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King of the Sky

King of the Sky

Prologue

You have probably been on a Skyship in the summer before, taking a picnic and stopping for lunch in a picturesque place. You would have probably flown over beautiful, calm lakes, green, rolling hills and high, ragged mountains. You’ve probably been able to touch the clouds for a few moments, before it melts away like thin wisps of smoke. Skyship travelling in the summer is like that. You’ve probably also seen old warriors riding their ships to battle an army of cloud dragons. But have you ever heard of true courage?

Have you tried driving the Skyship when winds whip up beneath, when icy rain leaks into the cabins, when thunder and lightning light up the night sky or strikes your Skyship, popping the balloon so there’s nowhere for you to go other than down?  When you least need them, cloud dragons and wind goblins attacking your Skyship, and you having to battle in extreme weather. Try having Christmas day with no family, no roast dinner, no presents, and no spirit. Try living when all hope is lost.

 

Chapter One

Alice and Olivia gazed down at the people waving below. Their family. Would they ever see each other again? Olivia tried to block the question out of her head. She looked at Captain Lloyd. Her face was set with determination and concentration. She noticed Olivia staring, and smiled back at her, making Olivia’s butterflies flutter even more. Alice, meanwhile, was obviously having the time of her life, blowing kisses, and waving like mad at the people down below, who were now like ants. Alice and Olivia were complete opposites. Olivia had frizzy auburn hair that just reached her shoulders,  marvellous ocean blue eyes that always twinkled when the sun shone, hidden a little by her violet-coloured glasses. Pale white skin, dotted with freckles. Alice however, had long, exceptionally long, straight, chocolate brown hair, she was tall, and had long, lean legs, perfect for sports, which she loved. She was olive-skinned and had beautiful, hazel brown eyes. Olivia preferred to read a book to running across a sports field, and always suffered with nerves.

After their family were replaced with clouds, they went down to their rooms for the trip, before squabbling over which one got the bed by the window. They started to unpack but were interrupted by the panic-stricken face of Captain Lloyd, who screamed ‘’Cloud dragons!!!’’ before racing down the hall to warn the other crewmembers. Everyone raced out of their rooms brandishing their weapons, ready to fight back. Alice and Olivia grabbed the nearest weapons, which happened to be a loo roll and a baguette. They realised that these would not be much use. They found a flail and a gigantic axe in the cupboard under the stairs, before running out onto deck screaming their battle cry. Everyone stared at them curiously. ‘Where ar the cloud dragons?’ snarled Alice, ‘I want to protect my skyship.’ ‘Cloud dragons?’ Asked Amelia, a fellow crewmember. ‘But you said there were cloud dragons, Captain Lloyd.’ Said Olivia. Captain Lloyd laughed. ‘We fought those 5 minutes ago, they are gone now, you missed them. Everyone laughed at them, and Olivia turned a deep shade of scarlet, and Alice the same. They had only been half an hour on the ship and had already embarrassed themselves.

 

They returned to their rooms; heads hung. They finished unpacking and played board games, read books and then Alice had to go and steer the ship for half an hour. She returned with a big smile plastered all over her face. Night fell and the girls settled down to have their first night on the skyship. That night, the weather turned. ` The wind howled and whipped the ship, the thunder and lightning had a ferocious fight, and the rain leaked into the cabins. This resulted in Alice and Olivia not sleeping a wink. They awoke the next morning, bleary eyed. They walked out on deck, where everyone was crowded around, looking serious. Alice and Olivia pushed through, standing on everyone’s toes, and looked down. They immediately regretted looking. A beautiful Pegasus foal lay, half, dead, a **** on its throat. Captain Lloyd immediately ordered for the ship to be searched, something had been on this boat, and the claw marks and bite marks made Alice wish she wouldn’t meet this beast. Ben, the cheeky one who, luckily, always had a trick up his sleeve, pulled out a small bottle, full of a gurgling, thick purple liquid. He pulled the lid off, and the air was filled with a putrid smell. He poured a little drop onto the foal’s neck, where it smoked and, was the injury healing? Sure enough, within a few seconds there was nothing there anymore. The foal staggered to its feet, its long, gangly legs looking too big for the foal’s frail body. Ben quickly pulled off his belt and secured it around the foal’s neck. He reached the belt towards Olivia. Olivia, who was a major fan of horses, couldn’t believe her eyes. She immediately fell head over heels in love for the little thing. Ben said, ‘He needs a mother, and I think you would do the job perfectly.’ Alice wasn’t a fan of horses at all, and gave Olivia a look that said, ‘You know I don’t like horses, where are we going to keep it, it’s going to need a lot of work that I’m certainly not doing……’ Olivia begged and pleaded, ‘Please oh please, please Al!’ Alice sighed, and considered for a moment, before adding, ‘Only if Captain Lloyd agrees.’ Olivia leapt forward and grabbed her into a massive bear hug.

