May 12th

  So many interesting things have happened within the past week, and I forgot to write down any of it! I started working on the armor, making sure to include pockets and pouches. I have places to put the various odds and ends, like the amnesia powder. It has its place in little vials along my right shoulder. A strap across the chest holds my knife, and I have my quiver and gun attached to one of several belts. I have set a slot for the larger pearl to fit into. It has a hole which I thread the string of the necklace to, thus also securing it around my neck so it cannot fall out. My hood, while I did enjoy the practicality of its shape, had a few issues, which I fixed by adding rope to secure it with in case of wind or rapid movement.

  It was on the 4th day of working on my armor, while I was out in the forest getting some materials, that I saw something wafting through the air. It was sort of wandering around, weaving between trees, so I chased after it. I followed the trail and eventually reached a place where I saw a vague figure. Most of my gear was at the manor, so the only way I could capture it was to shoot it with my revolver. I don’t care about that, because something much more interesting happened. It became visible as it died, just like that other monster from 3 months ago. It had scaly skin, but this monster is instead covered in fur and feathers. When I put the pearl up to it, it slowly faded away again. That is fantastic! I no longer need to worry about applying camouflage to my gear, I can just have an invisibility cloak.

  Now, I began to wonder, how to go about activating and deactivating the cloak? A simple solution, and quite elegant. I can string together the feathers and when I touch one end, they all are affected. I have a little section of the cloak that can be tucked right up against the pearl. Another interesting tidbit of information, the objects I have around the cloak, for the most part, will be hidden by it, but the few things left over, like my rucksack, can be remade with materials from the beast and it will turn invisible as well as its contents. I have hand stitched a rucksack, adding anything I think I may want to it. This includes extra pockets and a blanket to sleep in when outside.

  May 13th

  Today was marked by a downpour so heavy I thought part of the landscape would slide away. Lucy noted how much it rained in the countryside where she lives as well. We should no longer be in the time of year when we get heavy rain. I have worked around and in the rain many times before, but today's rain was so heavy it made it impossible to even consider going into the forest.

  May 15th

  I travelled to the highest point on the mountains that I could reach today. It was not very high up, due to the damage from the mudslides and avalanches, but on my way up, I uncovered a lengthy cave system. I hope to return to it someday, but that will not be for quite a while. I did not manage to get as high as I would have hoped, but I got a good view of the valley. I have begun to think about going beyond the confines of this valley, and stepping out into the wider world as a whole. I have spent so little time out of this valley and I cannot help but wonder what may be just beyond reach. If I do plan on leaving, I will need to pack many supplies, though. The logistics of it will certainly be more complicated than normal.

  May 16th

  Today, the town was rocked by an explosion in the early hours of the morning. It woke me from a dream in which I was reliving the capture of the fire fox. Griffin and I set out immediately and it was not long before we arrived at the scene of the carnage.

  The stone foundation and wooden walls of a house had been thoroughly destroyed on the north side, with the roof caving into the pantry, occasionally dropping shingles into the rooms below.

  Once again, the scene was characterized by the scorched imprint in close proximity to the center of the blast, as well as slightly visible goo stuck to the walls. Griffin and Dr Ernhart, who was already present, quickly secured the occupants and began asking questions while I examined the scene.

  The second eldest boy was missing, and the mother was quite beside herself. It seems the eldest had found a lizard of some kind and gone to show it to his younger brother. After they went and looked at it for a bit, he went to get a tool to pick it up and while he was gone, somehow the sitting room exploded.

  I immediately thought, “it must be the lizard”.

  It is unfortunate such a thing happened, as I still have very little information.

  May 17th

  Today I revisited the hole in which lay the snake monster that had killed Archibold.

  May 20th

  Lucy and I talked for several hours about some interesting events she has experienced. Something is wrong with her mind, to use her own words. She said she encountered something but can’t remember what. She said it was scary. So terrifying to her that she was nearly petrified with fear. I find it rather strange. How could one forget something like that? Whatever it was, it was so shocking she reacted in a way completely abnormal for her. I have encountered a monster that messed with my memory, but it was only temporary amnesia. It has been days and she does not remember the encounter. What could it have been?

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  June 2nd

  Nothing! Nothing! All those hours spent for what?! That blasted lizard, I bet it died! Half a month wasted on searching for it. I gave up! I ripped up the pages since May 18th in a fit of rage. I burned the pages. The knowledge lost? None! There was none lost! Dull, dreary days filled with nothing but mindless speculation!

  I will never find the beast. So be it, I have more to do. I have put off so much in order to investigate that creature, but there was not a since ounce of reward to be reaped from doing so.

