The Watcher

Magnus

The creatures came to him at a click of his tongue, they scrabbled towards him on their short legs, bodies so close together they looked like a stream of brown mud flowing through the tunnels where they lived. Magnus bent down so they could swarm around him, fighting for his attention they stood on top of each other and wriggled through small gaps in the throng. He put out his hands, stroking and caressing them, their bodies were covered in coarse, brown hair that felt greasy to the touch, anyone else would've pulled back in disgust but Magnus loved each and every one of them. The creature nearest to him put out it's long, prickly tongue and tried to lick the exposed flesh on his leg, Magnus pushed it back and wagged his finger "no, no my pet, I'm not for eating. Only the mean, the cruel, the unkind will feed you all." The creature rolled its tongue back into its mouth giving Magnus a glimpse of its sharp, yellow teeth, teeth made for biting, for tearing flesh from the bone and for crunching those same bones so there was nothing left.

Magnus stroked his long, unruly, grey beard, his most recent incarnation was as a homeless man, nobody took notice of him watching and listening until he clicked his tongue, and his pets came to feed.