Azari rubbed her eyes, knowing they were playing tricks on her. A shiver of mystery shot through her body. She glanced round the room, looking for a hole in the wall. At the end of the hall there was light peeking through a crack. She felt ecstatic; a way out, a way to live. Just to be sure she whipped out her map which she had programmed to say where she was. The people of the village had told her every little aspect of the island making sure nothing was missed. She located herself. She paused… she was in the Tunnel of Life and Death! One wrong step and she would be gone for sure.

At that moment she heard a faint scratching on the wall behind. Slowly she turned around a saw a miniature hippodoodle. Azari, whose eyes glimmered with curiosity, slowly edged towards the creature. She had read about them in a book once called ‘Animals in the Mountains’. Though she knew they were real, she never thought she would meet them. She sat down on the floor and encouraged it to come closer. Her fingers trembled as she slipped them through the soft thin layer of hair. She decided to call it Alden, meaning ‘wise friend’, hoping he would guide her out of misery.

Alden led her towards the light, almost showing her that it was safe. She stretched out her hand feeling for the wall, she felt nothing but air. She reached further in, she took a step. Soon her whole body was submerged. Too scared to go too far, she put one foot in front of the other feeling her way through. Azari worried about Keoni and how he was alone at night in the ship. She wondered if the crew had come back or if they had been in an accident. She tried to figure out how much time had passed, it felt like minutes but she knew it had been hours or possibly even days. The more she walked, the more thoughts rushed into her head; the thoughts about her mother and father and how they must be dreadfully afraid, that they have been captured or worse killed.

After a short period of time, Azari and Alden emerged from the light, slightly tired and breathless. Immediately, she saw Keoni sitting by a fire looking glum. He spun round as he heard Azari’s voice. He sprung up from the floor and sprinted towards her without another thought in his head. Soon he was being suffocated by Azari’s bushy brown hair. The crew had all seen the odd-looking creature trotting behind her. Noticing the awkward looks from her friends, she told everyone that Alden was friendly and he was the reason she was there with them. Keoni was quick to agree as he had to listen to Azari give long lectures about mysterious beasts. She gave the crew some information like their personality hoping they would agree. They all thought that a hippodoodle would be a great addition to the team and accepted Alden as a friend.

The crew grasped onto the rocks, dragging their exhausted bodies towards the shore. Azari was surprised when she saw the island from a different perspective. It was that time of the year when it got dark early so seeing was not the easiest thing. It was so glum and horrible; it was a mix between hate and hell. She spotted the captain hanging from a pole by his wrists. How did he get there?  Coming up behind him was the demon’s most trusted assistant, Mazikeen. She was the only demon ever to grow a soul. But not a good one. Azari saw his eyes filling up with tears of pain. She couldn’t take it any longer, she fumbled for her flaming bow and arrow and aimed right for his heart. He let out a scream of pain, then silence. Everyone stared but no one fought against her, they all knew it had to be done. Keoni was speechless. He didn’t want to speak with Azari, not even look at her. he pivoted on his feet and a rush of betrayal filled his tearful eyes. That person was their one hope of accomplishing the dream they had believed in for many years. A dream of happiness.

Azari peered over the river, her mind searching for hope. She could see lava pixies spilling blood from unforgiven humans. Beside her, tall volcanoes obstructed the view of those who watched. There were lifeless people trying to find the will to live. Beyond the pixies and demons, she caught sight of an Egyptian scribe frantically writing and trying not to get slaughtered by Lucifer Morningstar, Mazikeen, master. Below the gallows she saw an immortal fire, fighting to burn itself to ashes. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a church with intricate stained-glass windows telling an unforgettable story of blood and sacrifice. She thought how it wasn’t fair that innocent lives were being put to work for the joy of two people.

In the other direction, Keoni spotted palm trees swaying in the heavy night breeze. He saw houses lining a meadow full with freshly bloomed flowers. To the left he saw young children playing hopscotch and toddlers singing hokey-cokey. Straight ahead he saw a mother with her two daughters playing dress up with her dolls, pretending they were princesses being saved by their Prince Charming. Desert horned lizards roamed across the sandy floor, one brushed up against his ankle. Comfort rippled through his body. He felt hurt by what Azari had done but he knew forgiveness was better than forgetting.

