I’ve given some thought to that encounter with the owl, and inferred a few things.

First, Wise Owl is an incredibly useful form. It can see through invisibility and illusions and dispel them. It can also interfere with spellcasting. Combine that with its mundane abilities, like flight and perception, and it is a must-have for any competent force.

Second, summoning a Wise Owl would be a good idea for just about every defensive duty. Since defenders have to be ready for attack at all times, they would have to ensure they have one present at all times. It is likely to be standard procedure to regularly summon owl-like forms at checkpoints and high-value targets.

Third, they are probably requested for longer durations. Summoners working at defensive posts like city gates will be able to plan ahead and summon for longer stints. Extending a spell’s duration raises the mana cost. Past a certain point, it will require a grand ritual, where many casters provide mana for the spell.

Finally, who would be most interested in this sort of request? I’m not terribly interested in the affairs of the worlds, especially at the ground level. There are so many worlds, and so many people in each of them, all with their own stories and problems. If I were to accept a job like this, it would be for the express purpose of encountering others of my kind.

*

Incoming Request

...

Request Declined

I sit in silence and look around the cosmos. It’s really peaceful, from this distance. I’m sure it’s all fire and strife up close. I’ve been there, after all.

How much control do summoners have over summoning? How did they acquire this ability? What is their story? I don’t know. I could find out from another of my kind, but how will they receive it? Maybe there are things I’m supposed to know already. They can’t all be reincarnated humans.

In case you’re wondering, I have noticed that it’s awfully convenient that my kind can’t interact with one another directly. We probably wouldn’t interact as much with the worlds if we did. The worlds are both our social space and our battlefield. Every interaction among us, good and bad, will involve them somehow. The worlds must have stories about things like this.

I’ve never been summoned into a form that can speak and understand language. Even when I piloted a Floating Eye, that was just telepathic feedback from my client. It was his ability to understand language that was at work there. What happens when I encounter another of my kind, and we can both speak and understand language? Maybe summoning speaking forms is not something summoners can do.

So many questions without answers. I really have left the cosmos unexplored. It’s easy to lose yourself in the job requests.

A star twinkles in the distance. It flickers almost like it could be signaling something. But that would be ridiculous. Right? When I look directly at it, my view zooms in on it.

World: A-220

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

[ Forum ]

[ Fates ]

It just had to be A-220. Wait, forum? I’ve never seen this option before. I open the forum.

Inside, I find something I’m not sure I ever want to see again. A colossal mess of chatter, with every message linked to those it is referencing or responding to. Every message is signed with an unmistakable signature, a shadow of something much grander than this medium can express. Let’s write these as “*U-XXX”, U for unknown, until I come up with something better.

The messages stay close to the topic at hand: A-220. I pore over forum messages, learning my kind’s attachments in this world. It seems I’m among the least meddlesome. I don’t think I’m getting the full story, though. All of these posts have a common factor: they are either signed by, or they are linked to a post by, a specific character. And…

You, who piloted the cat. I have not seen you before. *U-1 [ Reply ]

This is very clearly about me. I’m not really looking to make my grand debut just yet. I hope they don’t have read receipts in these forums.

I know you are watching. Answer me. *U-1 [ Reply ]

Oh? Have we got a new XXXXX in the mix? *U-2

Go figure a cat pilot is sneaking around! *U-3

Shit. I really have the worst luck. Damn it all.

I have not seen you before, either. (Sent)

(Read: U-2)

(Read: U-1)

...

No reply. Not yet, anyway. I don’t know if I should worry.

*

Before I participate any more in the forums, I’m going to take a look at this world’s fates. I have fiddled with fates before and regretted it. But, now that I’ve been inducted into this corner of my people’s society, I really should know what I’m getting into.

Incredibly many dots, of many different colors and sizes, cover the world’s surface. They are all somehow connected to others. Some of them are connected to very, very many dots. Whoever or whatever these are, they are extremely consequential in this world.

Each connection indicates that the two beings’ fates touch, however slightly. It could be something subtle like someone dropping a coin that someone else later finds, or something painfully obvious like a king’s power over his subjects.

Some dots have faint lines upward into the sky. It’s not the lines themselves that are faint, but more that I’m unable to follow the thread. It’s usually the highly-connected ones, but not always.

Some dots have no connections. I don’t quite understand what this means. Are they hermits? Maybe there’s a way I can learn more about them.

Unit: XXXXX

[ Watch ]

[ Bless ]

[ Curse ]

I can’t bless or curse him? I hit ‘Watch’, and nothing seems to happen. The button now says ‘Ignore’ instead of ‘Watch’, but nothing else happens.