 

Olivia tried to lead the little foal back to the cabin, but the foal was having none of it. He was spooking at every shadow, darting everywhere at every sound, and was kicking out, head held high, the whites of his eyes showing. Surprisingly, it was Alice who stepped in to help. She gently cooed to the animal and stroked its fluffy neck. The foal softened and his deep, beautiful eyes seemed to peer right into Alice’s eyes. He obediently walked straight past Olivia, and into the room, leaving Olivia standing outside, looking like a goldfish, her mouth wide open in shock. Two hours later, a shout came from deck, it was Captain Lloyd’s voice, they had found the remains of Francis Drake’s skyship. It looked like it had crash-landed, there were bits and bobs of the skyship everywhere. ‘Prepare to land!’ shouted Captain Lloyd.

 

 

 

 

Chapter 2

As they landed, Alice and Olivia prayed that they would find Francis Drake [the lost explorer] alive and well. Olivia imagined having to tell his family that he was dead. Not that he was dead. After they landed, Alice and Olivia gasped. The island was so beautiful, so peaceful. Alice imagined being shipwrecked on the island, she would quite enjoy it, the peacefulness. But the only downside was- nobody to play football with, apart from the rabbits. Suddenly, a loud crash came from the bushes, is sounded big.  Just then, the ship’s horn sounded to announce their arrival. There was another loud crash, then it was gone.

The crew set to work setting up camp for the night, putting tents up and making campfires before it got dark. They would find some clues tomorrow. After making a makeshift stable for Sky, Olivia had now named the foal, they settled down, roasted marshmallows, and sang songs.

Alice woke up. There was a rustling sound outside. Someone was there! She peered outside, and whispered ‘Hello, is anyone there? She could see the silhouette of a massive black cat with wings. Was that what was in the bushes earlier? She would have to find out later- she was too tired to investigate.

Olivia gently shook Alice awake. ‘Blurghphughb- BUNGALOW!’ shouted Alice in her sleep. Then, she woke up with a jolt. ‘What was that all about?’ asked Olivia. ‘What?’ asked Alice. ‘Never mind.’ Sighed Olivia. Alice had already forgotten all about the intruder in the night. ‘It’s time, we’re going to find clues now and hopefully find Francis Drake.’ Said Olivia. Alice gave a loud groan and dragged herself out of the tent. She stretched and saw something out of the corner of her eye. It was- a footprint in the sand, but it wasn’t a human print. It was the print of a very large cat, so large it might have been from a tiger. Alice shuddered. She remembered the time she went to the zoo, and saw the powerful, magnificent tiger. She remembered the size of the claws and the teeth. She remembered the way it hunts its prey, stalking in the undergrowth before pouncing. She hoped she wouldn’t meet anything like that tiger.  ‘Everything ok?’ Olivia’s voice dragged Alice back to reality. ‘Yeah, of course I am, let’s go find some clues!’ She pushed the footprint out of her mind and focused on finding clues. , and you’re my assistant, isn’t it.’ ‘Dream on, sunshine.’ muttered Olivia. Suddenly, a shout came from the jungle about ten metres away. Alice and Olivia sprinted towards the voice. It was Captain Lloyd, and it sounded as if she had found something. It was an old map, but with a drop of blood on it. Then there was a blood trail that led to… a treehouse.

Suddenly, a loud voice came from the treehouse. Cooee! Shouted the voice. ‘Wh… Who’s there?’ asked Alice. ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, it is I, the magnificent, the brave, the strong, the heroic, the amazing, the brainy- Francis Drake!’ Everyone gasped. It couldn’t be- Francis Drake, the lost explorer, alive and well….

