Liora Featherwood perched on a moss-covered branch, her orange eyes scanning the forest floor below. The morning light filtered through the canopy, casting shadows across her brown and white feathers. She was an owlbear, small but fierce, and she had one purpose: to protect her clan from the hunters who kept invading their territory. Three days ago, hunters had come within a hundred steps of the den. The clan barely escaped in time. Liora knew they needed a warning system, something that would give them time to flee or fight. She hopped from branch to branch, searching the oldest parts of Evergreen Forest. Deep in the ancient grove, she found what she needed: a large bell hanging from sturdy branches of a grand tree. Its metal surface gleamed in the dappled sunlight. She tested it with one talon. The sound rang clear and loud, echoing through the trees. Perfect. With this bell, her clan would hear danger coming. She could keep them safe.