Atlas clenched his jaw, his arms straining as the bird carried him higher and higher, the mountain shrinking below. His body twisted and flailed with each beat of the bird's wings, but his hands remained locked on the spear.
At the peak of their ascent, the bird suddenly stopped flapping its massive wings, hovering eerily for a moment before letting out a piercing screech.
Without warning, the monster dove straight down.
WOOOO AAA WOOO AAH!
Atlas clenched his teeth as the sudden drop yanked him downward, the brutal wind slamming into his face. His mouth opened wide as if to scream, but the wind practically shoved the air back down his throat. His vision blurred from the speed, and for a moment, he felt like his stomach was going to rip itself out of his body.
Then, just as suddenly as it started, the bird stopped mid-air, jerking to a halt like a roller coaster reaching its peak.
Atlas's body lurched forward. And that's when it happened.
