The Land of the Beautiful Dawn – Memories from a Simple Year
Chapter 2: from Morningstar to Dusk
The wild nature of the forest, and the monkey´s paw

	Many times, I have been on the fields, most of the times doing hunting research, not for beast or wild animals, but for people; I always try to deliver the game alive and kicking because the payment on an unscratched prey is more valuable. But, while doing so, this job make you travel all around the continent to places just a handful of people could ever witness by themselves, and doing this travels I watched so many things, yet I could not analyze neither the plants nor the animals or any other creatures in those faraway places
	There are lots of common animals, some are from another time, or they have already passed away in my birth lands, no doubt there are creature who can only live in this pane of existence, and I refuse to admit I don´t know many facts about the anatomy, nor physiology of these fantastical creatures.
	So, looking at the circumstances & having a lot of time ahead I decided to put my profession as naturalists in good use; sadly, I cannot recall the last time I could study in deep one of these beings, they look like natural born creatures but there is a glimpse of them that suggest they maybe they are more especial than we can see; especially on the ones coming from shady places and markets. However; the test subjects I manage to get are mundane animals and natural plants, whit no special features aside from the natural animal enhanced strength or agility; or the healing or psychotropic substance obtained from leaves of said plants.
	Sometimes the temptation it is just too much to bear, especially when the rewards doesn’t respecified, they need a living prey to be collected, even so, Analise a corpse in the middle of the wood may attract some unwanted eyes to the party, We must not forget we are trying to live a honest life, and even if my intention means no harm, in this forsaken land any misstep could be fatal; so dissecting sentients being would not be made in the wood. At least not for now.
	Stubborn enough to try this good honest life we became respectable member of the society, even if the society were just a few families’ downhill hours away from nearest town, they already know us, we traveled very often, but this year will be the 1st in ages that we´ll stay in the surrounding of the manor; in other time we arrived home just for a couple of days to leave on a new adventure leaving the house alone for months; well not this time.
	We need to make a field recon, these lands belongs to us for the last 20 years, we build up a cabin in the woods long time ago, this house has became bigger with time, and we clean up the surroundings are periodically, but year after year nature try to overrun my home with vines and leaves while we weren´t around and so when some of us came back after a month or two of traveling we took those vines away and clean it up the place; in the end Nature is just trying to recover what it was already theirs 
The vegetation surrounding my house has changed a lot, ferns use to grow and die in the wet shadowy places not far from home; we remove the biggest trees from the vicinity and use them for building  the house, the tall tress than are still around are far from the cabin so if they fall down the house won’t be damaged, on the other hand, the backyard, the frontal place, the garden and the crops fields are well attended, without grass or weeds. Even so walking 20 or 30 steps into the woods you´ll be surrounded by grassy field, bushes and all kind of plants that cover the hills going downsides to the lake’s shore.
	Many years ago, before the cabin was build , the area was thriving whit all kind of animals, wolves were very common they live in the caves on the surrounding mountain walls, black bears and grisly bears could be seeing  very often, but also elks, reindeers, and other cervids use the are and feeding ground. Sadly, there were times in travelers or novice hunters lose track into the woods, reaching the darkest parts of the forest where giant spiders live; they feed upon small things like rabbits or huge game as an Elk, so it was not uncommon to found spider silk cocoons with the desiccated corpses of some unlucky traveler.
	Wild animals around here are so different indeed; one morning I found evidence of trolls reaching the house courtyard, so we must stay alert all the time, even at home.
	In the end; I made a routine; every time in the morning just before breakfast I walk  the dog, every time going even further and looking for the grass and animals evidence in each trip, Max was said dog, and my only companion in those walks and being a guardian dog he insist in going ahead from me, in constant vigilance for every misplaced sound or movement that is not from us; ready to fight back just in case.
	However, I really don´t care, I mean Max presences is intimating enough to make any other animal flee; the pup has grown so much than now he is like a dire wolf, as huge as a horse, he is actually more like a werewolf, so when he stands in his hind legs, he became easily taller than any other creature around; it is not a surprise than max presence prevents me from looking living animal around here. But I don´t need to; footprints, fur, territorial marks, bodily fluid, and odors are evidence enough to prove their existence, but if my conclusion is correct, the evidence suggests some wild animals, the biggest normally, have reach the portal door of my home; we need to know how to live together, or at least in harmony, they are wild animals indeed, and we are kind of invader of their natural territory which is theirs home.
	On a cold morning, during our normal walking we were heading to east; crossing side to the mountain walls, sticking together to the rocky structure; we already have taken that route before, but this time we reach a further than we normally do, going away from the main road, suddenly the rocky wall turn into a cavern entrance. Going inside we notice it was a huge tunnel like cave; a normal guy could easily stand inside, but my dog need to keep himself in four legs, cause he will hit himself in the head with the rocky roof, sometimes I forget how massive and monstrous my good boy really is; he is a huge golden werewolf with a menacing gaze, serpent like eyes and fangs, an a muscular build can torn apart bodies as if they were smalls wood sticks, but he will be always just my little dog.