The handy dandy guide for stupid questors and explorers

 The handy dandy guide for stupid questers and explorers.

 

Keep the amulet of Tiran with you, it will guide you away from misfortune, greed, and death.

 

When crossing a bridge always check underneath, in case of mischievous hubba bubba goblins.

 

Wear a disguise of mystical crystals when entering a town that has a history of harming explorers.

Remember to bring bait that will distract the fire dragon whilst you steal its glorious, flaming egg.

 

Eagles make great pets but
avoid similar birds such as goshawks and red kites, they are known to be mischievous, mistrustful, and treacherous.

 

Always remember to take an amethyst necklace to guide you to fame and fortune.

 

Beware of Giants, Gorgons and nasty surprises that may lurk near wet bogs, or places with quicksand.

 

A horse will come in handy for travelling over long distances, if you know how to ride, if not a donkey will do.

 

Look out for the dangerous yellow spotted insect, who can kill you with one bite. Not to be confused with wasps, that only stings you.

Remember to avoid Ickabogs and other various monsters, such as Basilisks, Three headed dogs and acromantulas.

 

Do NOT eat any jellybeans offered by wandering traders, eccentric people, or witches.

 

Accept any kelp offered by mermaids, it will come in handy for breathing under water.

 

Do NOT forget to bring a lantern with you- it’s ESSENTIAL for a successful mission.

 

Lakes are good for hydration, but BEWARE of sirens, these creatures may look like friendly mermaids, but are extremely dangerous to humans.

Dodge any monsters and Medusa if possible. If you meet Medusa, DO NOT look at her. On the other hand, if met with a monster, you will surely die a painful death.

 

Avoid mist as it can cause dizziness and is full of cutpurses and pick pockets.

 

Keep a handful of maps in your satchel in case of emergencies but BEWARE of some maps such as the marauders Map because they are known to contain fake places and devious hexes.

 

Beware of the Nurse of Narnia, who instead of making you better, slowly kills you without you knowing until you breathe your last breath.

 

Do not go to the Oak tree of Oakland as below lie restless souls buried deep. If you stand on their graves, they climb out of the ground, and, congrats, you will have started a zombie apocalypse.

 

Shetland Ponies MUST be avoided, they are stubborn little madams when they want to be. One minute they’re fine the next minute they’re bucking, biting, rearing, and bolting.

 

When entering the goblins palace be sure to wear a promising disguise. Goblins are exceptionally good at sniffing trespassers out.

 

The Queen of hearts must be avoided at ALL times, she is more of a beast than a Queen.

 

Rats are best avoided; mice are a more friendly choice, and as a bonus, they don’t bite, carry diseases, and they don’t gobble up your food.

The Serpentine is a rase of humanoid snake creatures that were locked away in tooms from 400 to 300 years ago. Be careful to not wake them up on your expedition as they are very sensitive to sound.

 

If you by some misfortune encounter with the Roman British leader Togodumnus of the Catuvellauni tribe, make sure to put your running shoes on quick. Togodumnus is best known for slaughtering innocent people without any cause.

 

Watch out for painful sea urchins that look like underwater hedgehogs.

Do not go near any volcanos that are active, you will die a slow, painful and burning death, so you might as well go swimming with crocodiles.

 

Do not go into any mystic waterfalls as they are known to cause severe short term memory loss and other side effects that will harm your future.

 

Keep your x-ray goggles close when you are entering a cave or mountain, if you chose to ignore this advice you will be sure to die a painful death by invisible unicorns.

 

Yaks make good company but do not offer any food to them as they are extremely allergic to chocolate and any other sugary goods.

 

Zombies are best avoided as they have a habit of trying to eat your brain.

 

Breaking news-No horsing around

  BREAKING NEWS! -No horsing around! 

This is the 6 o’clock news. 

The main headline today is that giant horses were spotted trotting around Buckingham Palace, and her majesty the Queen is terrified. Police jumped out of helicopters onto the horses’ backs trying desperately to control them and ride them away from the palace, but failed, and the horses threw them into the river Thames. Residents have described them as ‘Overgrown foals’ because of their unruly behavior. Police have warned people to stay inside their homes in case the horses decide to go exploring, and World Horse Welfare have been trying to capture them and transport them to the countryside but have failed miserably. 

