Feathered and Flightless: The Discovery of Weewoo

     Open Seas

     Day 28

     Today we approach our destination aboard a seaworthy ship provided by the generous King Hagan. The king supported us in pursuit of knowledge of the area and was quick to fund our endeavours—the perks of being a Seeker!

     While Krawk island isn’t a place for the faint of heart, not all inhabitants are pirates; the pioneers that founded the island are a (relatively speaking) agreeable bunch. The crew assures us that so long as we stick to the straight and narrow all will be well. Jordie is the most excited I’ve seen him since our quest in Moltara. Seems like only yesterday we plunged into those winding volcanic tunnels leading to the hidden city..

     After we dock in the port (did you know that the Warf Wharf has the largest port in all of Neopia?), our first matter of business is to introduce ourselves to Governor Gavril McGill. Built on the lone plot of land that once housed his humble shack, his mansion isn’t hard to miss! His guidance is essential when it comes to venturing into the wilds where danger lurks around every corner and avoiding any ne'er-do-wells along the way.

     Krawk Island, Coast

     Day 29

     The island was in sight when the wooden ship cracked and crumbled beneath our feet. An enormous tentacle crushed the hull into tiny splinters and we were tossed into the freezing depths below. When I woke up I was stranded alone on an unknown shore. Krawk Island—singular—is actually composed of many islets, and my intuition says that this must be one of them.

     Our crew eventually planned to visit them all, but those plans didn’t include a solitary venture on my part. Even the best adventurer knows the perils of venturing out on their own. My usual partner, Jordie, is nowhere to be found, but he’s a brave kid. He is my assistant, after all!

     My fur is soaked and my stomach is empty. I have nothing left but a broken compass and a dream. This makes for the start of a thrilling adventure!

     Krawk Island, Coast

     Day 30

     These wilds are putting my survival skills to the test! The waves are choppy and storms unrelenting, and the beast that stranded us here is still lurking near. I pride myself on being a great swimmer, but even the best swimmers think twice before taking the ocean head-on. The ocean always wins!

     This is but a momentary setback. There’s no better way to acquaint myself with the island than to be stranded on it! I built a simple shelter to keep me dry while I think of a solid plan. It’s a challenge to keep a fire going in these conditions, but a Seeker never gives up!

     Krawk Island, Coast

     Day 31

     It’s hard to think straight on an empty stomach. The cuisine of the island is based around seafood, so I scraped shellfish from the rocky shore with my trusty pocket knife to cook them over an open flame.. not bad, if I do say so myself. As fine as the most talented chef at the Golden Dubloon!

     I outlined an SOS on the beach with rocks I dug out of the sand. If that doesn’t catch a rescuer’s attention, then nothing will!

     Krawk Island, Jungle

     Day 32

     The night poses its own challenges. No sooner than the sun sets do the nocturnal creatures of the island emerge hungry and on the hunt. Legends told in the taverns of the island warn of sister mermaids called the Drenched lurking to lure sailors to their demise. Does that explain the eerie songs I hear growing closer and louder in the dead of night? Alarming, indeed!

     I woke up to a persistent rustling in my makeshift camp. I lit a torch to find the culprit, but its silhouette scurried into the underbrush with my shiny gold compass before I got a good look. Rats! The broken compass wasn’t of much use anyway, but now that he got his sticky hands on one of my belongings, my food could be next!

     Krawk Island, Jungle

     Day 33

     The shuffling persisted tonight. This time, I was ready for it. I held my breath and knelt behind my shelter with arms out and ready to pounce. There’s no such thing as an adventure without taking risks in the face of danger, so stealth is an essential skill for any explorer!

     When it crept close, I leapt and grabbed the thief with both hands. The feathery little fellow was none too happy to be caught in the act. I have the scratches to prove it! I wrapped him in my coat to get a good look at him. I don’t know what kind of creature I expected, but a bird wasn’t one of them. The fire gleamed in his beady black eyes as his beak chomped angrily on my leather jacket. Small, but oh-so-fierce!

     Only when he grew tired of fighting was I able to get through to him. He hesitated but eventually responded to my words in his own way through beeps and chirps.

     Then an idea struck!

     I promised to let him go so long as he helped me find the way back to the settlement, but he wasn’t convinced until I offered some of my leftovers. We came to an agreement as far as I could tell (my birdspeak is a bit rusty), so my heart sank when he vanished right when his feet touched the ground.

     No sooner than I resigned myself to another lonesome night did the bushes stir and tree branches shake. Had the sirens finally come for me?

     Thankfully, it was the bird returning with a flock of his friends.. to devour every last morsel of food! Before I could react, my belongings were ransacked and my rations pecked clean. So much for sharing!

     What have I gotten myself into?

     Krawk Island, Jungle

     Day 34

     I decided to name the creatures “wee woo” for the sounds they make at dusk and dawn. It turns out that the haunting melodies I heard were actually their cries echoing throughout the jungle! From here on they will be referred to as such.

     The weewoo are far greater navigators than one might give them credit for. Their puny peanut-shaped bodies are capable of traversing spaces a person could never squeeze through, and they travel with purpose towards our destination. It’s hard for even me to keep up!

     As if sensing my hunger, or as an apology for stealing my food, they offered me green and yellow-coloured worms freshly plucked from the dirt. Luckily, I familiarized myself with the fauna of the island before our trip to confidently identify them as woo-woo grubs. Slimy, yet satisfying!

     Wee woo eat woo woo grubs. Say that ten times fast!

     I have a good feeling that civilization is just around the corner.

     Krawk Island, Governor’s Mansion

     Day 35

     Home at last! The governor’s home, that is.

     The Warf came into view on the third day just as the sun peeked over the horizon. Lacking hands or wings, my new friends waved goodbye with their webbed feet and returned to the jungle from where they came. To my utmost joy, the bird that started it all stayed behind to see our journey through.

     I dubbed the species apteryx Weewoous when I introduced him as an ambassador of his kind and elected him an honorary navigator of the Seekers. Jordie snatched the little guy from my hands as I regaled the journey that brought me here. The kiddo will think of a good name for him, and they’ll be fast friends for sure.

     Time for our real adventure to begin!

     The End.