  Griffin and I spent countless hours scouring the land for any scrap of information. We questioned so many of the townsfolk, easily more than a hundred. The idiots I had to deal with I hardly had time to play with Shadow.

  That cave. I have been captivated by the thoughts of what may be inside it. I shall go there tomorrow.

  June 3rd

  That cave twists and turns itself into a figure eight. It went on for a while before I noticed. There is a little pocket off to the side that I missed the first few times around. In it I found an axe, as well as crooked sharp markings on the wall. I took the axe home and nearly set my desk ablaze when I accidentally touched it with… I suppose I shall call it a magic pearl. Stupid name, I am a little disappointed in myself.

  The fire-fox… I cannot help but be reminded of it. Perhaps I should try to capture it again…

  June 4th

  I have yet to talk with Griffin about it. I do not want him to leave. In the beginning, we agreed that he would stay until I provided him with the fire-fox. I used that to my advantage to gain his help in hunting monsters, and his services have been most useful. However, am I ready to give that up? Oh, I do not know what to do. I cannot help but feel that I do not need him, yet he has proven himself to be quite helpful throughout the past 7 months. Surely I should not let such a useful asset go?

  June 6th

  I put it off for several days, but I eventually talked to Griffin. We have come to an agreement. Griffin will stay here in the manor. It is more than large enough to accommodate him permanently. He did not want to leave Daphne. Daphne, of course, is safer in a more isolated location, such as the valley I call home. He has already begun to help Maryanne around the manor with various odd tasks. Once we deliver the fire fox to his employer, I will stop paying him for his services, but he will still be available to help me. Now we need to capture the fire fox, as well as preparing for the journey. Much of it will be on land and it could take as long as two months.

  June 7th

  I think the fire fox has been dormant for a while. I have certainly not seen it since last July or August. I can only hope to find its den.

  June 8th

  We have begun to plan out our trip to London. We will be heading northward for quite a ways before dipping east into Germany. It is quite out of the way, but Griffin insisted there are incredible sights which would fascinate me. I expect to find the firefox within a few weeks. Much of today was spent tracking down scrying tortoises nearby. We managed to round up a dozen. We have set the tortoises out in the forest so as to have a vast system of surveillance.

  June 10th

  When I caught the firefox last time, it must have been a fluke. I found out that foxes are nocturnal, which means the likelihood of catching one during the day is quite slim. We set up a few traps, just to try to spot it, but there is little hope of catching it like that. It will most certainly escape the traps, but we will see the charred evidence of its efforts.

  June 13th

  It took a while to prepare everything. Griffin and I have worked nonstop each day for the past few days. We have finally finished. We made a compartment on a carriage for the fire fox. The second carriage will be carrying all of our supplies and much of our gear. We will be riding in the carriage with the fox, so as to keep it under control in case anything goes wrong. In anticipation of mishaps, we have prepared several metal staves with spring-loaded arms to wrap around an object. This should allow us to grab the fire fox and recapture it without coming to harm ourselves.

  June 25th

  12 days! 12 days with nothing. When will we find this bloody fox? That is how it always is, is it not? You easily find whatever it is which you are not in need of until the very moment you need it, at which point it becomes impossible to relocate.

  June 27th

  I was so close! I saw it through one of the scrying tortoises. Griffin and I raced to where it had been but when we arrived it was nowhere to be seen. Instead, we were greeted with an overwhelming stench of gunpowder, and destroyed vegetation. It is the same scene I have already witnessed twice. A rough crater, shattered trees, and little pieces of goop strewn over branches a dozen feet away. It happened so recently that the crater was still smoking and dust was drifting downwards through the air.

  I heard it happen. A loud crack and the shrieks of rending wood. I found footprints left behind by the fox as it ran away, so I know that it is still out there somewhere. I found the source of the blast, but I am so unbothered by that. It is a gross reptilian, about a foot in length, without a tail. The tail has been removed by something, and there are burnt bite marks around its neck. The creature is dead, killed by the fire fox.

  June 27th

  I collected its remains before returning to the manor. I found something interesting as well. Most of the globs of flesh are inert, but not all. There are a few bits that, when adjacent To the pearl, begin to take on an animated appearance. Its dull, pale flash seems to ripple in the light. It is only a visual phenomenon, however. I was holding it in my hand when it happened, I would have noticed any physical changes.

  July 2nd

  We finally found it. I took a tiny flake of the magic pearl and wrapped it with the flesh of the exploding lizard. When we found the fire fox, I threw the ball towards it and it was knocked unconscious by the blast. We hoisted it into the cage and took it back to the manor. We leave in an hour.

  Finally! At long last, we leave this valley behind. At least, for a little while.