 Here we have our reporter, Bob. “Bob, can you tell us about these naughty horses?” ‘Well, yes, I can, they are absolute monsters. One even bit the prime minister on the bottom! Talk about bad behavior!’  Can you tell us how big the smallest horse is? Well, I’d say about 30 feet tall and 20 feet wide. Ah, here we have an eyewitness! Here Mr. Ummmmmm’ ‘Mr. Gotobed.’ ‘Ah, Mr. Rowtobread.’ ‘No, it’s Mr. Gotobed.’ ‘Yes, that’s what I said Mr. Rowtobread.’ Sigh. ‘Close enough,’ said Mr. Gotobed. ‘Right’ started Bob. ‘What bad experiences have you had with the horses?’ ‘Well, one pooed on my head, one kicked my house down, one stole my biscuits from the biscuit tin, and one ate my child.’ ‘That’s quite an experience,’ said Bob. ‘Sorry Mr. Rowtobread, that’s all we have time for today, back to the studio!’ Thank you, Bob.  

One horse has gone missing but has been spotted having a stroll down Downing Street. If you see a giant horse, contact the police at once.  

That’s all we have time for today. Come back tomorrow to get information about the covid situation. 

Bye from the BBC news! 

Chapter 4 -Fight

Chapter 4 -Fight 

 

Hopkin turned around and out of the corner of his eyes, saw an odd thing. It was a mirror, it looked ancient, with gold patterns on the rim of the mirror. The Stag turned around and hissed to the mirror ‘Tell me your secrets, tell me, how do I get the stone of life?’ To Hopkins’ amazement, the mirror replied, ‘I will never tell you my secrets!’ The Stag shouted ‘You fool! You blithering idiot!’ The words echoed around the cave. He grabbed a stone from the cave floor and threw it with all his strength at the mirror, the stone bounced off the mirror. There was no damage on it. The Stag grabbed Hopkin and dragged him in front of the mirror. Pola managed to scratch through the magical dome and started to swim away. The dome repaired itself before any water could gush in. The horror mermaids started to chase her, but The Stag said in mermaid language [mermish] ‘Leave her alone, we do not need her. I only need the boy.’ The Stag carried on. ‘Now, tell me, how do you get the stone of life?’ Hopkin stared into the mirror. It seemed normal, but then Hopkin’s reflection pulled a blood red stone out of his pocket, showed it to Hopkin, then the reflection put it back in his pocket. Just then, the real Hopkin felt something heavy fall into his pocket. He put his hand into it and felt a jagged stone. It was the stone of life. 

Just then, the dome exploded and in came Pola and the ghost of their father, armed with weapons. The ghost pulled out two silver swords out of thin air and gave them to Hopkin and Pola. Then, he pulled out another silver sword out of thin air and started to fight. Wisps of fire and smoke flew everywhere. The horror mermaids tried to fight, but they hadn’t any weapons to fight with. The ghost of their father magically summoned a big, multi layered iron wall around The Stag. Their father handed them a teleporter and told them ‘Get to rickety bridge, your cousins and Uncles and Aunts are there. After you cross the bridge, I will break the bridge so no one can get in without killing themselves. Your cousins, Aunts and Uncles will transport you to a safe place, where there is strong magic that prevents The Stag from entering.’ ‘Go my darlings. Oh, I nearly forgot, there is a surprise waiting on beautiful beach, so go there instead of going to the bridge directly. Then go to vacant village. You will have to do some work there.’ He kissed them on the forehead and then pressed a small red button. Pola and Hopkin felt like they were being squeezed, everything was a whirl of color. Hopkin felt very dizzy and passed out. Pola was starting to lose consciousness as well. Then, as suddenly as it had started, the squeezing stopped. Pola saw Hopkin lying unconscious on the floor. She limped over to him and put her hand to his chest. There was no pulse… 

She started doing rapid CPR on him, but It was no use. He was already dead. She felt her eyes beginning to close. Then everything went black. She was unconscious again. She spent the next few days drifting in and out of consciousness. 

