Soon, Angel had an answer.
The battle between the Sand Hawk and the unknown wind elemental creature ended with the victory of the Sand Hawk. When the Sand Hawk triumphantly trapped its opponent in a sand cage, Angel finally saw the true form of the opponent.
It was a small blue whirlwind in the shape of an inverted triangle, about the length of an adult’s forearm.
At a glance, it was clear that this was not a mature wind elemental creature.
This was a wind elemental spirit still in its sprite stage.
At this moment, the wind spirit’s eyes were in the shape of mosquito coils, evidently in a state of fainting, which allowed it to be captured by the sand cage.
"So it’s a little elf." The Sand Hawk also noticed its opponent in the cage, its tone slightly peculiar.
Having recently gained a deep understanding of the ecology of elemental creatures, Angel could also understand the peculiar tone in Sand Hawk’s voice.
Previously, the Sand Hawk must have thought that the wind elemental creature intruding on the Baya Desert was provoking it, perhaps even a spy, as it had initially mistaken Angel and Dangross for such.
But upon seeing the opponent was a little elf, the Sand Hawk understood it was definitely a misunderstanding.
Perhaps elemental creatures from different regions oppose each other, but irrespective of the type, they are very protective of elemental sprites as they represent hope.
The Sage’s care for the little elf earlier is further evidence of this.
In this context, no elemental creature from any region would send a sprite to provoke, much less as a spy. After all, ninety percent of the little elves are naïve and ignorant, thus sending such spies to rivals equates to giving gifts for free.
Even little elves with Spirit Intelligence like Dangross, their minds aren’t fully developed, seen as children by mature elemental creatures.
Therefore, seeing itself in a battle with an "ignorant child," the Sand Hawk naturally felt embarrassed.
Moreover, it’s normal that this "child" doesn’t know the no-flying rule of the Baya Desert. After all, that’s an adult matter.
While the Sand Hawk was examining the little elf in the sand cage, Angel also flew over on the Gondola.
"Why did this wind sprite break into the Baya Desert?" Angel curiously asked. Normally, elemental sprites’ nature leads them to gravitate toward comfort zones. For wind spirits, that would be the core of White Cloud Village. The Baya Desert is filled with strong earth energy, making it unlikely for a wind spirit to intrude.
The Sand Hawk shook its head: "I don’t know. Maybe it ran away from home?"
The chance of an accidental intrusion is low; even if a wind spirit were lost, it wouldn’t wander into the territory of other elemental creatures.
The Sand Hawk also knew that the Monarch of White Cloud Village, unlike the Gust Prince from Storm Ridge, is extremely gentle in the wind creature community and could never drive away a sprite-period child.
Therefore, this wind spirit entered the Baya Desert by its choice.
Having a subjective intention yet choosing to leave White Cloud Village for the Baya Desert is quite illogical.
In the Sand Hawk’s view, this is probably a child running away from home in a fit of pique. After all, a child’s temperament fluctuates more than an adult’s.
Looking at the fainted little creature in the sand cage, Angel couldn’t help but feel that its eyes were slightly wet, perhaps just an illusion.
Angel: "Without discussing why it came to the Baya Desert, what do you plan to do with it?"
The Sand Hawk was also troubled by this question.
Ultimately, it’s a little elf, weak in combat, immature thoughts, likely a runaway, and it surely didn’t know the layers of rules set by the Sandstorm Lord. Charging it with a series of crimes seemed too much, even to the Sand Hawk.
But it did commit an offense, and letting it go lightly might seem overly lenient. If word got out, it would undermine the Sandstorm Lord’s prestige.
In such conflicted emotions, the Sand Hawk was also unsure of how to handle it.
"How about this, sir? Please watch over it while I consult with The Sage."
With Angel’s approval, the Sand Hawk temporarily placed the sand cage on the Gondola and then made a nosedive, plunging into the ground from the sky dome above.
While the Sand Hawk sought advice from The Sage, Dangross hopped onto the table, circling the sand-formed cage to get a clear view of the little elf inside.
The more he looked, the brighter Dangross’s eyes became.
When Angel wasn’t paying attention, Dangross stealthily inserted a finger into the cage, but before he could do anything, he let out an "ouch" and jumped back.
Angel turned to see Dangross curling his index finger, hopping around the table.
Upon closer inspection, Angel saw remnants of yellow sand on Dangross’s finger, eroding its "skin". Observing the flow of sand within the cage, Angel roughly guessed the cause.
Dangross must have foolishly touched the sand cage.
Dangross was, after all, under his care, and seeing him in pain, Angel couldn’t ignore it.
He reached out, picked up Dangross, and amidst its teary eyes, checked its index finger carefully.
The remaining sand seemed to have an elemental absorption ability, constantly devouring Dangross’s flames.
The absorption ability of the sand likely had a limit and would saturate shortly. However, by the time it did, Dangross’s index finger would likely be significantly damaged.
Although Angel wanted Dangross to learn a lesson, he sighed, remembering Mr. Magu’s entrustment. He grumbled at Dangross for causing its misfortune and lightly tapped the table, producing an almost invisible ripple that slowly spread.
As the ripple passed over Dangross’s finger, the sand suddenly shook and fell off.
Angel used vibrational frequency to shake off the sand.
"Next time you act recklessly, you’ll face the consequences yourself." After rescuing Dangross’s finger, Angel sternly reprimanded.
Dangross pouted and murmured a complaint: "I just wanted to try and see if I could make it my follower..." If he could recruit a non-fire elemental follower, he’d surely have a grand return to the land of fire.
Angel hadn’t anticipated Dangross’s craving to "recruit followers" driving its actions and couldn’t resist scolding: "You only take advantage of others’ difficulties. Instead of using sneaky methods, focus on improving yourself. If you truly want followers, use strength to win them over. Just like this—"
As Angel spoke, he summoned a Hand of Magic to firmly press Dangross onto the table.
Dangross struggled briefly before giving up. He knew Angel wouldn’t harm him, plus Angel had just saved him, so enduring a few nagging words was no big deal... And what Angel said seemed to make sense.