Welcome back! Sorry again; I'm aware that these waits for new chapters seem to be getting longer and longer, and I feel bad about it. Hopefully sooner or later you won't have to wait so long each time.

By the way, you may have noticed that the "OC" tag's not on this story's main character section anymore, and Miskit's name is. Well, that's because there's now an Amulet character filter, which I would like to thank this website's staff for adding. So, now the OC confusion's definitely cleared up; sorry for the trouble.

Anyways, there's more good news: the chapter you're about to read is the longest one so far. You'll even get to read the story from an entirely different perspective; I won't tell you whose POV it is because I don't want to give any spoilers, but trust me…you will love it.

Chapter 8

We all need that someone who gets you like no one else, right when you need it the most…

If this scene were part of a movie or something, that would probably be the song (Alone Pt. 2 by Ava Max) playing in the background as both mechanics worked—Selina fixing the voice amplifier, and Tweak converting one of the submarines into a vehicle that worked not only underwater, but also on land and in the sky.

We all need a soul to rely on, a shoulder to cry on, a friend through the highs and the lows…

As she removed a wheel from one of the truck/armoured tank mixes and installed it onto the submarine she'd chosen, using a low/mid-rise frame car lift to keep the underwater vehicle in the air, Tweak thought about everything Selina had said regarding her failed attempts to save Miskit. She was right—the reason why she was never able to succeed in saving him was because she was letting her feelings for him get in the way of thinking things through first. If the engineer was going to stand a chance at rescuing him and the other robot from that wyvern, she would have to come up with a strategy to prevent her impulsiveness from taking over again. Which was anything but easy.

I'm not gonna make it alone, la la la la la la, la la la la-alone! I'm not gonna make it alone, la la la la la la, la la la la-alone!

I just have to stay calm and remember to think straight, thought Tweak as she installed the second wheel onto the submarine. I can't think too much about Miskit being the one in trouble, or about how cute—I mean, how nice—he is…I just need to focus on staying focussed. She sighed. Staying calm under pressure could be hard enough for her as it was; all the times Kwazii frustrated her back at home taught her that. However, this was an entirely new situation. She'd never had a crush on anyone before, and now that she knew how it felt, she had to learn to manage her emotions all over again.

Then I saw your face, your forgiving eyes, looking back at me from the other side. Like you understood me. And I'm never letting you go! Ohhh…

Tweak eventually finished installing the next two wheels and then headed for the airship section to select some propellers and an empennage. She studied each of the flying vehicles carefully, knowing the parts she needed had to be a specific size. They needed to be small enough to fit on the former submarine's body, but also big and stable enough to make it able to fly.

We all need that someone, who gets you like no one else, right when you need it the most! We all need a soul to rely on, a shoulder to cry on, a friend through the highs and the lows!

Soon deciding to settle for medium-sized supplies, Tweak removed the propellers and empennage from the airships they were on and used her tools to attach them to the former submarine. As she did, she thought some more about handling her emotions enough to save Miskit and decided on a strategy. Maybe if she kept in mind the negative consequences possibly in store for them if she let her impulsiveness interfere with her mission again, she would be able to focus long enough to rescue him? It was worth a shot, but Tweak knew failure was no option—especially now.

I'm not gonna make it alone, la la la la la la, la la la la-alone! I'm not gonna make it alone, la la la la la la, la la la la-alone!

Almost there. Just a few more additions to make sure the submarine's digital functions communicated with the vehicle's new features as well, and her work would be complete…

I'm not gonna make it alone, la la la la la la, la la la la-alone! I'm not gonna make it alone, la la la la la la, la la la la-alone! I'm not gonna make it alone.

Tweak hammered in the last nail and then stood back, admiring her work. The result was exactly the way she'd planned—but to confirm that the submarine would function well with its extra features no matter where and how she travelled in it, there was one more thing she had to do. She had to go outside and take it on a test run.

Selina entered the garage and gave an approving smile upon seeing her guest's creation. "Looks good."

"Thanks," said Tweak. "But I still need to make sure it works."

"Well, feel free to drive a few laps around the island through the water and the sky. As for the wheels…you'll have to wait until you find a way inside Cielis to practice with those. The roads outside the station are okay, but most of them are a bit too narrow for test runs. And you've got too big of a mission to risk crashing so soon."