 One day she sat up and she was very weak. She thought she saw her mother bent over Hopkin, giving him some water. They were alive! Happiness flowed into her body. But then she fell into a deep sleep. She woke up and sat up. Her mother poured some water into her mouth and gave her some soup. The soup was warm and filled her with hope. For a few days, her mother nursed her back to health. Then one day she could stand up, walk and run. She ran to her mother and hugged her, and Hopkin joined in. Tears of happiness streamed down their faces with the joy of being together again. Then they had breakfast together, and Pola could see where they were. They were on a beautiful beach, with golden sands and blue rippling waters. She realized they were still wearing their swimsuits from Lucky Lake. She so dearly wanted to jump in and swim to her heart’s content, but then she remembered Lucky Lake. How beautiful it was, but it was all a trick. But just as if her mother had read her mind she said ‘Don’t worry, it’s not like Lucky Lake, it’s completely safe. You and Hopkin can go and swim if you like.’ Pola completely trusted her mother and told Hopkin ‘Come on, let’s go!’ They jumped in. The stone of life fell out of Hopkin’s pocket. It slowly sunk down to the sea floor, and it landed on a rock where it smashed into smithereens. 

 When they had had enough swimming, they went back to their mother where she was packing up ready to go to the vacant village. Vacant village was an abandoned village protected by the mountains of Scotland. They pressed the red button together. But none of them became unconscious as they knew what to expect.  

They arrived in a vacant village. But someone had made a mistake. It was not abandoned at all. It was full of goblins and their horses. There were goblins of all sizes, shapes and colors, and it was the same with the horses. There were black horses, white horses, brown horses, golden brown horses. The place was full of horses, ponies, mules, and donkeys braying, neighing, snorting and nickering. It was not abandoned at all. It was quite a lively place. Mother told the mayor of the goblins ‘We come in peace’ The goblins nodded but wheezed ‘We shall want something in exchange for giving you a place in our houses.’  Mother asked, ‘How about 5 days of food, housekeeping, cleaning and looking after 5 of your horses?’ Pola had the job of looking after the horses and did the cleaning and housekeeping. Mother did the cooking and Hopkin exercised the horses and helped Pola with the housekeeping. The days passed very quickly. After the five days had passed the goblins rewarded them by letting them choose and take one of their horses, as the teleporter broke. Pola chose a pure black horse; Hopkin chose a white stallion and mother chose a golden palomino.  

They started the long journey, they walked up and cantered down the Mega Mountains, galloped across plains and trotted happily through rivers and streams. They eventually reached rickety bridge. They dismounted and led the horse’s steadily over the bridge. They met their cousins, uncles and aunts. They went happily to the safe island and lived a very peaceful life, free of Stags.  

                          

 

 

 

Chapter 4 -Fight

Chapter 4 -Fight 

 

Hopkin turned around and out of the corner of his eyes, saw an odd thing. It was a mirror, it looked ancient, with gold patterns on the rim of the mirror. The Stag turned around and hissed to the mirror ‘Tell me your secrets, tell me, how do I get the stone of life?’ To Hopkins’ amazement, the mirror replied, ‘I will never tell you my secrets!’ The Stag shouted ‘You fool! You blithering idiot!’ The words echoed around the cave. He grabbed a stone from the cave floor and threw it with all his strength at the mirror, the stone bounced off the mirror. There was no damage on it. The Stag grabbed Hopkin and dragged him in front of the mirror. Pola managed to scratch through the magical dome and started to swim away. The dome repaired itself before any water could gush in. The horror mermaids started to chase her, but The Stag said in mermaid language [mermish] ‘Leave her alone, we do not need her. I only need the boy.’ The Stag carried on. ‘Now, tell me, how do you get the stone of life?’ Hopkin stared into the mirror. It seemed normal, but then Hopkin’s reflection pulled a blood red stone out of his pocket, showed it to Hopkin, then the reflection put it back in his pocket. Just then, the real Hopkin felt something heavy fall into his pocket. He put his hand into it and felt a jagged stone. It was the stone of life. 

