"...Then again, it's an awfully long walk."

"Piggyback or bridal carry?"

"...Piggyback." More dignified of the two options.

She lets him grab onto her back.

And Gren works out the same arrangement with Zeke, and they head back down to Red Lions.

"...You have turned back?"

"Just till the morning."

"Ah, I see. It's certainly much more comfortable to sleep in my hull than the high, cold stone of the tower."

"You are very cozy."

He gives a roaring laugh. "If only my hull were a bit larger! I expected to be the escort of one Hero."

"Eh, we're little. More like one and a half Heroes."

"Maybe one and three quarters. Adults aren't that much bigger. Anyway, let's sleep."

The cats snuggle up to their preferred humans.

And in the morning, bright and early, Gren organizes breakfast and a return up the tower!

The vampires are doing their excited hissing thing.

"That's still a bit off-putting, you know."

"Evil trembles at our throat noises!"

"If you say so."

"I might want to stay here a while after we get to the top. All sorts of interesting magic left to poke."

"Shame you can't dissect monsters."

"I can probably feel them with magical sensing stuff. But monsters are kind of boring?"

"So are frogs, and people study those."

"Guess I'll try it." He shrugs.

He giggles. They climb.

Gren solves the final puzzle easily, but takes a break to marvel at the great view. And take notes on the islands she can see on their charts.