'Oh dear lord…'

I watched the Crystal Hart take its first step back onto the water, the sight of its crystalline hooves touching the liquid surface without breaking the tension was mesmerizing. It was not just an animal; it was a living monument to nature's purest magic.

I knew what I had to do.

I stepped out from the willows, allowing the magical silver of Silas to dissolve instantly back into my forearm. I stood before the majestic creature unarmed, exposed, and vulnerable. The Hart watched me with those large, deep, pure eyes that seemed to hold the entire blue sky.

"Mulllllll."

It lowered its head slightly, not in challenge, but in a silent acknowledgment, almost a question.

I took a deep, steadying breath, my own heart pounding not from fear, but from a profound, overwhelming sense of rightness. It was the same feeling I got when Silas first manifested, when the dungeon core chose me—the feeling of destiny aligning.

"You… you are magnificent," I whispered, my voice sounding shaky even to my own ears. I didn't reach for the taming potion Reddy had given me. It felt like an insult, a cheap trick against a being of such elemental purity.

"I am Cassian, but you can call me Cass. I am going on a long journey, and I need a partner who is fast, enduring, and honest. A partner, not a servant."

I slowly extended my bare hand, my palm facing up. I wasn't offering food or a magical charm; I was offering myself, my truth, my very core of Mana, raw and unguarded.

The Hart remained still, its gaze unblinking. The blue light from its antlers intensified for a moment, not hurting, but scanning me.

I felt the light penetrate my skin, past the hidden rune of my family's noble blood, past the surging power of Silas, right down to the nascent, true form of my Mana core. It was looking for the essence of me.

Then, it moved.

The Crystal Hart took one final, delicate step onto the sandy bank. It stretched its long, graceful neck forward, its cold, rock-hard muzzle approaching my outstretched hand.

The touch was like being submerged in pure, cold spring water… a shock, followed by an immediate, profound clarity.

-Kling!—!

A pulse of pure, cold energy shot from the Hart's muzzle, through my palm, and directly into my Mana core. It wasn't an attack. It was a merger.

I gasped, not in pain, but as if a long-held breath had finally been released.

My Mana core, which always felt like a contained, silver vortex, suddenly pulsed with a new, secondary rhythm: a slow, deep, earthen pulse overlaid with the sound of rushing water.

The world tilted slightly. I could suddenly feel the solidity of the earth beneath my boots, the slow, nourishing pull of the lake, and the crystalline structure of Hart's body as if it were my own limb.

The feeling was similar to the way Aria sometimes spoke of her bond with Qwy, a divine oneness, but this was grounded.

This was a contract carved in the primal Mana of earth and water.

The Hart lowered its head further, nudging my palm gently. The blue light from its antlers now formed a faint, ethereal blue collar around my wrist.

The connection was undeniable, a vibrant, living tether of elemental power.

"You… you chose me?" I asked, a genuine, unburdened smile finally breaking through the nervousness.

"Mullllll," it replied, the sound now carrying a soft, resonant echo, which, to my attuned senses, translated clearly as affirmation.

"Thank you," I whispered, scratching the rough, crystalline surface of its neck—a gesture that felt completely natural now. "You need a name. Since you're made of crystal, and you were waiting for me by the lake… how about Azure?"

The Hart, Azure, lifted its head and let out a soft, powerful call that echoed across the water, a sound of agreement and joy.

"Mulllll! Mulll!"

I was happy. Truly, deeply happy. I had not taken a tool; I had gained a partner.

-Swiiiiiiiish.

Azure and I made our way back to Haimdel. Walking beside me, the Crystal Hart was a beacon of quiet majesty.

I didn't dare ride it yet, the bond was too new, too sacred to immediately use it for labor.

As we walked, the Granite Boars and Shadow-Blink Dogs, which had been so aggressive before, kept their distance, scattering at the sight of the elemental monarch.

Azure's presence naturally calmed the chaotic Mana, making the return journey serene and uncontested.

We arrived back in the bustling, noisy center of Haimdel just as the sun was dipping below the rooftops, casting long, fiery shadows.

The sight of the massive, crystalline deer-like creature caused an immediate stir. Loggers dropped their axes, merchants paused their haggling, and a few adventurous children pointed and gasped.

I ignored them all, focused only on finding the inn where we had agreed to meet.

