Time Flies

"Is it... are they... OH FUCK! OW! OWWWWW! THE BASTARDS BIT ME!"

— Someone who was bitten by a fly

Escapism

These small creatures appear to be regular flies, and encountering a few of them would leave you with that impression.
They are most decidedly not regular flies, however. As one might expect from their name, time flies manipulate the way the creatures or people around them experience the flow of time. While this appears to be some marvelous effect they possess over the Eight Lands, their time distortion only appears to function when grouped in swarms, allowing them to have a defense against potential hostilities near their home.
During this distortion, time does, in fact, move regularly. It is simply the perception of time by their foes that becomes altered, leaving the flies themselves free to act as they would otherwise. While not usually hostile towards other creatures, should you be unlucky enough to face off against a rather angry swarm of time flies, you may just find yourself wishing you'd fought with a beehive.

Reverie

The distortion they create is not entirely harmless with its effect, and at times it can cause the disconcerting experience of people near the flies' home losing time or becoming stuck in long moments of reflection over their recent actions, or even the strange feeling that perhaps, just maybe, they've done all of this before.
To the observant naturalist or the curious wanderer, time flies offer a glimpse into the peculiarities of nature's magic. Their existence challenges the understanding of time and reality, inviting speculation and awe. Encounters with time flies are generally remembered as brief journeys into a world where time dances to a different tune, leaving a lasting impression of nature's boundless capacity for wonder and mystery, while also being extremely baffling and very mildly uncomfortable.