Eko Koyasan,
Kii Peninsula, JAPAN
15th January, 34AR
To Leo and Moss (and my friends at Skye whom I trust will have this letter passed on to them),
I hope everything is going smoothly in my absence. Word has reached me occasionally about an odd absence of demons over the past month, a fact for which I am glad (although I suspect that it may put a crimp in the ongoing research). I write with news, both of my travels and of an unfortunate event that has occured in late December. I feel it is my sad duty to inform you all of it.
I traveled overland with Esther and Artemis to Dublin for my father’s funeral in November. The experience left me feeling drained and not at all unburdened as I had hoped. I stayed on for a period to attend to my father’s affairs while my two companions traveled further afield on their own private journey. I made assurances that I would meet with them in Japan, and it was in December, I think sometime around the middle of the month, that we came back together as a group again, although it was not to be for long.
Rumours of Japan’s immunity to the plague of demons have been partly exaggerated. While I have not seen as many in my time here as I have within Britain, Esther, Artemis and myself encountered a band of a half-dozen or so in the hills beyond the retreat where I am residing. During this encounter, the dear Artemis was wounded. While Esther and myself did our best to defend our wounded comrade, and indeed prevented him from suffering the indignity of a revival, his injuries proved fatal and he passed away before we could reach the shelter of the retreat. Understandably, Esther was distraught at the loss of her husband, and being in a position where neither of us could cope with our grief in the presence of the other, Esther departed for Europe several weeks ago. I remained here to continue my study, and to make sure that no further complications arise (although Esther appears to be dealing with this experience far more efficiently than I am. Some things come as no surprise, and in her shoes, I would have appreciated the privacy she requested of me).
My studies are not progressing well in this place due to these events, understandably, and I will be returning to Skye sometime in February.
With condolences, your friend and ally,
Zek Flaherty