The caverns seems to be completely natural, not carved by any tool but yet a very weird formation for a natural occurrences, the entrance is just barely noticeable from the outside, and as deep you go into the cave the biggest the space inwards became; it is well protected from weather and looking inside of it you understand this place once was a Wolf´s Den there were animals remains, gnawed bones, some were human remains; but none of them were fresh, looks like this place had been abandoned for a long time; after reaching the deepest wall of the cave we could find any other entrance, the structure is just so well fortified and protected than we decided to too this hole for us and turn it into a workshop and refuge.
	During the next days, we made constant travels from the mansion to the cave, we too selves, tables, futons & tools, we decided to make this cave a comfy place outside of home, that would be used as base cap in future exploration, and alchemical laboratory; jus in case a experiment go worn, an alchemical reagent suddenly explode or a bad drawn scroll cause an arcane magic discharge.
Max Being a huge beast, help us carry on the heavy stuff in most of our travels, bringing grains sacks in his improvised backpacks and satchels while swiftly running trough the fields; the alchemical reagent were transported by Tokine who was not allow not run, so he walk very slowly so the agent do not explode, and it was a smart choice, even so the chemical burst two times, the first burn down the grass around the field and the second, scorched two trees, 
Tokine´s clothes disintegrated on the first explosion; I know he can looks like a young monkey but he is way to tougher than you can see, his mother heritage give him fire immunity, his fur and skin is highly resistance to acids, and poisons only add flavor to his food; so there is no one here more capable to manage dangerous explosive alchemical stuff.
	I had the impression than Max was the most exited of us into converting this cave into a den, he moves gears and equipment very efficiently; also, on every travel he made, he brings something of his own, first a toy, then a blanket, a pillow by the end of the day the bowl we use to feed him when he  was a normal pup, was already side the dissection table; it make sense, we probably will be spending way more time inside this improvised lab and Max always wanted to be by my side
	Some weeks passed and the cavern became our personal laboratory, for max it became a Wolf´s Den of his own, the place is not really far away from home so there is no need to stay in the lab to sleep, unless you need to make a experiment who took way too much time; the more questionable dissections could not be made on the manor so we did it in the intimacy of the lab.
	My dog was confused and upset, he had decided to live in the cave, like if it were his won mansion, a real wolf´s den for him, probably his natural instincts were kicking in and urge him to stay in nature, but like I said; behind his bestial form and monstrous proportions he is still a small city dog.
	Every night, he need to make a choice, does he will sleep alone in his personal place, or whit his whole family in the warm  kitchen of the manor; simple choice indeed, because he doesn´t like to be alone; so every night we go back to the cabin followed by Max, a lil bit disappointed on himself, eventually, he ask,  like every other kid wanted at least for once in life, to go camping outside; and I said yes, you can go, be happy; the Wolf´s Den was the perfect place for him after all, and he already know how to take care of himself; but what I lack to understand that time, it was he asked to go camping, but not alone.
	By the end of the month my dog finally took over the refuge, he start using it as a home, sleeping on the hot night in the fresh cave and running back to the manor in stormy rainy nights, he is a werewolf on the outside, but he is more like a scared kitty after all.
	Also, I pay him visits every day, to be honest I don´t feel comfortable without him around, I end up sleeping in his den a couple of nights every week just to keep him company; some other times I said him good night and head myself to the cabin, to heard a scratching and a very soft whine in the door just moments after I arrived home; Max doesn´t want to be alone.
	In other occasions, my sons make him company in the basecamp, supposedly they were in a hunting part of some sort, and Max end up taking care of them as a babysitter, trying to keep the guys in check so they don´t destroy the forest nor the refuge. In the end just a small walk separates us from each other so the constant walking from the house to the lab make a small breach in the woods.
	Also by the end of the month, I notice something odd, whenever max runs some tendrils sprout from the ground, fleshy violet stuff than looks like small tentacles; when Max died some time ago we did some rituals & ceremonies than could be very questionable in this places; my dog is alive kicking and it is stronger than ever so I really don´t complain at all, but this also bring up some bad consequences, Max is a monster of a werewolf like appearance, his  nature is corrupted, he is an incubus profaned whit necromancy who need to steal life force and vital energy to keep himself alive.
