Rhys exhaled softly and loosened the strap of his pack. "Alright," he murmured, "come on out, everyone."
The air shimmered faintly as his tamed beasts responded to the call.
Puddle emerged first — not as a mass of rippling light, but as a little girl formed from it. Her body coalesced from translucent blue mana, the glow within her shifting like moonlit water. Strands of liquid silver framed her face, and when she blinked, her eyes shimmered softly — deep pools of white and gold.
"Puddle," Rhys greeted with a smile.
She beamed up at him, her voice light and echoing faintly, like the sound of water rippling over glass. "Master~!" Then she hopped down, bare feet touching the surface of the pool without sinking. Every step sent glowing rings outward, the water reacting to her presence as if welcoming its kin.
