After some hesitation, his words and presence convinced them. In pairs, the women climbed onto the wyverns' backs, two to each beast.
The unconscious women, Nolan carried himself. He laid them across the wyvern he had summoned earlier—the same one that had carried him here. Then he climbed on, one woman resting against his left side, another on his right.
Seven wyverns in total rose into the sky, carrying Nolan and the fourteen freed captives. Their wings cut through the air, leaving the broken village far behind.
As the wyverns cut across the sky, the women at first clung to the beasts in terror. But after some time, their fear began to soften. One by one, small smiles appeared on their faces as they realized the wyverns were steady, almost gentle beneath them. Nolan glanced back at them. Seeing their smiles, their beauty seemed even brighter than before. For a moment, he allowed himself a rare sense of relief.
