“Cromus, wake up. It's time you take over the watch.” Sais was saying and nudging his shoulder.

  Cromus opened his eyes and sat up with a yawn. “My watch?” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

  “Yeah, you passed out, so I took the first watch. Now it's your turn.” He was standing with Henry on his shoulder.

  “Oh, sorry. The grass was just really comfy.” Cromus replied. “You go ahead, in the cave if you want. I'll stay out here and keep watch. Try to get some good sleep.”

  “Thanks, Henry doesn’t need sleep. I know you won’t be able to chat with him, but he can keep an eye out with you.” Sais paused as though waiting for something. At first, Henry seemed resistant, but after a few moments of silence, Cromus got the sense that Sais and Henry were communicating mentally. Henry's mood shifted from that of a loud, mischievous child to someone more subdued—perhaps scolded, Cromus thought.

  “If you want,” Cromus added, “only if Henry wants too.”

  Another silence followed, then Sais spoke again. “He’s willing to keep watch with you.”

  Cromus couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more behind Henry’s agreement–something like, ‘I don’t like it, but for you, master, I’ll watch over him.’

  “Hey, what's that look for?” Sais asked

  Cromus quickly snapped out of it. “Oh! Nothing. Just thinking about a dream I had. Don’t worry about it. Go rest. I’ll wake you in six hours or so.”

  Sais nodded, then Henry flew to a nearby branch by the cave entrance and Sais disappeared into the bushes covering the cave.

  A couple of hours passed, and Cromus found himself overthinking. He felt a bit guilty for what he’d said earlier—though it was justified in a way. Different cultures, different perspectives..

  “Hey,” he said, looking up at Henry, who was still perched on the branch. “I know you can’t reply, but I know you can understand me.”

  Henry’s large eyes met his, and Cromus continued, turning his gaze back to the fire. “You’re Sais’s familiar now. I’m his friend. We’re going to be around each other a lot. So... I’m sorry about the threat I made earlier. But I’m not Sais’s servant, underling, or anything like that. He and I go way back. When you said... or when you communicated that I was less than a friend, it put me on the defensive. I shouldn’t have reacted like that, but I did. I’ll try to do better.”

  Henry gave a soft hoot, then flapped his wings. A weight landed on Cromus’s left shoulder. He glanced over to see Henry had perched there, his eyes closing in what could only be interpreted as a bow.

  “Apology accepted!” Cromus said, smiling.

  Henry hooted once in confirmation.

  “Good. We’re on better footing now,” Cromus said, feeling a little more at ease.

  Henry paused, glancing down at his feet. Cromus chuckled softly. “No, no. It’s a figure of speech. Where I come from, it means things are better between us. Like walking on smooth pavement instead of rocky ground. It’s a good thing.”

  Henry responded with a soft hoot, almost like an acknowledgment.

  “Cool. I think I understand your body language now. These next hours can go by quietly. I like the sound of the forest, but... how about I try to ask you yes or no questions? Hoot once for no, twice for yes. Sound good?”

  Henry hooted twice.

  “Is this your first time in this world?” Cromus asked.

  Henry paused, staring at him.

  “Not sure?” Cromus guessed, then received two hoots.

  “Alright, we’ll find out when we visit a big city and get maps.”

  “Is your home filled with others like you? Creatures of high intelligence?” Two hoots.

  “The defender that Sais summons—was it an intelligent being?” One hoot.

  “Good to know,” Cromus muttered, relieved. “Do you reproduce like a mammal?” One hoot.

  “Is it more like an assembly line where one entity creates all the clockworks and decides their purpose?” Two hoots.

  “Is it one giant clockwork that creates the others?” Two hoots. Henry flew down to the earth, tapping his right foot twice on the ground.

  “Is it a deity?” One hoot.

  “A large clockwork being that creates all others?” Two hoots.

  “The world itself?” Two hoots.

  “Your entire world is a clockwork being?” Two hoots.

  “Once created, does it have control over you? Can it summon you back, or make you do things you don’t want to?” One hoot.

  “Good to know,” Cromus said, feeling more at ease. “Do you know who Gaia is?” Two hoots.

