After accomplishing the mission, the hero must return to the threshold of adventure and prepare for a return to the everyday world. If the hero has angered the opposing forces by stealing the elixir or killing a powerful monster, the return may take the form of a hasty flight. If the hero has been given the elixir freely, the flight may be a benign stage of the journey.

• The remains of Sumanguru's army retreat to Sosso. Sumanguru marches on the great city, and although the defenses are formidable, he lays siege to the city and breaches the wall within a day. Sunjata orders his troops to take all the inhabitants prisoner and destroy the city completely. 

• In this myth, we find the hero's final flight to be a literal one! Yamato Takeru turns into a great white bird, thereby avoiding normal death. Yamato Takeru's final wish, to soar into the sky, comes true.  

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