By nightfall the crew had all left to gather wood and leaves to build a bonfire. Azari and Keoni lay in their hammocks keeping watch in case Mazikeen decided to take a trip across the river. They felt their eyes closing, tired from a chaotic day. Soon enough they were sound asleep. Azari felt here face burning, her eyes water and her body falling. THUD. She hit the cold concrete floor of a waiting room…

Prologue

Remember when you were young, I bet you always wanted to go to space, travel to an unknown continent and eat sweets, ice cream and chocolate for the rest of your life. Well maybe one of those can come true.

I imagine you would read stories about fairies and dragons only for your mum to tell you its all fake. But what if there was a land of pixies and goblins, where people had weapons made of wind and fire, and witches roamed the forgotten forests.

The dream of a continent named after you. That could come true, it could all be real. Just a big imagination and a pocket full of hope and confidence is all you need. But buckle up its going to be a bumpy ride.

Chapter 1

Keoni, a scruffy young lad, gasped as the sky-ship named the Flying Eagle soared overhead, the enormous sails billowing in the wind. Azari, a gentle soul and also Keoni’s brother, jumped with joy as she spotted their father waving to his fellow shipmates. They knew that tomorrow would be their first ever adventure and they they would be flying over the houses, finding lost islands and possibly encountering danger…

A hurricane was brewing, and everyone could sense it. The wind howled and the waves crashed beneath them. This is not what Keoni and Azari had imagined their first skyship adventure would feel like. Thunder roared round the willow tree beneath them threatening to snatch it from the roots. Azari grasped the rails fighting to stay onboard. With one last gust of wind, she flew off the rail and onto the floor.

 Water seeped through her woolly jumper, drenching her in rainwater. Nobody came running over, not even Keoni. All eyes were fixed on the dark shadow creeping towards them, twisting and turning, almost fighting its own thoughts. Azari lay there, her mind blank, with no imagination whatsoever. All her dreams crashed to floor. It was like she had given up on the world. The dream of her own continent slid from her mind. Keoni’s face was white. All colour flushed away. The dark shadow grew closer, and closer until all you could see was a black shape…

“Devils dragon,” shouted someone in the distance. Everyone screamed. The dragon had bolted into the wooden frame of the boat. It plummeted to the ground. Falling at a tremendous speed. They held on, not knowing what danger lay between them and the ground.

 Scared for the life of all crew, photographers flashed their cameras, catching shadows of the dragon circling above their heads and asking for the last words, not even caring they heart was at risk to. Azari and Keoni finally had the courage and strength to stand, looked over the hull making sure they didn’t topple over. She saw an ocean and an island in the shape of a hand growing nearer and nearer, closer and closer. Just in case she died, she decided to name it” Five Fingers Cove.” she shouted so everyone could what an amazing name it was, and could finally have an island named by her.

Knowing this might be their last few moments, the brother and sister gave each other an enormous hug and braced for impact. With one final whoosh the flying eagle crashed into depths of the Pacific Ocean. Fighting for air, Keoni and Azari kicked frantically trying to stay above water. They finally surfaced and paddled toward the island that Azari had named ‘Five Fingers Cove’. After what seemed like forever, the crew managed to get to safety, but little did they know what lay ahead…

Prologue

Remember when you were young, I bet you always wanted to go to space, travel to an unknown continent and eat sweets, ice cream and chocolate for the rest of your life. Well maybe one of those can come true.

I imagine you would read stories about fairies and dragons only for your mum to tell you its all fake. But what if there was a land of pixies and goblins, where people had weapons made of wind and fire, and witches roamed the forgotten forests.

The dream of a continent named after you. That could come true, it could all be real. Just a big imagination and a pocket full of hope and confidence is all you need. But buckle up its going to be a bumpy ride.

Chapter 1

Keoni, a slightly bonkers young lad, gasped as the sky-ship named the Flying Eagle soared overhead, the enormous sails billowing in the wind. Azari, a gentle soul and also keoni’s brother, jumped with joy as she spotted their father waving to his fellow shipmates. They knew that tomorrow would be their first ever adventure and they they would be flying over the houses, finding lost islands and possibly encountering danger…

A hurricane was brewing, and everyone could sense it. The wind howled and the waves crashed beneath them. This is not what Keoni and Azari had imagined their first skyship adventure would feel like. Thunder roared round the willow tree beneath them threatening to snatch it from the roots. Azari grasped the rails fighting to stay onboard. With one last gust of wind, she flew off the rail and onto the floor.