Just then, the dome exploded and in came Pola and the ghost of their father, armed with weapons. The ghost pulled out two silver swords out of thin air and gave them to Hopkin and Pola. Then, he pulled out another silver sword out of thin air and started to fight. Wisps of fire and smoke flew everywhere. The horror mermaids tried to fight, but they hadn’t any weapons to fight with. The ghost of their father magically summoned a big, multi layered iron wall around The Stag. Their father handed them a teleporter and told them ‘Get to rickety bridge, your cousins and Uncles and Aunts are there. After you cross the bridge, I will break the bridge so no one can get in without killing themselves. Your cousins, Aunts and Uncles will transport you to a safe place, where there is strong magic that prevents The Stag from entering.’ ‘Go my darlings. Oh, I nearly forgot, there is a surprise waiting on beautiful beach, so go there instead of going to the bridge directly. Then go to vacant village. You will have to do some work there.’ He kissed them on the forehead and then pressed a small red button. Pola and Hopkin felt like they were being squeezed, everything was a whirl of color. Hopkin felt very dizzy and passed out. Pola was starting to lose consciousness as well. Then, as suddenly as it had started, the squeezing stopped. Pola saw Hopkin lying unconscious on the floor. She limped over to him and put her hand to his chest. There was no pulse… 

She started doing rapid CPR on him, but It was no use. He was already dead. She felt her eyes beginning to close. Then everything went black. She was unconscious again. She spent the next few days drifting in and out of consciousness. 

 One day she sat up and she was very weak. She thought she saw her mother bent over Hopkin, giving him some water. They were alive! Happiness flowed into her body. But then she fell into a deep sleep. She woke up and sat up. Her mother poured some water into her mouth and gave her some soup. The soup was warm and filled her with hope. For a few days, her mother nursed her back to health. Then one day she could stand up, walk and run. She ran to her mother and hugged her, and Hopkin joined in. Tears of happiness streamed down their faces with the joy of being together again. Then they had breakfast together, and Pola could see where they were. They were on a beautiful beach, with golden sands and blue rippling waters. She realized they were still wearing their swimsuits from Lucky Lake. She so dearly wanted to jump in and swim to her heart’s content, but then she remembered Lucky Lake. How beautiful it was, but it was all a trick. But just as if her mother had read her mind she said ‘Don’t worry, it’s not like Lucky Lake, it’s completely safe. You and Hopkin can go and swim if you like.’ Pola completely trusted her mother and told Hopkin ‘Come on, let’s go!’ They jumped in. The stone of life fell out of Hopkin’s pocket. It slowly sunk down to the sea floor, and it landed on a rock where it smashed into smithereens. 

 When they had had enough swimming, they went back to their mother where she was packing up ready to go to the vacant village. Vacant village was an abandoned village protected by the mountains of Scotland. They pressed the red button together. But none of them became unconscious as they knew what to expect.  

They arrived in a vacant village. But someone had made a mistake. It was not abandoned at all. It was full of goblins and their horses. There were goblins of all sizes, shapes and colors, and it was the same with the horses. There were black horses, white horses, brown horses, golden brown horses. The place was full of horses, ponies, mules, and donkeys braying, neighing, snorting and nickering. It was not abandoned at all. It was quite a lively place. Mother told the mayor of the goblins ‘We come in peace’ The goblins nodded but wheezed ‘We shall want something in exchange for giving you a place in our houses.’  Mother asked, ‘How about 5 days of food, housekeeping, cleaning and looking after 5 of your horses?’ Pola had the job of looking after the horses and did the cleaning and housekeeping. Mother did the cooking and Hopkin exercised the horses and helped Pola with the housekeeping. The days passed very quickly. After the five days had passed the goblins rewarded them by letting them choose and take one of their horses, as the teleporter broke. Pola chose a pure black horse; Hopkin chose a white stallion and mother chose a golden palomino.  

They started the long journey, they walked up and cantered down the Mega Mountains, galloped across plains and trotted happily through rivers and streams. They eventually reached rickety bridge. They dismounted and led the horse’s steadily over the bridge. They met their cousins, uncles and aunts. They went happily to the safe island and lived a very peaceful life, free of Stags.  

