Floofius IV Pawfenese

100 BC Day 256

Enjoying a drink of Rome's finest mead in the comfort of my own quarters is worth the extra denari I paid for it. What could be better than a few cups of hot ferment on a dank evening such as this. Banshees, accompanying the thundrous monsoon surround the solitary tower unable to penetrate the stone walls. The vibrations from the storm stimulating the nerve endings makes any mammal's fur stand on end. I look like a prime target for a thunder bolt. Though Cosmocat has plenty others to strike before he gets to me on his list. In the meantime, I've important ordeals to manage. Commander Pricklepus of the Third Division has brought to me something more valuable than my position on the Roman Senate. But I cannot even write about it for fear of a passerby reading this journal.

Someone just knocked. When I gather my willickers again I'll look for my fur.

Pacing and thinking I feel both the adrenaline of excitement and the paralyzing fear for my life. When the rains cease, the lottery will begin, with a little persuasion from the Senate. I need a task force of my choosing. Pricklepus is prime to lead the group. Dan Druffus is perfect for the hunt because of his uncanny ability to sense a mouse a fortnight away. But what about a thief? The prisoners here in Rome are not trustworthy. I may have to rely on a human for this task. My mind is contrary to my intuition, but the latter has proven itself in the past -- my strength does not lie in my denari, though the strength of denari lie with me. Ironic disposition. What this group still needs is a FFF -- Furry Friendly Face -- to communicate with the barbarians from the North.

I won't sleep tonight.

Tomorrow we begin the most important quest in history beyond those for glory: The quest for the Holy Tail.