Tweak chuckled a little, and Selina pressed a button, opening the larger garage door that led outside the station. The rabbit placed her yellow welding mask over her face and then entered the upgraded submarine, closing the door behind her. She pressed a few buttons, which turned on its engine, and then she pushed forward the extra lever she'd connected to the control panel. The wheels instantly began to spin, but a lot faster than she expected. Before she could even blink, the vehicle had left the garage and was driving right off the station's outdoor platform!

Suddenly the vehicle fell downward, heading straight for some pointy rocks sticking out of the water. Tweak screamed and quickly pressed the purple button on the control panel, causing the propellers to start spinning just as fast as the ones on the Luna Moth had. This caused the vehicle to stop falling about an inch above the rocks and continue straight ahead, now in flying mode. Relieved, Tweak clasped the steering wheel that had come with the submarine and began using it to steer, allowing herself to fly a few laps around the tall land Selina's Station was on. She went a little higher and faster whenever she felt comfortable, until she was certain that even Kwazii's joyrides in the Gup B weren't quite as speedy as her current flight.

Now it was time for the next phase of her flying practice: accomplishing sharp turns whenever necessary. Tweak had experience with that because of the times she'd driven the gups on undersea missions—but then again, she wasn't travelling underwater at the moment, and this was an entirely new vehicle. It would be safer to practice this step anyway despite already having mastered it back home; after all, anything could happen in Alledia.

Using Selina's tall island and the slightly shorter one near it as "obstacles," Tweak began practicing sharp turns, and then just for fun (or maybe just to give her alter ego brawn-looking talents that no one would guess the real her possessed; she wasn't exactly sure), decided to try out some more daring moves—like holding on tight to the control panel so she could make the vehicle do flips and fly upside down without her flailing around inside of it. The kind of tricks that only Kwazii would have thought to do during a time like this, and the kind she usually warned him not to do because it usually caused him to crash or lose the Gup B. Thinking back to that, she suddenly realized how hypocritical her actions were becoming, and Tweak kept her paws crossed that Kwazii wouldn't find out she was Mechaniteer.

That thought caused her to think about another important topic: her secret identity. She had to be careful not to reveal it to anyone again, regardless of the circumstances. Selina was thankfully someone she could trust, but if Tweak ended up as the guest of another temporary shelter, she couldn't let her guard down again. If she did, her host (depending on whose side they were on) could easily rat her out to the elves, and things would only get worse from there; not just for her, but also for Miskit and his friends. She wouldn't be surprised if the elves had figured out she was searching for a Resistance member by now—a lot of time had passed since she'd asked all those Nautilus citizens about Miskit and Emily, and she wouldn't put it past the elves to force information about her conversations with them out of those citizens—information that could help them find and apprehend her. She also still remembered Miskit telling her that the elves could take others hostage, and at that moment, a scary realization came over the engineer: if the elves found her or Miskit, one of them could be used as a hostage to lure in the other one. Even worse, no matter which one of them was captured first, it would still result in Emily and her team coming to the rescue, which could endanger them too.

That's not going to happen, Tweak tried to reassure herself. Miskit's too smart to give away any information, and so am I. Besides, I was able to keep Trellis and Luger safe back in Nautilus, so… She sighed, making sure she slowed down the vehicle so she could think more about her thoughts. There was no doubt about it now; a very scary fate would be in store for her and her crush if she made another mistake. She had to get her emotions under control so everyone could be safe, which meant the strategy she'd come up with about considering the possible future had better work. She had to set things right.

Tweak practiced flying her vehicle for a few more minutes before heading toward the water. She now needed to see if this submarine could still do its original job with the features she'd added. With a splash, she entered the underwater area and began to drive around once more, this time the same way she'd always driven the gups. The vehicle's extra features made it a slower process at first, but luckily she discovered that activating the propellers underwater could help speed things up. She just had to be careful not to let them direct the vehicle too close to the surface whenever she used them underwater; apart from that, this part of her journey would be a breeze.

Since she couldn't practice using the wheels until she found safer roads, Tweak decided to go back to Selina's Station for now and tell her friend how her test run had gone. So, she allowed the airship parts she'd added to direct the vehicle toward the surface, where she flew it back into the garage. Once landing the vehicle and parking it on the floor, she stepped out and was greeted by Selina.

"It's ready," confirmed Tweak, removing her mask for the moment. "I'll come up with a name for this thing as soon as I find Miskit and the robot he's with."

Selina smiled. "Just don't give it a name similar to your Earth submarines, like the Gup B you mentioned. In case the elves somehow find out about what you like naming your inventions."

