Shadow Plague satyr

Doren's face was red, and his eyes were puffy. Seth had never beheld the jovial satyr in such a state.

  "What is it?" Seth asked.

  "Newel," the satyr said. "He was napping. Those foul little nipsies had their revenge on him, accosted him in his sleep."

  "How is he?" Tanu asked.

  Doren grabbed fistfuls of his hair and shook his head. "Not good. He's changing, I think, like the nipsies changed. You've got to help him! Is Stan around?"

  Seth shook his head. Grandpa had gone with Grandma, Dale, and Hugo to negotiate with Nero, hoping the cliff troll could provide some information by using his seeing stone.

  "Stan is away for the afternoon," Tanu said. "Describe what is happening to Newel. "

  "He woke up screaming with evil nipsies on him like fleas. I helped him brush them off, but not before they inflicted lots of tiny wounds on his neck, arms, and chest. Once we drove them out, careful not to kill them, we thought all was well. His injuries were plentiful but miniscule. We even had a laugh about it, and started laying plans for a counterattack. We figured we could pack their grandest palaces with dung. "

"Then Newel took a turn for the worse," Tanu prompted.

  "Not long afterward, he started sweating and acting delirious. Felt like you could fry an egg on his forehead. He lay down, and soon he started moaning. When I left him, he seemed tormented by dark dreams. His chest and arms were looking hairier. "

(Additional text cut)


  A shaggy creature emerged from the shack. It was Newel, and yet it was not Newel. Taller and bulkier, he still walked upright like a man, but dark brown fur covered him from horns to hooves. The horns were longer and blacker, corkscrewing up to sharp points. His face was almost unrecognizable, the nose and mouth having fused into a snout, quivering lips peeled back to reveal sharp teeth like a wolf's. Most disturbing were his eyes: yellow and bestial, with horizontally slit pupils.

  Growling savagely, Newel pounced from the doorway, hurling Tanu aside and tackling Doren.

(Additional text cut)

  "Newel!" Doren said sharply, backing away from his deranged friend. "Why are you doing this? Come to your senses!"

  Newel sneered. "You'll thank me later. "

  "Leave me be," Doren said gently. "We're best friends. "

  "Won't take long," Newel growled in his guttural voice.


Chapter 10