The dock was shrouded in salty mist before dawn, and Aiden tightened the stolen coarse burlap cloak around him. Three days ago, when he had snuck aboard a coal ship to escape White River Town, the scaled mark on the back of his hand had spread to his wrist, and it was now subtly heating under his skin. The cobblestone path in Gray Harbor was stained with dried blood—claw marks from some beast, each paw print the size of a dinner plate.
"Eight copper coins, no negotiation," the one-eyed ferryman said, striking the rotting boat's planks with a wooden paddle. As Aiden reached for the leather pouch at his waist, the gears of the bronze pocket watch suddenly began to turn on their own. He heard the sound of time being rent, and in an instant, the ferryman's murky right eye transformed into a vertical slit.
The boy stumbled back, three bony spikes barely missing his nose as they lodged into a wooden post. The creature disguised as the ferryman was shedding its human skin, revealing bat-like wings covered in green scales. Aiden's temples throbbed, and that strange indigo hue washed over his vision once more—this time, he saw clearly; the suspended raindrops were filled with a myriad of dragon language runes.
"In the name of Starrynight!" A sharp, unfamiliar female voice pierced through the thick fog. As a burning silver arrow pierced the monster's heart, Aiden caught sight of the newcomer's leather armor, embroidered with a map of the watchful stars—the Night Watchman's emblem overlapping with the crest on the back of his pocket watch.
The female ranger's boot crushed the writhing remains of the creature, the moonlight shining on the mechanical gear earrings hanging from her ears. "The prophecy has come true twenty years earlier than expected." She flicked the blood from her longbow, "The Blood Lizards of the Shadow Cult can now perfectly mimic reality, which means they have found at least three Dragon Crystals."
Just as Aiden opened his mouth to speak, the entire harbor area suddenly trembled violently. A deep rumble resonated from beneath the sea level, and all standing water began rising against gravity. The ranger's mechanical earrings whirled wildly as she grabbed Aiden by the collar and leaped onto the roof. In the moment they left their original position, a scarlet tentacle pierced through where they had been standing.
"The temporal anchor point has failed." She swiftly drew a rune-engraved arrow and nocked it to her bowstring, "Listen, kid, whatever you do, get that pocket watch to start working again!"
The retreating tide revealed a massive white bone in the bay, and some dormant creation in the depths was beginning to awaken. Aiden gripped the burning pocket watch tightly, and this time he understood the ancient language roaring through his blood—it was the call of the dragon kin to the stars.