"Don't worry, I won't call it anything too familiar," Tweak said. There had been occasions where she'd given inventions names besides gups, so she wouldn't have any trouble with that.

"Alright," Selina told her. Without another word, she held up her right paw and opened its palm, revealing the voice amplifier.

Tweak gasped, excited. "My voice amplifier! Thank you!"

"My pleasure," said Selina. She gave it back to her, and Tweak reattached it to the inside of her welding mask. "You can use it again whenever you want, but just because it's fixed doesn't mean water can't break it again."

"I know. But thanks. Without it, the elves would have recognized my voice and seen through my disguise."

Tweak's gaze wandered toward her vehicle, and her smile disappeared as she realized that now it was time to leave the station and continue her mission. She felt bad about having to say goodbye to Selina—she not only helped her, but also proved to be one of the best allies she could have hoped for. They were alike in so many ways, and for a moment, Tweak was tempted to invite her to join her on her quest. Yet ultimately, she decided against it. Selina being labeled as a fugitive would only make matters worse for them both, and it could even endanger Enzo, since he used to be her mate. Plus, despite not being a Resistance member, she was technically one of Emily's allies too, which didn't make things much better. It was painful to admit it, but the rabbit was better off leaving the station alone.

Selina must have realized what she was thinking, because she put an arm around her. "Believe me, I'd come with you if it were that simple. But there was an extra customer here while Enzo's crew was staying, and he looked pretty shady. Antisocial man, typical hooded cloak business, except he didn't try to hide his glowing yellow eyes. If he's got elf friends that have it out for me, it'll be better for you and your love interest if I take them on alone."

Tears came into Tweak's eyes. "I'm really going to miss you, Selina. Of all the friends I've met over the years…no one's understood me like you do."

There was a moment of silence, and then Selina led her into a hug. "I'll be fine, okay? No matter what happens."

"I know," whispered Tweak. Although in reality, she didn't know. Selina was pretty tough—but then again, so was Miskit's reckless robot companion, and look what happened.

After a while, the two mechanics released each other and said their goodbyes. Tweak promised to meet up with Selina again if she and Miskit's team succeeded, to which she agreed. Then Tweak hopped into her vehicle, activated its propellers, and once again left the station. But this time, she wouldn't be returning anytime soon, if at all.

The sky turned a pale, calm light shade of pink as the sun began to set. She was a little surprised to see this; had she really spent that much time perfecting her vehicle? Then she sighed, remembering how guilty and lost in thought she'd been while adding those extra features. The wheels had been hard to attach as it was, and of course her multitasking had made that task take longer. It was good that she'd had time to think about her next steps, but it had also cost her precious time. Time she needed to find Miskit and the other robot, rescue them, and help them look for a stonekeeper so they could follow Emily's team into Cielis.

A gigantic black dragon-like creature flew past, and startled, Tweak briefly turned the other way to see if it was the same one that took Miskit. Unfortunately, it turned out this creature was too big to possibly be a wyvern, and it didn't have Miskit or the other robot. An elf soldier was riding its back though, with two more soldiers clutching the creature's tail, apparently because there was only room on its back for one soldier. Right behind the soldier on the animal's back sat a big bag that kept squirming. There was someone inside of it! At first Tweak thought Miskit and the other robot were inside the bag and was tempted to pursue the elves and rescue them, but then one of the soldiers on the tail bellowed, "Please, general! Let me supervise the two animals! If you keep doing nothing like this, they'll escape from the bag!"

So it wasn't the robots that were in the bag. Tweak sighed with relief and began heading in the opposite direction of the elves again. She spent the rest of sunset searching until, just as twilight began, she discovered a group of tall, slightly sloped spires standing together in the water. One of them had a wide straw nest set at the top of it, with about nine spotted greyish-lavender eggs about her size all sitting inside of it. One of the eggs had hatched and was empty, and two more were in the process of hatching. When they did, out came what Tweak quickly realized were two baby wyverns.

She gasped. Could this be where the wyvern she was searching for lived? Had Miskit and his robot friend already been eaten or something? No, wait…based on the clues, that couldn't be right. Only one baby wyvern had hatched before she'd arrived, and there was no way either robots could have been eaten by it; based on what the present two wyvern babies looked like, their sibling was far too small to even eat all of one robot. And even if it had been able to accomplish that task, the creature would have died right away. The same would have happened to its mother if she'd done the eating (although Tweak doubted that was what happened, since mothers-to-be usually collected food for their children before themselves). Robots were made of metal after all…

Then she noticed one thing in the nest that wasn't an egg: a long rope. She didn't see it at first because it was the same colour as the nest, but it was clearly there. One end of the rope looked like it had been tied around something, and that something had been released from its grasp without the rope's knot being untied. Was it…the rope that had been tied around Miskit the last time she saw him?

