging eagles

As the sky-glider scored through the sky 

The night snoozed.

On the island of Heros,

I felt the memory of loneliness 

Filling the atmosphere.

On the island of Consus,

I witnessed sand 

Like golden orbs.

On the island of Nova,

I watched the fumes from a race 

Cars trail behind leaving 

Smoke to rise.

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