Edgar stopped and looked up. The white lace curtain was fluttering and a peculiar odor seemed to be blowing into the room. Edgar wrinkled his nose, then froze. He knew that horrible, moldy smell - it was the smell of The Fen! Suddenly, a black billowing shadow floated down from the windowsill. The creature landed with a sickening thud on the wooden floor in front of him. Edgar stood paralyzed with fear, his heart thumping madly against his ribs. The Fen had caught up with him at last. "What's this?" the shadow hissed at him. "The sickly scent of a Sage? And a familiar one, too."

The moonlight outside suddenly chose this very moment to illuminate the room. Edgar swayed unsteadily on his feet. It was Shrike Fen. For just a second, a shaft of moonlight penetrated the shadows that surrounded his black hooded cloak. Edgar gasped as Shrike turned his sharp-featured face towards him and sneered. A thin layer of translucent, sickly white skin covered his long bony nose and chin. The top of his head was round and shiny. Long, white, skeletal fingers grasped the side of his cloak as Shrike wrapped himself deeper inside it. The Fen began to cackle gleefully. Edgar's feet were trembling. His only hope was to remain strong and focused or all would be lost. Shrike Fen began to close in. With every step, the smell of decay became stronger and more pungent. Each time Shrike hissed, Edgar felt a cold, slimy spray land upon his face ...