Corva tilts her head back to check their course. Her hands—all four of them—ache from gripping for so long. Just a little bit closer.

She’s planning on jumping as soon as they get close enough to the ground. That said, she’s not quite sure what to do from there. First priority is getting to terra firma. Then she can’t let Thegn take her skyward like this again; he’d find a way to block this glider setup she’d lucked into. The problem, though, is that she just doesn’t have the tools to keep him from escaping to the sky.

And then there’s the Umbrati to consider. There’s just too many for her to take on by herself. Also, whatever they’ve got in that mesh cage can’t be good for anyone. It’s definitely gotten Thegn’s attention. Ever since they brought it out, he’s been trying to angle away.

She feels a tug on her hair and a paw at her shoulder. It’s almost time to jump free.

Corva nods in reply and squeezes tighter on Thegn’s wings. Then she pushes with her feet and jerks herself backward with as much strength as she can, stealing control of their descent. They’re angled for a rooftop in Lower Bule, not far from where Thegn initially grabbed her. There’s still a fair amount of altitude between that rooftop and where they’re gliding, but she thinks back to her newly overridden memories of training with Zeke. I can make it.

Now, Corva! Now!

She pulls in as close to Thegn as she can—only marginally closer than she can bear. Releasing his throat, she bends her arm to land an elbow solidly on his cheek. The moment he lets go of her wrist, she lets go of his wings and his arm, then kicks off his chest as hard as she can.

Descending quickly, she twists in the air so she’s facing the ground more comfortably.

If you’re planning on rolling when you hit that roof, please remember that you’ve got a passenger back here … and a bag full of who-knows-what.

Corva shakes her head slowly. Zeke, Zeke, Zeke. All this time we’ve been together and you still don’t trust me. Using her upper arms, she reaches back and pulls the little monkey off the back of her head and cradles him close to her chest.

Spreading out her lower arms, she gets just enough air resistance to swing her legs beneath her. An instant later, her feet make contact with the rooftop. Cracks spider out as the stone and concrete surface buckles from her impact. Her knees bend and her lower arms slap the rough, sandy slab. More cracks. The rooftop feels less like a solid chunk of rock and more like individual pieces of a puzzle sliding apart from one another.

“Damn shoddy—”

The rooftop gives way below Corva’s feet. As she falls, a cloud of dust blots out the sky above her and Zeke.