  “Do you feel any connection to her, even though you’re a clockwork owl?” One hoot.

  “Can you see in the dark?” Two hoots.

  “Do you level up with Sais?” Two hoots.

  “Will you evolve or change as you level?” Henry hesitated, blinking as if searching for the right words, but then gave two hoots.

  “Another mystery, huh?” Cromus muttered. “Are there clockwork dinosaurs?” Two hoots.

  “Could Sais summon them later, and could they be useful?” Four hoots, yes for both questions.

  His eyes lit up. “A Clockwork T-Rex?” He asked eagerly, practically bouncing in his seat. Henry hooted with excitement.

  “Yes! I want to see one!” Cromus exclaimed. Henry hooted again, as if joining in the excitement.

  Cromus calmed down a bit, looking into the fire. “You know, magic, clockwork creatures, beings from other worlds—these things are normal to you. But where I come from, we dream about this stuff. We write books, make games, movies... it’s all a form of escape. But here I am, living it. I don’t know if I should feel lucky or not. I mean, life back home wasn’t perfect, but I had friends and family. None of them will ever know what happened to me. Same for Sais.” He fell silent, lost in thought.

  “I don’t know how they’re doing, or if they’re even thinking about me. Maybe they’re making jokes about how Sais and I ran off to start a new life together. I want to think they miss me, but part of me hopes they’ve forgotten me. I don’t want them to worry.”

  His gaze drifted to the dwindling campfire, and he wiped a small tear from his cheek. He felt a cool metallic touch below his ear. Henry had leaned against him, making a soft ticking sound. It was oddly soothing, like the ticking of a clock beside a sleeping puppy. Maybe that’s what it was—some kind of comfort.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to get emotional,” Cromus muttered, gently patting Henry on the head. “Just something on my mind, I guess.”

  Henry responded with a soft hoot, as though to say, ‘It’s okay, don’t worry about it.’

  “I guess my stats fit me well,” Cromus said with a weak laugh. “I’m not great with words but decent at body language, I seem to be good at reading others.”

  Henry hooted in agreement, giving Cromus a confidence boost.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  “I can’t believe how different things would’ve been if we had stats like these back home,” Cromus said, chuckling at the thought. “Imagine if we could just read people's character sheets and see what they were really like?”

  Henry tilted his head curiously, and suddenly an alert box popped up in front of Cromus’s eyes.

  Henry wishes to share his character page with you. In return, he will see yours. Do you agree to exchange a look? Yes/No.

  Cromus selected Yes.

  Name: Henry

  Level 1 clockwork owl

  Health: 50/50

  Mana: 120/120

  Stamina: 120/120

  Stats

  Strength: 5

  Dexterity: 12

  Constitution: 5

  Intelligence: 12

  Wisdom: 10

  Charisma: 10

  Race: Clockwork Owl, most are created with a higher intelligence than others of the clockwork variant. Mostly used as scouts, and information gatherer's, and great companions. used as an extension of oneself, as a familiar can be used as a median for certain spells.

  Spells

  Far sight: Gives the user the ability to zoom in on a target that would normally be too far to make out details. Cost ten mana then ten stamina which doubles after every minute as you continue to use the spell.

  Haste: Double the movement and speed of all actions of the target, after five minutes the individual who was the target becomes exhausted.

  Skills

  Identify: A skill that allows the user to Identify a person, creature, or item. level varies how much information one can pull with the skill.

  Magical flight: It is not the flap of the wings, or air around them that causes the user to fly but the manipulation of mana in the air and their own magical abilities that raises them to the skies.

  “So flight for you isn’t like a regular bird, makes sense since you’re made of heavier stuff. Birds have hollow bones and are far more fragile.” Cromus said, reading over Henry’s character sheet.

  Henry didn’t respond immediately. He seemed to be absorbed in studying the sheet for a few more moments before blinking and hooting twice.

  “Wait, does that mean people can learn to fly the same way you do?” Cromus asked, catching the reply of two hoots.

  His eyes widened as a smile spread across his face. He went silent for a moment, lost in thought, until Henry let out a questioning hoot.

