A sniveling Little Whirlwind was truly a rare sight. After relaying the Wise One's words to Angel, Sand Eagle lingered to watch Little Whirlwind for a while, then flew back to the front of the Gondola with a series of clicking sounds, guiding them through the final stretch.
Ten minutes later, the desertification of the land had completely vanished. Though the ground was still dry and cracked, the water elements in the air were gradually growing denser. Greenwild Plains should be ahead.
Sand Eagle circled through the sky and let out several loud cries. A faint rumbling tremor rose from the earth.
Looking down from the Gondola, Angel could see at least a hundred impassive faces emerging across the vast land. The largest of them spanned dozens of meters.
Without a doubt, they were all earth-element creatures.
Angel guessed they might be the final line of defense along Toothpull Desert's border.
Sand Eagle called out several more times to the faces below. With another round of rumbling, every face sank beneath the ground, and the land returned to calm.
Sand Eagle also flew back onto the Gondola at that point.
"I've had the border sentries memorize your aura, sir. The next time you come, they won't make things difficult for you. However, if you still intend to travel by air then, you'll need to find an escort to fly alongside you." After a pause, Sand Eagle continued, "A hundred miles ahead lies Greenwild Plains. This is as far as I'll take you."
Sand Eagle did not linger. The moment it finished speaking, its body burst apart and turned into a cloud of flying sand. A gust of wind swept through, and it vanished without a trace.
Angel cast a Cleansing Spell to sweep the grains of sand from the Gondola,