 Water seeped through her woolly jumper, drenching her in rainwater. Nobody came running over, not even Keoni. All eyes were fixed on the dark shadow creeping towards them, twisting and turning, almost fighting its own thoughts. Azari lay there, her mind blank with no imagination whatsoever. All her dreams crashed to floor. It was like she had given up on the world. The dream of her own continent slid from her mind. Keoni’s face was white. All colour flushed away. The dark shadow grew closer, and closer until all you could see was a black shape,

“Devils dragon,” Shouted someone in the distance. Everyone screamed. The dragon had bolted into the wooden frame of the boat. It plummeted to the ground. Falling at a tremendous speed. They held on not knowing what danger lay between them and the ground.

 Scared for the life of all crew, photographers flashed their cameras and asking for the last words, not even caring they heart was at risk to. Azari, finally have the courage and strength to stand, looked over the hull making sure she doesn’t topple over. She saw an ocean and an island in the shape of a hand. Just Incase she died she decided to name it 5 fingers cove so she would finally at least have an island named by her (well in her head).

With one final whoosh the flying eagle crashes into depth of the Pacific Ocean. Fighting for air, keoni and Azari kicked frantically trying to stay above water. They finally surfaced and paddles toward the island that Azari calls Five Fingers Cove. After what seemed like forever the crew managed to get to safety. But little did they know what lay ahead.

Prologue

Remember when you were young, I bet you always wanted to go to space, travel to an unknown continent and eat sweets, ice cream and chocolate for the rest of your life. Well maybe one of those can come true.

I imagine you would read stories about fairies and dragons only for your mum to tell you its all fake. But what if there was a land of pixies and goblins, where people had weapons made of wind and fire, and witches roamed the forgotten forests.

The dream of a continent named after you. That could come true, it could all be real. Just a big imagination and a pocket full of hope and confidence is all you need. But buckle up its going to be a bumpy ride.

Chapter 1

Keoni, a slightly bonkers young lad, gasped as the sky-ship named the Flying Eagle soared overhead, the enormous sails billowing in the wind. Azari, a gentle soul and also keoni’s brother, jumped with joy as she spotted their father waving to his fellow shipmates. They knew that tomorrow would be their first ever adventure and they they would be flying over the houses, finding lost islands and possibly encountering danger…

A hurricane was brewing, and everyone could sense it. The wind howled and the waves crashed beneath them. This is not what Keoni and Azari had imagined their first skyship adventure would feel like. Thunder roared round the willow tree beneath them threatening to snatch it from the roots. Azari grasped the rails fighting to stay onboard. With one last gust of wind, she flew off the rail and onto the floor.

 Water seeped through her woolly jumper, drenching her in rainwater. Nobody came running over, not even Keoni. All eyes were fixed on the dark shadow creeping towards them, twisting and turning, almost fighting its own thoughts. Azari lay there, her mind blank with no imagination whatsoever. All her dreams crashed to floor. It was like she had given up on the world. The dream of her own continent slid from her mind. Keoni’s face was white. All colour flushed away. The dark shadow grew closer, and closer until all you could see was a black shape,

“Devils dragon,” Shouted someone in the distance. Everyone screamed. The dragon had bolted into the wooden frame of the boat. It plummeted to the ground. Falling at a tremendous speed. They held on not knowing what danger lay between them and the ground.

 Scared for the life of all crew, photographers flashed their cameras and asking for the last words, not even caring they heart was at risk to. Azari, finally have the courage and strength to stand, looked over the hull making sure she doesn’t topple over. She saw an ocean and an island in the shape of a hand. Just Incase she died she decided to name it 5 fingers cove so she would finally at least have an island named by her (well in her head).

With one final whoosh the flying eagle crashes into depth of the Pacific Ocean. Fighting for air, keoni and Azari kicked frantically trying to stay above water. They finally surfaced and paddles toward the island that Azari calls Five Fingers Cove. After what seemed like forever the crew managed to get to safety. But little did they know what lay ahead.

Prologue

Remember when you were young, I bet you always wanted to go to space, travel to an unknown continent and eat sweets, ice cream and chocolate for the rest of your life. Well maybe one of those can come true.

I imagine you would read stories about fairies and dragons only for your mum to tell you its all fake. But what if there was a land of pixies and goblins, where people had weapons made of wind and fire, and witches roamed the forgotten forests.