Her heart pounding, Tweak tried to deduce what happened. Clearly, Miskit had been here, but now he wasn't. Somehow he and his companion must have escaped, but how? The spires were really far away from civilization, so they couldn't have swam away, and aside from the wyverns (which she doubted had earned their trust), they had no source of transportation. For a moment, she worried that the elves had taken them, but then she remembered the soldiers she'd seen on that bigger creature had just come from this area and clearly hadn't snatched any robots. Someone else must have found Miskit and the other robot and taken them somewhere—but if it wasn't Emily's team, whom Selina had said were still going to Cielis despite losing the duo, then who had taken the robots?

Tweak flew away from the spires, hoping she'd find out soon. Before she did, however, she briefly positioned her vehicle so that it hovered just above the nest (she didn't want to hurt the eggs or the baby wyverns), opened the door, leaned forward, picked up the rope, and brought it inside. Who knew—maybe she could put it to good use sooner or later.

As the tall hill-like landmarks began to disappear from view, twilight ended and night began, bathing the sky in a beautiful sapphire blue colour, decorated with a bright white full moon and millions of stars. If she had time, she would have focused more on how beautiful the scenery had become, but she couldn't let herself get distracted. She had a mission.

Minutes went by, and still Tweak saw no sign of the two robots. She yawned, realized it was getting late, and blinked, trying to stay awake. She was just starting to consider stopping the vehicle and getting some sleep when the sound of lightning strikes caught her attention. Startled, the engineer looked toward her right, where she could see a very peculiar sight.

Despite the rest of the sky being clear and starry with calm waters, one area of the scenery around her was caught in the most dangerous storm she'd ever seen. Swirly dark clouds surrounded that area, rain poured down nonstop, several lightning bolts struck the sea at the same time, and some of the water in that area was insanely thrashing about, creating rough waves. The rest of the water was swirling around in a circle, creating a whirlpool. If she looked really closely, she could just make out two giant eel-like creatures flying around inside the storm, and parts of broken airships rusting away on the rocks.

Tweak froze. How was it possible that this particular area was undergoing a storm while every area around it was calm and safe? And how many drivers had gone through here—or at least tried to? Then she saw something else that was alarming: a big green helicopter-like boat flying by, heading straight into the storm. There were two people on the ship's balcony, which was right next to the pilot's cabin, although they were too far away for her to see them clearly. But while it was clearly stable and well-attached to the flying ship, the balcony wasn't at all protected from outdoor dangers, and the two passengers weren't making any effort to go inside the cabin for safety.

What was going on? Was the ship under some kind of spell that was making it lose control? Was the door to the pilot's cabin locked, stranding the passengers on the balcony? Tweak wasn't sure what was going on, but she knew one thing: if she didn't do something fast, those two passengers could get struck by lightning or something. Her search for Miskit and the other robot would have to wait…wait a second…WAIT A SECOND! If the wyverns didn't have them, the elves didn't have them, and they hadn't escaped by swimming…could they have been picked up by that ship? Were they about to go into that storm?! Tweak could feel her impulsiveness being triggered once again. Before she knew what was happening, her foot was on the speed pedal, and her vehicle was surging forward, heading straight for the storm.

She wasn't sure how she managed to stop herself that time. Maybe it was the fact that a second after she'd sped up, she saw three funnel clouds begin to form at the exact same time (yes, three simultaneous funnel clouds). Or maybe it was because now that she'd had that conversation with Selina, somewhere deep down inside of her, the more thoughtful part of her that always planned ahead was itching to come back into the spotlight. Whatever it was, this time something in her clicked, and she regained enough cautiousness to realize what she was doing and slow down.

Relax, she told herself, taking deep breaths. It's the only way around this. Kwazii tried speeding up in a storm once, and it made him and the Gup B get stuck in some rocks! I need a plan, and it has to be carefully thought out.

CRAAAACK!

Tweak gasped as she saw a lightning bolt suddenly strike one of Miskit's ship's wings, setting it on fire. She quickly stopped her impulsiveness from overtaking her, and then observed the storm, the ship, and then everything inside her vehicle. When she looked back towards the ship and saw something fly toward the water, she began to smile. She knew exactly what to do…

"The path to the city is open to all members of the Guardian Council, past and present. So long as you're willing to enter the eye of the storm."