  “Oh, sorry. The idea of being able to fly… it’d be the ultimate form of freedom. What better way to express that than by defying gravity?” Cromus laughed softly, as if working through a personal realization. “At least that’s how I interpret it.”

  He looked up at the night sky, imagining himself soaring among the stars. All the things he could now do amazed him. Back home, in his old body, he had always been out of shape. His thoughts trailed off before he shook his head, as if clearing his mind.

  Another hoot, more insistent this time. Henry was waiting for an explanation.

  “I was just daydreaming about the future… the possibilities that are actually within my reach now,” Cromus murmured, more to himself than Henry. “Not like before, when I could only dream about things, see myself doing them, but they always seemed so far out of reach. But this—this is real. I’ve got opportunities. Today, I fought a creature toe-to-toe. I almost died, but I’ve never felt more alive than I did back in my old life.” He paused, then added with a small chuckle, “Am I an adrenaline junkie and just never realized it? Or maybe it’s just that knowing it’ll be harder for me to die now… it’s breaking through the fear barrier.”

  Henry stayed silent, watching him carefully, sensing this was something Cromus had to work through on his own.

  “Nah,” Cromus muttered, shaking his head again, “that’s a rabbit hole I don’t want to fall into. It’s just… exciting, you know? So many possibilities. All I know is that I want freedom. I want to protect the people I care about and experience everything this world has to offer. I don’t know where this path will take me, but I do know one thing—I'm going to make the name Cromus mean something. When people hear it, it’ll mean something. And there will be stories attached to it. Hopefully good ones.” He turned to smile at Henry, but the owl wasn’t looking at him.

  Henry was focused on the tree line, his gaze sharp.

  “What is it, Henry?” Cromus asked, turning his attention to the shadows beyond. But before he could say more, Henry took off, flying silently toward the trees. Cromus rose to his feet, reaching for his scimitar just in case.

  Henry landed on a branch, eyeing the ground. Cromus approached, pushing aside the bushes and finding a large footprint, with three long toes that ended in round, bulbous tips. The print was fresh, and the shape made Cromus think of a giant frog. He crouched down, examining it closely.

  After a few moments, he straightened up. “It’s definitely not a normal frog. And it’s fresh.” He dropped his voice lower. “Let’s move.”

  They began following the tracks, Henry gliding silently from branch to branch above them, while Cromus stayed low, keeping his eyes on the ground. Ten minutes later, the tracks ended. Cromus stopped, scanning the area for any sign of the creature. The silence stretched on. “Did it realize we were following it? If so, it’s more than just a simple frog.”

  Before he could ponder further, a rustling came from behind. Cromus crouched, holding his breath, his muscles tensed, ready to spring into action.

  The rustling slowed and then stopped. A flying ball appeared in his face, hooting loudly.

  “Henry, what the hell?!” Cromus jerked his head back, startled.

  “HOOT HOOT!” Henry responded, not in the least concerned.

  The bushes parted, and Sais stepped through, a grin on his face. “There you two are,” he said casually. “Henry didn’t want you attacking me.”

  Cromus blinked, confused. “How did you find us? And when did you wake up?”

  “Henry,” Sais replied, as though it should have been obvious. “He woke me up by mentally calling out to me. Said there could be trouble and guided me here. He mentioned that whatever it was, it seems to have noticed you two following it.”

  “Yeah, I haven’t been able to find any more tracks,” Cromus said, gesturing at the ground. “But they definitely looked like a larger frog footprint. Follow me, I’ll show you.”

  Sais crouched down beside the print, examining it. “Yeah, it’s definitely a frog’s footprint,” he agreed. “But it looks like whatever it was is gone.”

  Cromus looked around once more, his gaze lingering on the trees and bushes. Something felt off. “Unless you think differently?”

  “No,” Cromus answered after a moment. “The tracks end here. Nothing feels like it's watching us.”

  Sais nodded, though his expression remained thoughtful. “Does that feeling seem a bit stronger here? In this world, I mean?”

  “Yeah,” Cromus admitted. “Everything feels stronger here—more heightened, more real. But it’s not like I’m superhuman yet, at least not in the ways I’d expect.”