	Food doesn´t sustain him, he ate it just to taste his flavor, but to keep himself alive he leech vital energy from all living creatures in his surrounding, just a few drops, so you will never die or being harm for being with my dog; just became sleepy or tired, but lucky for you eating or sleeping will make you healthy again; but if Max need to jump into action, either fighting or running, the ground he is standing will became corrupt, more tendrils will sprout whenever his paws stand, those fleshy things will absorb water, drying grass & plants around them, normally this tendrils rots themselves in less than a hour, and as we were in constant movement, that never was an issue, util now, some of the tendrils have grown way to much they are now tentacles who entangled on themselves, they are making bulbous cocoon like structure, its presence is followed by decayed flora around it
	Most the bulbous formed on the road were destroyed by Max, he bite and torn them apart, sometimes he feed on the bulbous, but always he grumbles about how much he despites those stuff; eventually I need to analyze those in the dissection table, looking close to that bulbous, venison like material, they were form by a red fleshy stuff, very similar to red meat, it was soft at touch, completely fatless, and exudating a red liquid very similar to blood in appearance but with a very sweet taste, like fruit conservated in syrup and a touch of orange juice
After who knows how many test I made, mu conclusion was this stuff it was some kind of fungus; they steal nutrients from the ground and other living creatures, and they don´t need light to sustain themselves as it is needed in plants, his insides were soft and undifferentiated, they looks like animal flesh but there were no animal organs; I became curios about the application of this new discovery; especially cause it doesn’t seems to have any other substances than could alternate you conscience. Like some plants then to do.
I was wondering if this stuff was edible or not, Max already have ate many of my discarded test subjects but like I said that doesn’t really nourish him; his excuse was than the bulbous were delicious, some other times he said it was hungry, something I doubt it cause he is very well feed every night; he drains a little energy from everyone daily but he need to feed upon one living victim every night to keep himself in check; we notice  it easily cause, every night he try to hide himself  behind the furniture; trying to stalking an unaware victim; or better said whiling volunteer, ready to feed upon his life energy; I mean no matter how you try it is impossible to hide a dire wolf behind a dinner table, we just let him have his fun.
For us is more like a hide an seek game, we fake our surprise or being assaulted in the middle of the living room, Max being a dog and not being aggressive to us at all he attack us in the only possible way a lovely dog could; cuddle and licks, and boy he really know how to use the tough, not leaving any inches untouched by the wet tough, the victim normally laugh in anguish to not being able to run away, nor that they really want to, but we try to keep our dog happy.
Max will feed onto the vital energy spend in this licking ritual, the only rule we ask to follow is not to feed on the same target twice in a row on the same month, it sound really funny when you ear you are licked until you pass out, but you will end really tired and exhausted, falling into a slumber while the dog is still using his tough to reach part of your body than are never touch by the sunlight and he knows how to sink himself really deo into your being; he is an Incubus after all; so you will be sleeping happily ad if you have reach paradise, but so tired you almost die after these feeding sessions.
But I digress, Max already have ate many bulbous before I start the experiments, so maybe we can use them too. I made some small test, slicing a small part of the fungus and try to cook it as if it were meet, and it was true, it was delicious, I don´t need seasoning for this meat, the juicy it emanates was good enough to marinated it flavor, this thing almost melted in you mouth like a well-done steak 
In that very moment I get aware of the potential of such a discovery; I asked Max to bring me any other bulbous structure he found, all of them, unscratched, he doesn’t seem to understand why until I give him a sample of the same dish I had prepared, then we recollect them every day, trying to find the ripest of these fruits side the road and Max bringing back the one away from sight.
Time had pass and Max was still destroying some of the bulbous fungi, I ask him many times why he keep destroying them, we supposed to have a deal, but he didn´t seems to be talkative about that matter, for most of you a dog cannot talk, that is true in part, in live Max was very expressive with his body, I could easily read his intentions looking at his ears tails or posture, but after he passed away and being resurrected I know he can understand spoken language, and he is able to speak it to, very fluently, but he don´t know how to lie, so when he remains silent about direct questions he either know the answer but don´t want to tell… or he really doesn’t know anything about his matter.
Being the curios monkey I´m I decided to make a final experiment, what would happen if the bulbous is keep alive? how much that thing will grow? does that flourish in something else? Or it will decay eventually? Whit these doubts I manage to found a recently sprout bulb; I ask to my dog to not harm the little tendril, and allow it to grow, he really doesn´t like it a t all, he growls and bare his fangs at me, either way he down his head.
I make a small fence and start taking care of the bulb as if it were a pet plant, all the time Max was watching at me at the distance; reclining himself as a cat, I felt his judgmental stare all the time, just like house cats do with other people that pass by their houses.
I analyze the entity, looking how it react to water and weather, I took notes daily, checking out the color, the size, it became a new daily routine, I want to know everything from this fungus like creature and what could become of it.
Almost two months have passed since the tendrils sprout from ground for fist time; neither of them has lasted more than a week on the field after they became a bulb, and this one has already been 2 and half week in the ground, scarcely protected by the crumbling fence.
One night while I was doing my research Max came by stealthy, placing himself at my side; looks like I will be the dinner tonight; to make it lees awkward, I ask my dog What do you thing will happened with that thing? Max just carry me on his back, in the mockery of an abduction in the middle of the night; in a very despicable and sarcastic tone; whit a cynicism I have never heard him before he just reply a simple “it will grow” while he was salivating very profusely, he was starving, he felt the urge to profaned my physical body, and soul.
I cannot remember anything else from that night, but I knew I serve my purpose of feeding the dog.