Miskit nodded, although he still felt nervous. It was bad enough that he and Cogsley, another robot of Silas's, had gotten separated from the Resistance after the wyvern incident, and despite having found some new allies—one of whom was very experienced and could be very important to their mission in many ways—there were still a lot of things that could go wrong. Especially now that they were entering a terrifying storm like this one.

Vigo Light, the stonekeeper who had found them, said the storm was Golbez Cycle, a tempest that had been raging nonstop for centuries. To gain access to Cielis, the flying city that Miss Emily's team was now seeking, successfully crossing through Golbez Cycle was the first step required. It was a good thing Vigo had decided to join them and pick them up in his strong ship—there was no way their sailboat would have stood a chance in such dangerous weather!

As the ship entered Golbez Cycle, the sounds of lightning striking grew louder and louder. Since Cogsley had volunteered to help with the driving while Vigo's amulet guided them in the right direction, Miskit could only sit back and hope his companions could get them all through this. That Miss Emily and the others had found Cielis, and soon they'd find a way to defeat the elves. Not counting Trellis and Luger of course, since they were now on their side. Although…thinking about the next steps of their mission wasn't exactly bringing him comfort. It only seemed to increase the tension within him.

At this point, Miskit couldn't help wishing things didn't have to be so serious. It would be so nice to have time for fun like the Octonauts always seemed to have—the reason why Tweak, Kwazii, and Captain Barnacles entered the Hayes' house and the things they did together after they first met proved that those Earth ocean protectors lived a life much easier than his and Silas's. Then again, that was exactly why he hadn't let them go with him, or at least know too much about what he was up against. Kwazii was too out-of-control despite his knowledge of Alledian life (thanks to his grandfather having told him about the time he'd met him, Silas, Cogsley, and one of the elves that one time), and despite their strengths, the other Octonauts' oblivion on what to expect here (not to mention Barnacles not believing Kwazii's stories despite them obviously being true) could lead them to a huge downfall without a stonekeeper like Miss Emily or Vigo accompanying them.

Still, Miskit knew none of this meant the Octonauts wouldn't at least try to find him and help with his mission, regardless of what he'd said to them. Talking about how dangerous these things were didn't usually succeed in convincing others to stay behind; basically everyone with courage and good intentions was just too concerned and caring to fall for that. And it wasn't like he could have stuck to that lie about him being a realtor—Kwazii had already known that his grandfather discovered Alledia, and clearly he never kept things like that a secret. It was obvious that the crew would have tried to help either way, but he was counting on the fact that once the Hayes family got into Alledia, their passage back home was closed up long before anyone else could find and get to it.

Well…maybe that wasn't exactly true. There was one Octonaut that Miskit doubted would fail to find a way around that obstacle: Tweak. Why wouldn't it be her? She was already talented and intelligent as it was, but she also happened to be the Octonaut he'd come to know the most, the one he'd spent the most time with, and the one who had received more information about his mission and home life than the rest of the crew. He was still surprised that he'd told her that much, even if Kwazii would have filled her in on some of the details anyway. Maybe it was because of how much they had in common or how nice she'd been to him—he didn't usually let his guard down that easily when around people that weren't originally involved in his mission.

Miskit sighed. He hadn't quite been able to stop thinking about Tweak since Miss Emily's mom was rescued and taken to Kanalis. There were many people and circumstances that reminded him of each of the Octonauts every now and then, but that wasn't the main thing that kept crossing his mind. Something deep down was making him worried about her safety; he wasn't sure why, but it couldn't be a good sign. Yet as much as he didn't like it, he couldn't investigate his feelings deep down. Not when he needed to reunite with Miss Emily before the elves found out where they were going.

"Are you feeling okay, Miskit?"

Miskit jumped. He'd forgotten Vigo was still sitting right next to him. He was still using his amulet to guide Cogsley in the right direction, but that didn't stop him from noticing the rabbit robot's expression, which clearly displayed much more worry than necessary. Quickly, he tried to calm himself and said, "I'm fine. I just hope Cogsley can get us through the—"

CRAAAACK!

Miskit yelped as a lightning bolt suddenly zapped the propeller and wing right next to him, barely missing him and Vigo. They didn't get hurt, but unfortunately the two ship parts did. In fact, they caught on fire, which was already beginning to spread to the nearest parts of the ship to them as well.

"Cogsley!" Miskit yelled, banging on the door to the pilot's cabin like crazy. "The right wing's on fire! We need to get some water to put it out!"