  “Could be,” Sais mused. “But whatever that thing was, it’s clearly smarter than the Vulture Bear we dealt with. It knew we were tracking it and got away without leaving a trace. Henry agrees.”

  Henry hooted in confirmation.

  “Definitely a good idea to be more cautious during watches,” Sais continued. “Maybe even try setting some traps around camp so we can’t be snuck up on as easily. They know where we’re at.”

  “They?” Cromus asked, furrowing his brow.

  “Yeah,” Sais replied, his voice dropping. “This isn’t just a creature like the Vulture Bear. These things are smart—enough to scout us, then disappear without us noticing. They’ve got some higher intelligence. And Henry agrees with me.” Henry hooted again, almost as if on cue.

  “Probably a good call,” Cromus said, but then his gut churned. Something wasn’t right. Turning around all he saw was ‘A large pink, Ball?’

  It smashed into his face—wet, sticky, and oddly familiar. It felt like one of those dodgeballs from grade school, the kind that left a lingering rubbery scent that made you gag when you breathed it in too deeply. But this wasn’t just any dodgeball. This one was soaked through, clinging to him with a gross, unnatural wetness.

  As it collided with his face, Cromus felt it splatter across his skin, spreading like syrup, sticky and cold. He tried to shift his weight, to pull his feet under him, but they wouldn’t obey. His legs were useless. The world spun around him as he fell backward, still trapped in the strange, wet grip of whatever this thing was.

  The ball—or whatever it was—pulled away from him, but not without resistance. It clung to his face as if glued there, dragging him along like a puppet on invisible strings. Pain flared across his skin as it tore at his face, pulling away hair from his mustache, right eyebrow, and part of his beard. He winced, feeling a sharp sting as it yanked at his flesh, but his limbs refused to move, frozen in place.

  Then, his body was upright again, but the tongue—or whatever it was—was tearing itself free from his skin, and he felt the last of his control slip away.

  His eyes, though, were still working. He saw it. The ball wasn’t a ball at all. It was a tongue—a long, thick, serpentine tongue—attached to a frog-like creature crouching on a tree seven feet away. Its camouflage was nearly perfect, blending into the shadows of the branches, but Cromus could see the subtle shift in movement, the way the air seemed to tremble around the creature. He stared hard, his vision blurry from the fall, but that was enough. He locked eyes with the creature just before his jaw collided with the ground.

  The impact slammed his teeth together, jarring him, but he couldn’t even scream.

  “Cromus!” Sais shouted, his voice strained, followed by a grunt as another tongue whipped across him with a sickening crack. Then there was a hoot, and the unmistakable sound of metal clattering to the earth.

  Cromus’ body was paralyzed, frozen from the neck down. His mind screamed, but it was trapped inside a useless shell. All he could do was breathe and listen.

  One, two, three, four. He heard the soft, almost inaudible thud of webbed feet landing on the earth, each step a reminder of how hopeless their situation was. Four of these creatures had been stalking them, able to move undetected even within a stone's throw. Their approach was slow and deliberate, but their croaking grew louder. Were they talking? Cromus strained to hear, focusing on the strange guttural sounds that vibrated through the air.

  The next thing he knew, two enormous webbed feet landed beside his head, the ground shaking with their weight. He didn’t need to look up to know the creature was towering over him. His eyes moved, though, and he saw the creature: a frog-like thing, standing upright, its skin a mottled green that seemed to absorb the surrounding shadows. Its eyes glinted in the dim light, cold and calculating, studying him as it crouched.

  The creature pointed at him with a long, spindly finger, with round sticky finger tips.

  “Hey, Frog boy,” Cromus managed to rasp, his voice rough with the strain of his paralyzed body. “How about you let me up and fight me fair?”

  The creature didn’t move at first, its head tilting slightly as if processing his words. No neck, just a broad, thick body that shifted in place. Then, its throat bulged. It blinked once, then twice. Slowly, the frog-creature’s mouth opened, and a deep, resonant croak filled the air as it croaked, “No-o.”

  The creature smacked its lips together, then raised a heavy fist and slammed it down onto Cromus’ face. The world went black.