The road south narrowed into a chalk-white vein between cracked mesas. Heat shimmered above the clay and a dry wind hissed across salt-scabbed rocks. Kaiden lifted two fingers to his lips and whistled.

  A surge of green blurred from the scrubland. The Verdant Raptor skidded to a stop in front of him, moss-coated talons crunching stone, amber eyes flashing. Fern fronds along its spine rustled like eager pennants.

  Naō’s Bloomback Capyra loped up behind, horns crowned in pink blossoms. Vines dangling from its flanks twined into a living harness that tightened as it knelt.

  Kaiden vaulted onto the Raptor’s saddle-ridge. A UI overlay blinked:

  [Mount: Verdant Raptor]

  Speed ▲ | Heat Resistance ▲ | Stealth ▼

  Naō swung astride the Capyra.

  [Mount: Bloomback Capyra]

  Cargo ▲ | Stamina ▲ | Burst Speed ▼

  “Trail marker says forty-five klicks to Reedlight Crossing,” Naō called, shading his visor.

  Kaiden tapped the reins. “Then let’s burn daylight.”

  They made good time at first, Raptor claws kicking dust, Capyra hooves beating a steady rhythm. System tooltips flared whenever micro-rifts vented spore steam. The mounts’ natural resistances spared them early Corruption stacks.

  Urn-shaped cacti dotted the flats. One split open as they passed, spewing white brine and two Saltspine Scavengers—six-legged lizards with crystalline shells.

  [Enemy: Saltspine Scavenger — Lv. 10]

  Kaiden’s Raptor pivoted on instinct. He sliced downward:

  [Quick Slash — 72 Damage]

  The creature shrieked, shattering into salt shards. A second lunged for Naō. The Capyra reared, smashing horn-first.

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  [Bloomback Headbutt — 58 Damage | Dazed]

  Naō lobbed a vial into the Scavenger’s exposed mouth. Green mist billowed.

  [Corrosive Draught — DOT 8/sec]

  Seconds later, only evaporating salt pools remained.

  [EXP gained]

  Naō wiped sweat from his brow. “Love these mounts.”

  Afternoon storms brewed at the Salt Wastes’ edge, blinding walls of dust. Visibility dropped to meters. System alert:

  [Hazard: Salt-Blight Wind – Accrues Fatigue (-1 AGI per minute)]

  The Raptor screeched as three Rootbound Serpents erupted from beneath the cracked crust, drawn by vibration.

  Kaiden activated water scythe coursed along the blade, hissing into steam as it met the baking air. He carved through the lead serpent:

  [Critical – 140 Damage]

  A second serpent lunged—Naō’s Capyra leapt sideways, vines snapping like whips to entangle its jaws.

  [Bloomback Vine Snare – Rooted 3 s]

  Naō hurled a fresh concoction: Mistbreaker Draught II. The blast cleared fatigue debuff and stunned the serpent.

  Together they finished the reptiles, earning modest loot: Rattled Scales and Salt-Slick Venom.

  [Naō Craft XP gained]

  The wind died as suddenly as it rose. Reed-lined wetlands shimmered on the horizon, the boundary of Reedlight Crossing.

  Dusk at Reedlight Crossing

  A ramshackle way-station stood among towering reeds, its windows aglow. Kaiden and Naō unsaddled their mounts beneath a fungal-lit awning. A bulletin board flapped with parchment quests most crossed out or sun-bleached.

  One fresh board notice caught Kaiden’s eye:

  Seeking Crew for Southbound Barge – Hiring at Port Thalos Harbor

  Kaiden met Naō’s gaze. “That’s our man.”

  Naō smirked. “And a free ride across shark-fungus waters? Score.”

  As night noises rose from the marsh—croaking reed-crabs and distant thunder—they bedded mounts in the stable and headed for the lantern-lit inn. Tomorrow, they’d cross the last stretch of waste and follow Crow’s ghost to Port Thalos.

  Kaiden touched the Photosphere through his cloak. The hum felt stronger like distant waves battering a shore.