I found Aria, Vice, and Reddy already standing outside the entrance of the main tavern, a small crowd nervously giving them a wide berth.

Aria was sitting atop a massive, wet, mud-colored beast with curved tusks.

The creature was twice the size of a warhorse, looking utterly docile and slightly drowsy, with Qwy zipping happily around its massive head.

A River Lord Bull.

My jaw dropped. That was a notoriously aggressive swamp boss! And Aria had it completely subdued, treating it like a lazy pony.

"A River Lord Bull?" I blurted out, momentarily forgetting my own magnificent partner.

Aria looked up, then broke into a wide, triumphant grin. "Cass! You're back! And look at your…" Her voice trailed off as her eyes landed on Azure.

Her smile didn't fade; it just transformed into an expression of genuine, astonished appreciation. "Oh. Oh, wow."

The River Lord Bull, under the effect of the taming potion, let out a deep, rumbling 'Moooo' of surprise.

Reddy, who was meticulously strapping a massive wooden pack onto the Bull's saddle, Vice must have created it, looked up, her professional composure momentarily shattered.

"Is that… a Crystal Hart?" she whispered, abandoning her work to stare at Azure, her hands instinctively reaching for a hidden potion vial.

"Cass, where did you find a high Elemental Beast, and how did you not get vaporized?"

Vice, leaning against the tavern wall with an infuriatingly knowing smirk, merely pushed off and walked toward Azure, completely unconcerned by the elemental power radiating from the creature.

He didn't touch it, but simply stood beside it, inspecting my partner with the eye of a connoisseur.

"A Crystal Hart," Vice murmured, a note of quiet approval in his voice. "A creature of pure Earth and Water Mana.

An embodiment of resilience and speed. They are said to choose their rider, not be chosen. Well done, Cass."

My chest swelled with pride. "We just… connected," I explained, feeling a little foolishly proud. "He's Azure. He's incredibly fast, Vice. And he doesn't seem to get tired. He walks on water!"

"Mine's strong and durable. Perfect for pulling a heavy carriage through the swampy parts of the forest," Aria countered, affectionately patting the side of her River Lord Bull. "He's Lord Moomoo."

Vice coughed, and even Reddy had to turn her head to hide a smile.

"Lord Moomoo?" I asked, utterly bewildered.

"It suits him! Qwy loves him!" Aria defended, motioning to the contented eyeball floating near the bull's massive head.

"And what about you, Vice? Reddy?" I asked, curious about their choices.

Reddy sighed, folding her arms. "I found the Great Earth Hippo, but it was already entangled in a territorial dispute with a Stone Elemental colony. Too much effort to untangle and subdue for a one-time mount. I returned empty-handed, but with plenty of high-grade herbs."

Vice simply shrugged, a subtle, ethereal light shimmering in his silver hair. "I met the Shadow Beast. I gave him an orange. He declined to follow me. It was too efficient a creature for brute travel. I have returned with the knowledge of where to find the best water and the safest crossings in the Western Hunting Ground."

I looked at the massive, lumbering Lord Moomoo, and then at the shimmering, elegant Azure.

"So… you two came back with the best mounts," Vice said, a genuine smile replacing his usual wry one.

"A creature of sheer, stubborn force, and a creature of elegant, unmatched speed. It seems we will be able to travel efficiently after all."

Aria slid off Lord Moomoo, her expression serious again. "We have two mounts, two strong companions. We need one more.

Cass, your Azure is too precious to put on heavy hauling duty. Moomoo can handle the carriage, but who will ride with Reddy and Vice?"

I looked at Azure, who returned my gaze with calm certainty. I knew who was missing.

"I'll ask Vice to ride with me, but I have a feeling we don't need to worry about the rest of the party," I said, remembering the elf's strange power over the forest.

"I only need to ask one more question, Aria," Reddy interjected, her eyes sharp as she looked at the River Lord Bull.

"Lord Moomoo can pull the weight, but we still need a beast that is fast, obedient, and can keep up with a Crystal Hart without needing constant taming potions. One last creature for stability."

"I agree," Aria said, looking between our two magnificent, very different mounts. "We need a bridge between the sheer brute strength of Moomoo and the elemental speed of Azure."

A new challenge, I thought. But with a powerful, beautiful elemental at my side, and an anarchic architect leading the way, I had no doubt we would succeed. The adventure was truly beginning.

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