[ Daniel's vigilance continues, and Chozen ponders whether he should attempt to appear especially competent at walking, an idea he dismisses nearly as soon as he has it. It would be far more suspicious than any light impairment, and then there would be fussing and further delay. He is fine after the few first steps restore proper feeling and blood flow to his feet, anyway.

He nods along to Daniel's explanation and conclusion, indeed looking less baffled than Daniel might expect if he weren't correct. ]

I have heard a few things. Strange blood, dangerous creatures...differences in time. [ He cannot manage being entirely nonchalant about the concepts, but the initial surprise has faded slightly. ] It reminds me of some of the stories my students in Okinawa read.

[ Which might be a reason to tell himself this is nothing than a dream, when he thinks about it. The new things here are fantastical, but not inconceivable, and he has just travelled a great distance on what might be called an adventure. It would make perfect sense for Daniel to arrive and break him out of a frozen state, if this were a dream, where memory and fantasy often intertwine.

But it does not feel like one. He smiles at Daniel during one of his glances. ]

I am sorry I am so late.