The dream of a continent named after you. That could come true, it could all be real. Just a big imagination and a pocket full of hope and confidence is all you need. But buckle up its going to be a bumpy ride.

Chapter 1

Keoni, a slightly bonkers young lad, gasped as the sky-ship named the Flying Eagle soared overhead, the enormous sails billowing in the wind. Azari, a gentle soul and also keoni’s brother, jumped with joy as she spotted their father waving to his fellow shipmates. They knew that tomorrow would be their first ever adventure and they they would be flying over the houses, finding lost islands and possibly encountering danger…

A hurricane was brewing, and everyone could sense it. The wind howled and the waves crashed beneath them. This is not what Keoni and Azari had imagined their first skyship adventure would feel like. Thunder roared round the willow tree beneath them threatening to snatch it from the roots. Azari grasped the rails fighting to stay onboard. With one last gust of wind, she flew off the rail and onto the floor.

 Water seeped through her woolly jumper, drenching her in rainwater. Nobody came running over, not even Keoni. All eyes were fixed on the dark shadow creeping towards them, twisting and turning, almost fighting its own thoughts. Azari lay there, her mind blank with no imagination whatsoever. All her dreams crashed to floor. It was like she had given up on the world. The dream of her own continent slid from her mind. Keoni’s face was white. All colour flushed away. The dark shadow grew closer, and closer until all you could see was a black shape,

“Devils dragon,” Shouted someone in the distance. Everyone screamed. The dragon had bolted into the wooden frame of the boat. It plummeted to the ground. Falling at a tremendous speed. They held on not knowing what danger lay between them and the ground.

 Scared for the life of all crew, photographers flashed their cameras and asking for the last words, not even caring they heart was at risk to. Azari, finally have the courage and strength to stand, looked over the hull making sure she doesn’t topple over. She saw an ocean and an island in the shape of a hand. Just Incase she died she decided to name it 5 fingers cove so she would finally at least have an island named by her (well in her head).

With one final whoosh the flying eagle crashes into depth of the Pacific Ocean. Fighting for air, keoni and Azari kicked frantically trying to stay above water. They finally surfaced and paddles toward the island that Azari calls Five Fingers Cove. After what seemed like forever the crew managed to get to safety. But little did they know what lay ahead.

I would take an infinite ink quill so I always have something to write to home.

I would take an atlas that would show me where mysterious beasts are living.

I would take a pen and paper, made of horn weed grass, that makes my words disappear when I click twice.

I would take a never-ending biscuit so if I am in an emergency, I won’t get hungry.

I would take a devil’s horn to send evil spirits on lava pixies.

I would take a truth telling tie, so I never get persuaded by mountain witches.

I would take a bald eagle that can spot sky ship pirates, track down lost crew and

Levitate dragon eggs with its eyes.

I would take a copper compass to guide me through dormant volcanoes.

I would take a dugong to swim through the air by my side.

I would take a dragon scale chest plate to protect me from lakes of molten lava.

I would take a mug that transforms into any drink I desire.

I would take a tent that can withstand inclement weather.

I would take a photograph of my loved ones that comes to life in the wink of an eye.

I would take a jar of time so I can fast forward or back to the special moments in my life.

I would take a gold chain necklace with the power to grant a wish a day that ends at sunset

I would take an eternal torch as bright as a full moon.

I would take a hypnotising hippo that has the mind to persuade electric goblins in to letting me be their master

I would take a chameleon that can change colour so that it can steel a warlock’s wand.

I would take a first aid kit which has enough room to carry an ambulance while only weighing 10 grams.

I would take a stack of money in case I need to send a wizard on the wrong path.

I would take a purse, only to be used in life threatening situations, which a parachute able to break a fall from out of the atmosphere.

Eyes like algae,

Full of sorrow and guilt

Skin covered in slime,

With warts from head to toe

Jaws crooked and wonky,

Misaligned like stars in the sky

Tongue like an octupus tentacle,

That could be tied in a bow

Scales made of seaweed,

The colour of spoiled milk in the fridge

Spines like snapped twigs,

Jagged, sticking out from every angle

Wings that weren’t there,

Torn off in the battle of life

Talons curved and blunt,

All twisted into a tangle

A nose like a trumpet,

With nostrils flared and spacious

Who could it be…

It was SWAMPY!