                          

 

 

 

Chapter 4 -Escaping Terrors

Chapter 3 Death awaits 

As Hopkin and Pola were splashing in the dark blue waters, they had not seen The Stag watching from the shore. The Stag’s red eyes were flashing, he was hungry. He shook his horns angrily and walked off. He was watching, waiting for the perfect moment to strike… 

 

As Hopkin was swimming in the lake [ Pola was in the kayak], something or someone grabbed Hopkins’ ankle. It was pulling him down. He tried screaming out for help, but Pola was too far away to hear him. He was going under, and fast. Pola said ‘’ This place is just lovely, isn’t it Hopkin?’’ No answer. ’Hopkin, Hopkin, answer me, where are you Hopkin? Oh, please Hopkin stop, you are scaring me!’ At that moment she saw something extremely fast swimming under the kayak. A hand suddenly grabbed her arm.  

 

She was in the cold of the lake before she could open her mouth to scream. All you could see on the lake now was an empty kayak and a few ripples on the water. It was very spooky. Under the water Hopkin could see what was grabbing him. It was the hand of … a mermaid. But not the kind of mermaids that little girls love, it was the kind of mermaid that sends several chills down your spine. It was covered in horrible colored scales; they were so horrible that you cannot describe them. Its face was like something out of a horror movie. Its hair was not the beautiful flowing silky hair of normal mermaids. It looked like slimy, rotten weeds. The mermaid was pulling Hopkin and Pola down, down to an underwater cave. But now they were inside the cave the mermaids were pulling them up. Pola and Hopkin could see The Stag from under the water. There was a kind of magic around The Stag, so the water couldn’t get to him. The mermaids pushed the little wallabies into the dome around The Stag.  

 

The Stag said ‘’Now what do we have here? Two little wallabies? What are you doing here’’ He hissed. Hopkin tried to break free of The Stag. ‘’Going somewhere? Going nowhere, I think. Would you like to join me for supper? It is roasted wallabies. Delicious. Now, what are we going to do with you?’ As The Stag went on, Hopkin closed his eyes, ready to die… 

Chapter 4 -Escaping Terrors

Chapter 3 Death awaits 

As Hopkin and Pola were splashing in the dark blue waters, they had not seen The Stag watching from the shore. The Stag’s red eyes were flashing, he was hungry. He shook his horns angrily and walked off. He was watching, waiting for the perfect moment to strike… 

 

As Hopkin was swimming in the lake [ Pola was in the kayak], something or someone grabbed Hopkins’ ankle. It was pulling him down. He tried screaming out for help, but Pola was too far away to hear him. He was going under, and fast. Pola said ‘’ This place is just lovely, isn’t it Hopkin?’’ No answer. ’Hopkin, Hopkin, answer me, where are you Hopkin? Oh, please Hopkin stop, you are scaring me!’ At that moment she saw something extremely fast swimming under the kayak. A hand suddenly grabbed her arm.  

 

She was in the cold of the lake before she could open her mouth to scream. All you could see on the lake now was an empty kayak and a few ripples on the water. It was very spooky. Under the water Hopkin could see what was grabbing him. It was the hand of … a mermaid. But not the kind of mermaids that little girls love, it was the kind of mermaid that sends several chills down your spine. It was covered in horrible colored scales; they were so horrible that you cannot describe them. Its face was like something out of a horror movie. Its hair was not the beautiful flowing silky hair of normal mermaids. It looked like slimy, rotten weeds. The mermaid was pulling Hopkin and Pola down, down to an underwater cave. But now they were inside the cave the mermaids were pulling them up. Pola and Hopkin could see The Stag from under the water. There was a kind of magic around The Stag, so the water couldn’t get to him. The mermaids pushed the little wallabies into the dome around The Stag.  

 

The Stag said ‘’Now what do we have here? Two little wallabies? What are you doing here’’ He hissed. Hopkin tried to break free of The Stag. ‘’Going somewhere? Going nowhere, I think. Would you like to join me for supper? It is roasted wallabies. Delicious. Now, what are we going to do with you?’ As The Stag went on, Hopkin closed his eyes, ready to die… 

Chapter 3-Death awaits

Chapter 3 Death awaits 

As Hopkin and Pola were splashing in the dark blue waters, they had not seen The Stag watching from the shore. The Stag’s red eyes were flashing, he was hungry. Angrily, he shook his horns and walked off, he was watching, waiting for the perfect moment to strike… 

 

As Hopkin was swimming in the lake (Pola was in the kayak), something or someone grabbed Hopkins’ ankle, and it pulled him down. He tried screaming out for help, but Pola was too far away to hear him. He was going under, and fast. As Pola was enjoying the sun, she said ‘’ This place is just lovely, isn’t it Hopkin?’’ There was no answer. “Hopkin, Hopkin, answer me, where are you Hopkin? Oh, please Hopkin stop, you are scaring me!” At that moment she saw something extremely fast swimming under the kayak. A hand grabbed her arm.  