"I'm not steering us into those waves, kid!" the stubborn robot snapped. "The last thing we need is more casualties!"

"There will be a lot more casualties if we don't put out that fire!"

Cogsley shook his head and turned to Dagno, the baby wyvern that had become an ally of theirs ever since the two robots accidentally caused his egg to hatch back in the nest. "Listen, we really need your help here. Fly out and see if you can get some water. Do it fast, or else the whole ship's gonna be covered in flames!"

Dagno smiled, flapped his wings, and flew off the ship. As he disappeared from view, Miskit leapt to his feet and turned to Vigo. "Are there any water barrels we can use?"

"There aren't," replied Vigo, regretfully. "I considered bringing some aboard, but back at the enclave, you said there was no time to waste. I also must admit, I didn't predict the fire."

Miskit groaned, half annoyed and half nervous as he watched the fire continue to spread. Now the entire right wing was engulfed in flames, and so was half of the wing at the back of the ship. He kept his fingers crossed that Dagno would be able to fight the storm's winds and return with some water—fast. Before that weird silhouette approaching them arrived first…wait, was that silhouette an airship of some kind?

"Better be on your toes," warned Cogsley, also seeing the silhouette. "We've got company, and it doesn't look natural."

Vigo rose to his feet. "That's not the airship you said your friends were using, is it?"

"No, it definitely isn't," said Miskit. He squinted. "Actually, I'm not sure whose airship that is."

Cogsley deepened his frown. "It might be the elves. Taking advantage of our fiery situation, are they?"

Miskit was about to reply, when suddenly the silhouette flew downward and curved a little. It took a moment for him to realize that Dagno was in the area it was aiming its wing toward, having collected some water but also having just been swept backward by the strong winds. The ship's pilot was helping him return to the fire so he could put it out!

Vigo smiled. "Looks like there are more people out there who want to help us."

"But who could that be?" Cogsley exclaimed. "Who would just appear out of nowhere and help an old man, a baby wyvern, and a couple of robots they don't even know?"

"Go easy on them, Cogsley," said Miskit. "They're helping us, and that's what's important." He looked at the fire again and gulped. The entire back wing was burning now, and the flames were spreading toward the ship's roof. Dagno wouldn't be able to put it all out himself now. If everyone—along with Vigo's ship—was going to survive, they would have to put a new and more complicated plan into action. Miskit already had a few steps figured out, but first he had to explain them to Cogsley. Whom he already knew would not be happy upon hearing what those steps were.

"Everyone, listen!" Miskit hollered. "Dagno, I need you to put out as much of the fire as you can and buy us some time. Once you're done, I need you to follow me off this ship and onto that one! Vigo, you too. Cogsley, sorry to say this, but you'll have to stay behind and keep steering."

Cogsley glared at his teammate. "Whatever you're planning, chief, why can't Vigo's robot Cecil steer?! He's been with him at least decades longer than us, which means he must have more driving experience than—"

"I've always done the driving myself," said Vigo. "Cecil always waited for me back at the enclave. He's never driven at all."

"Where is Cecil, by the way? You said he went with you when you decided to help us find Cielis, but for some reason, I still haven't seen—"

"COGSLEY!" Miskit yelled. "DO YOU WANT THAT FIRE TO BE PUT OUT OR NOT?!"

Before the stubborn robot could reply, Dagno finally made it to the roof of the ship and spat out a mouthful of water, which put out the fire affecting the right propeller and wing. They were now black and clearly scorched, but thankfully they were still able to keep the ship going. However, there wasn't enough water in the baby wyvern to put out the rest of the fire, and Miskit knew it was only a matter of seconds before the right wing would be covered in flames again.

"Alright, alright," groaned Cogsley. "I'll stay behind, but the rest of you had better get me a workshop-sized amount of water in return!"

Miskit smiled. "And we will…but it'll only work with the help of that other ship's pilot."

"What?!" Cogsley demanded. "And what do we do if they were only here to help our youngest recruit? You know how those arachnopod rangers up in Gondoa Mountain can be! Helping wildlife, but accusing robots and people of being hunters!"

But Miskit, Vigo, and Dagno had already jumped (or flown, since Dagno had wings) off their ship's balcony and leapt onto the other ship's roof by the time he finished his rant.

And that's it…for now, anyway! What is Tweak's plan, and will she, Miskit, and the others manage to save the ship and find Cielis? Find out in the next upcoming chapter.