Vik's wings felt like lead. Exhaustion weighed him down after everything that had happened. He stretched them as far as he could, scanning the ground for a safe place to land—somewhere open, somewhere soft.

  Then he spotted it: the sandy beach between the village and the sea.

  Tilting slightly left, then right, he pitched himself upward to slow down, careful not to stall.

  "Terry, can you sit up straight? It'll help me slow down," he said with a strained voice.

  "Okay!" she replied, straightening herself.

  Vik felt the difference immediately—his body was back under control. His descent steadied. It felt like a sail removed with Terry no longer sitting upright. He carefully adjusted his wings to steer clear of the trees lining the shore. As he neared the ground, he extended his front legs and swept his rear ones forward, bracing for a hard landing.

  With a loud poof, he hit the beach, sending a cloud of sand and dust billowing into the air. He skidded for several yards before finally coming to a stop. Wings sagging into the sand, he rested his head, utterly exhausted.

  Terry jumped off Vik's back, rushing to kneel by his head. "Vik! Vik! Are you okay? Please, say something!"

  She unscrewed her water bottle and held it under his beak. Weakly, Vik lapped at the water, then drank more steadily. Terry gently patted his side and removed his helmet.

  "I am unharmed," Vik murmured, his voice low but steady. "Merely... spent. I have given all I have. I scarcely know how I shall manage the flight back."

  "Just hang in there, Vik. I've got you. We'll get you home in the helicopter."

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  "Is there enough room for me?" he asked, one eye barely open.

  "Don't worry, we'll make room, no matter what—we're not leaving you behind," Terry assured him.

  Vik gave a slight nod, one of his eyes scanning the area. "And what of Euryale and the boy? Did they reach safety?"

  Terry followed his gaze and spotted a winged figure near a cluster of huts, a small child at her side. She nodded in their direction. "Yeah, that's them."

  The boy edged closer to Vik's massive form, each step hesitant. He kept his hands tucked behind his back, as if afraid to let them stray too close. Slowly, he circled partway around the griffin, his wide eyes taking in the creature from a safe distance.

  "It's okay," Terry whispered. "He won't bite. He likes to be petted like this." She stroked Vik's side to show him.

  The boy hesitated, then slowly reached out and mimicked her motion.

  Vik turned to face him, in a birdlike fashion—one eye toward him, his voice softening with noble weariness. "Are you unharmed, little one?"

  The boy flinched. "You... you can talk?"

  "Yes," Vik replied with a faint smile, shifting an eye to the small AI translator clipped beneath his jaw. "This device grants me voice. Tell me—how do you fare?"

  "I'm all right... thanks to you." The boy hesitated, then looked up pleadingly. "You all seem really strong. Can you help rescue my mother and the others? The harpies took them earlier today. Please!"

  The team exchanged uncertain glances. Apparently, the boy wasn't the only one they carried off.

  "Do you think they're still alive?" Euryale asked, voice heavy with concern.

  "I cannot say," Vik admitted. "I would wish it were so—but hope alone is a fragile thing. We will not know the truth until we see it with our own eyes."

  "Did the harpies take anyone else?" Terry asked, looking to the child.

  "Yes—some of our neighbors, other villagers," the boy replied, thinking. "I don't know the exact number... eight, maybe ten."

  Vik's expression darkened. Even in prime condition, those odds would be daunting.

  Terry's shoulders sagged. "Vik can barely stand, let alone fly. And I'm not about to take on a whole gang of harpies after what just happened."

  "Yes, you can!" the boy cut in. "You're a goddess! Or at least a demigoddess, right?"

  Terry chuckled as she shook her head. "No, not even close. And even if I were, I don't know if I could handle that many at once." She sighed. "But when Jim gets here, we can ask him about mounting a rescue."

  "Please," the boy begged, eyes wide. "You have to convince him. You must!"