“Are we glad to see you,” Avit signs to Lexi, as the now free captives land on Misfit Island
“A whole sky sailor fight and no one told me,” she pouts steering the Island away from the wreckage. “I had to find out from a misfit call and some sparrows.”
“You didn’t miss it, we’re still in it,” Oc mumbles, ducking under her arms. She searches the grass with her foot then presses a button hidden within it. The island begins to clunk and click and a steering wheel and a platform rise from the ground. She jumps on as it shoot higher into the sky becoming the bird coup.
Lexi tilts her head as if something is speaking to her. “More?” she calls up to Oc before turning to Avit ad signing in distress. “There are more of them? What kinda games is that?”
“That’s what Piper said?” Avit signs back with a shrug.
“Piper’s here?”
“Was.”
“Ahh.” Lexi nods knowingly. “That explains it.”
“I’m taking the island down a few elevations, if we’re lucky maybe we’ll lose them,” Oc yells down as they descend into the fog. Small water droplets form on the misfits’ skin and the air around the island becomes warm and humid. Oc watches the sky with her mechanical eye. “They’re not retreating.” she yells worriedly, pulling on a couple more levers and turning the island.
“I’ve got a plan,” Lexi shouts up, then turning to Avit, “how fast are you feeling today?”she signs.
“Eh, a little sluggish. I just got kidnapped, you know,” Avit replies, stretching her shoulders.
“Like you might lose a race?” Lexi goads.
The fastest flyer smirks. “Hmm, I didn’t say that.”
Lexi grins, then heads towards the edge of the island, leaping into a glide just above the water surface. She cups her hands around her mouth and spits a whistle downward into the ocean.
The aero-ships appear closer and closer, while Lexi whistles into the water, flying faster and faster, searching for something just below the water’s surface.
Then suddenly she stops.
The water goes still, then begins to rumble. Lexi barrels back towards the island, and tags Avit’s shoulder, who, without a second thought, takes off into the sky.
And as she flies a loud tunnel of water, gushes into the air after her. Then another, then another, the columns of water rising higher and higher then coiling into long snakes that fly like waves through the clouds.
They barrel through the line of aero-ships causing ruckus and mayhem as they chase after Avit.
“Speaking of which…“Lexi sighs as our hammocks rustle with the banyan tree leaves at the speed of the returning misfit.
They had just finished growing and weaving the new hammocks into the banyan tree branches, and under the moon and lantern light the silhouette of the giant tree was webbed with the sleeping quarters of new misfits.
“Avit’s back,” Oc mumbles, rolling over in her hammock and attempting to go back to sleep.
But the Island shakes and rattles up and down then to the left and to the right.
Oc scowls and screams into the dark. “Piper, give it a rest.”
A laugh echoes through the trees and it was only then, when the music paused, that the new misfits realize there had been music playing at all.
“That’s not fair!” Avit signs before tackling the Maestro off of the branch she is lounging on.
“What you’re the fastest flyer and I know songs that move islands, call it playing to our strength,” Piper signs back.
“It was supposed to be a race,” Avit signs, indignantly.
“It’s still a race.” Piper shrugs.
Avit sighs then turns to Oc for back-up, “What do you think?”
“I think I’m tired,” she signs back lazily.
The two feuding misfits look at Lexi.
The Linguist pouts her mouth in thought then answers, “well what were the terms?”
“Whoever got back to Misfit Island first was the winner.” Avit responds.
“Then Piper won.” Lexi admits
“What?” Avit objects, “Why?
She shrugs, “I heard it from the Banyan tree’s leaves, they felt her melody on the wind as it ruffled past them.”
“If you already won, what are you moving the island for?” Oc asks from her hammock
“When does anyone ever need a reason for anything?” Myth asks
“Good point.” Oc admits closer to asleep then awake.
Avit scowls, but accepts her defeat as she crawls into her hammock and Piper flies up to the highest branch in the Banyan Tree, the second furthest out after Braves and begins to play a lullaby.