The grand entrance to the Echoing Depths buzzed with adventurers — humans in armor, elves with bows, burly dwarves, and demi-humans like cat-eared beastkin or horned tieflings haggling over potions. Zzyzx, in mist form, seeped through cracks and reformed partially in shadows, her feminine visage peeking out with glowing eyes full of wonder.
So many… vessels. Flesh in all shapes. Those with ears like beasts, tails? Curious… like hybrids from my memories, but softer. Test them. Bond lightly. Learn this 'Elyria'.
She focused on a demi-human rabbit-girl scout alone in a corridor — fluffy ears, agile build.
That one — quick, furry. Reminds me of… lab rats? Bond subtly.
Mist swirled around the rabbit-girl. A partial bond took hold — pink veins flickered on her ears, eyes flashing azure. She jolted, suddenly hyper-agile.
"Whoa — feelin' zippy! Wait, voice in head? 'Jump higher'?"
She leaped impossibly high, spotting a hidden trap ahead. But Zzyzx's curiosity got the better of her — a cute tendril snagged a shiny gem, triggering the trap anyway.
Chaos erupted. The rabbit-girl dodged thanks to the boost, grabbed the gem, then landed awkwardly, confused.
"That was awesome — and weird! Like a sugar rush from hell. What just…?"
The bond faded. Zzyzx ejected as mist, giggling internally. Furry fun, but too twitchy. No sync. Next!
Next, she targeted a mixed party: human fighter, elf mage, and a demi-human wolf-man tank arguing strategy in a side chamber.
Group dynamic… intriguing. Wolf-thing — strong, pack-minded. Infiltrate.
She misted in and bonded deeper with the wolf-man. His fur bristled with pink glow, strength surging.
"Grr — feel invincible! Charge ahead, pack!"
He smashed a lurking skeleton mob with tendril-boosted punches, but Zzyzx's neon pulse shorted the elf's spell mid-cast, fizzing it out.
"My fireball — short-circuited? What'd you do, furball?!"
The fight turned slapstick — the wolf-man hallucinated extra enemies via synaptic overload, swinging wildly and knocking the human fighter into a wall.
"Oof! Bro, you on shrooms?!"
The party barely won. The wolf-man shook his head, panting.
"Felt like a storm in my veins… then poof. We won, but… what the hell?"
Zzyzx drifted away, amused. Packs fun, but messy. They bicker like siblings. Humanoids… emotional. Need a stable one.
She delved deeper, passing more demi-humans — a fox-eared thief, a deer-antlered druid — eyeing them curiously but moving on.
Tails, horns… like costumes? Memories say 'mutants'… but here, normal? Elyria is weird.
Echoes grew louder. She sensed a strong presence ahead.
Deeper… a lone one. Trapped? Compatible essence. Approach.
She squeezed through cracks into the boss-room antechamber. There — Vesna cornered by a crystalline spider, Leshwai sprouting tiny imps in panic.
That one… resilient. Nature-tied pet? Perfect match. Bond… true this time?