 

She was in the cold of the lake before she could open her mouth to scream. Under the water Hopkin could see what was grabbing him. It was the hand of … a mermaid, but not the kind of mermaids that little girls love, it was the kind of mermaid that sends several chills down your spine. It was covered in horrible colored scales; they were so horrible that you cannot describe them, its face was like something out of a horror movie. Its hair was not the beautiful flowing silky hair of normal mermaids, it looked like slimy, rotten weeds. The mermaid was pulling Hopkin and Pola down, down to an underwater cave. But now they were inside the cave the mermaids were pulling them up. Pola and Hopkin could see a pair of red eyes, then a set of horns from under the water. There was no doubt that it was The Stag. There was a kind of magic around The Stag, so the water couldn’t get to him. [The Stag can’t touch water.] The mermaids pushed the little wallabies into the dome around The Stag.  

 ‘’Now what do we have here? Two little wallabies? What are you doing here’’ The Stag hissed. Hopkin tried to break free of The Stag. ‘’Going somewhere? Going nowhere, I think. Would you like to join me for supper? It is roasted wallabies, delicious. Now, what are we going to do with you?’ As The Stag went on, Hopkin closed his eyes, ready to die… 

 

Lucky Lake?

Lucky Lake?

Now that it was day, Pola and Hopkin could see more clearly. They had slept under a great big oak tree. It stretched upwards, it’s golden coloured trunk as wide as them. They decided to have breakfast, they crushed some wild berries and spread it across a slice of bread, and they drank from a nearby stream. Hopkin had heard that if you tickle a fish on its belly, it goes into a kind of daydream and then you can just grab them out of the water. Hopkin tried it. He caught one! It was a small brown trout. They decided to save it for lunch.

 

With their bellies full, they were about to set off, when suddenly the ghost of their father appeared before them. He warned them that The Stag was less than 3 minutes away, and if they want to live, they should have to move quickly. Pola said ‘’Here we go again.’’

 

They hopped till they could hop no more, their hearts pounding inside their chests. They came to a sign that said Lucky Lake. They wondered what was so lucky about this lake. As they hopped around the corner, they saw the most beautiful lake they had ever seen and decided to stay there a while.  As they huddled to keep warm, out of the corner of his eye Hopkin saw a flint and steel, this would be perfect to create fire. He couldn’t believe his luck ‘’Wow this place really is lucky!’ he exclaimed.  He looked on. He could see 2 swimming costumes and a kayak on the in the distance, he stood gawping at them for a few seconds.  ‘’What are you waiting for? Pola asked.  Hopkin did not need telling twice. Before even thinking properly they had jumped in.  Excitement took over and The Stag left their minds. All signs of danger flowed from their minds as they splashed and swirled in the dark blue water.

Chapter One

Chapter One

It was a cold winters morning, there was frost on the leaves and the trees nearby, and dew on the grass below Hopkin. Hopkin and his sister Pola were hopping as fast as they could. Wallabies are good at hopping.

Young Hopkin and his sister Pola are hopping as fast as they possibly can from the death and destruction back at the burrows. No one had heard the stag’s hooves pounding against the grass, as they were all very busy. The stag was a huge figure, its fur covered in dark magic. It tossed its head high [that meant battle].

The stag was covered in thick, knotty fur. As it shot fire from its horns, Pola and Hopkin managed to get away with a slice of cheese, a loaf of bread and a map. They were barely 500 metres when the burrows exploded.

They could see the stag walking steadily through the crackling hot flames towards them. They could see death woods ahead of them. It was like a towering black giant above, beckoning them towards it. 10 minutes later they were deep inside the woods. They found some shelter and fell asleep.

Where will this journey take them?