The Pilot and The Griffin

A struggle for control at 42,000 feet.

The pilot made a sharp left turn when he first saw the griffin. He quickly checked his coordinates to ensure that everything was okay. However, the griffin appeared on top of his cabin, grabbing the front shield and staring at him with blood-red eyes. At first, he thought it could’ve been an enormous eagle but dismissed that notion since it would’ve been impossible at that altitude.

Despite being trained for unexpected situations, a fear closer to panic began to creep in.

In a typical reaction, the pilot leaned back and executed the manual, radioing Mayday for help. Unfortunately, all his instruments malfunctioned, flashing red and emitting a constant alert sound. He recalled stories from the Bermuda Triangle and the Devil’s Sea, but this situation became too real.

Sweating profusely, he prayed it was just a dream, but the griffin confirmed its presence by directing him to a new destination. Its wing motions indicated that he should turn right and maintain the course. As he followed the instructions, his instruments returned to normal. The pilot realized he was being hijacked by a mythological creature, leaving him with no control over the situation.

Feeling helpless, he opened his cabin compartment and looked at a picture of his loved ones, wondering if he would ever see them again. Suddenly, two F-35s appeared, providing him with a sense of relief.

However, communication was scrambled, and he couldn’t understand anything being said due to constant interruptions. Nevertheless, he was grateful for the company.

Photo by John Torcasio on Unsplash

The griffin seemed unfazed by the presence of the fighter jets. Its eyes scanned the sky, paying no attention to the additional aircraft. When it looked back at the pilot, its intense gaze and wing gesture indicated that he was doing fine. Still clinging to the cabin, the griffin guided them to a landing.

Checking the plane’s computer screen, the pilot realized they were in Iraq, specifically an abandoned air base in the middle of the desert. They were instructed to land there, and with limited options, they complied. The landing of the F-35s was successful, but the griffin remained perched on top of the F-16.

It didn’t take long for the reason behind their unexpected landing to be revealed. The screens on all three planes displayed the same document — an MIT research paper detailing an ancient location where 35 griffins were buried in a sandstorm in 327 BCE.

However, due to military funding cuts, the precise location remained unknown.

Photo by Jordan Steranka on Unsplash

The griffin had guided them to this site with utmost accuracy, intending to allow these mythological creatures to see the light of day again after being buried in the sand for over two thousand years.

Seeing its mission accomplished, the griffin disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, leaving the rest up to humanity.

Immediately, all the instruments returned to normal and stayed that way.

The pilot quickly searched for the closest landing strip without a second thought.

The F35s on their frequencies congratulated him for a job well done and for surviving the ordeal, but one of the pilots said the most peculiar thing as he was ready to disengage.

He spoke of similar instances where griffins took over their instrumentalization, and they could no longer control their planes. Without exception, it was always for historical purposes.

These griffins knew precisely what they wanted the humans to find.

He was astounded by such revelation and tried to keep the pilot on his channel, but he said he wasn’t authorized to disclose any more than what he had already revealed.

And just like that, he bid him farewell and broke contact.

He now had more questions than ever, and his brain couldn’t comprehend what happened, including the other pilot’s last revelation.

Confused, he was determined to see his children again, so he took a deep breath and concentrated on the strip for landing. It wasn’t easy, as the war had left them all in shambles. He had to find one without too much damage and a proper length.

Making excellent use of his training, he navigated in a wide circle for a few miles, and with the help of radio communications and Iraqi radar, he managed to touch down without complication.

As soon as he could open his cabin safely, he climbed down the steel steps to the ground below. He couldn’t remember the last time he was that happy to be on land once again, safe and sound.

Upon his return, he knew he had a fabulous story for his children and grandchildren for generations to come.

The trouble was convincing them that this had happened as he could hardly believe it himself.

It was the first time he ever met face to face with a living monster, and even more incredible, a mythological creature with blood-red eyes that told him where to take his plane.

But he knew he needed to have a drink first.