Everything became a blur. This morning had been so promising of good things to come. Aura had been anxious all day, but she happily stayed by Dax's side. She even greeted him with a peck on the cheek. Dax knew Aura was uneasy and traumatized from her week in hell, but he was dazzled by her strength to go through with the royal visit. He took in every inch of her this morning when she met him. Her hair was different. Her long curly hair was elegant, but now the sides of her head just above her ears were shaved and faded into the top, which stretched down her back. Aura had it in a fishtail braid with two loose strands framing either side of her face. She didn't look like a proper lady as much as a warrior to Dax. Her complexion was beginning to return to a normal color although she was still wrapped in bandages from her quickly healing injuries. Aura’s golden eyes remained the same with a broken expression that Dax prayed would heal in time. He wondered what her silver wolf form would look like since she had some time to heal. Either way, Dax was drunk on Aura's presence and beauty.

  Aura walked next to Dax as they entered his favorite place in the village, the meadow filled with Lilies. Things had gone so well during the tour of the village although he was surprised King Hexion was here. Sure, the king had commissioned the Knights of the Land for the goodwill missions to the villages, but Dax had assumed the king had only done so to please his wife who originated from this village. Why had he shown up now? Was it only to save face with Queen Galadriel and the Alliance of Kingdoms? The king didn't seem to care much for other royals when Dax first met him so long ago.

  The next few minutes speed by in a blur. Suddenly, Aura was growling and shifting into another form. Dax didn't know much about beast shifters, but he knew they had an animal form and a human-like form that still seemed like an animal. Jalen and Dax quickly grabbed onto Aura as she tried to lunge toward the royals. Dax's heart dropped into his stomach as he watched the woman he loved turn into an aggressive, yet beautiful beast. Ivy rushed in like she knew what was wrong with Aura. Had her time in torment broken his wild woman so much or was there something more? Dax felt helpless as he watched Ivy try to knock sense into Aura. Dax became oblivious to the world around him as the king repeatedly called to him. Aura had finished her shift into this beautiful beast woman. Her hair was longer and thicker like fur woven into a braid, decked with silver highlights in her black hair. Her fluffy silver tail, silver fur, and ears announced to the crowd that she was a wolf beast. All her clothes were tattered upon the ground, and aside from her fur, she was bare for all to see. Dax nearly forgot the whole situation, seeing Aura's beauty on display. His delusion came to an end when Aura shoved Ivy’s blade into her gut.

  His world stopped. Rhys appeared with a first aid kit, and Jalen jumped into action, determined to save her. Aura’s eyes fluttered closed as Dax was riddled with guilt because he had pushed her to come here and meet the royals. She needed rest. Quiet. Healing. Peace. No stress and professional protocols. Dax was responsible for Aura’s breakdown, and he hated himself for it. It had all been too much too quickly. Stupid.

  "Captain Shalltear! Captain! Do something! We are under attack!" King Hexion's voice slammed into him like a bolder. "Call the guards!"

  Dax looked up to see a pack of animals rushing toward them. All sorts of beast shifters were in front of him. Any sane man would run for his life when a pack of wild beasts charged at him, but not Dax or any other knights. He trained his men to face situations just like this. Dax released his blade, sending a bright red flare to the sky. Behind him, Dax heard villagers hurrying indoors and slamming shutters. Footsteps of his men charging to the meadow filled in the gaps of sound.

  Dax charged forward with his men and royal guards as he studied the pack of beasts. Four large black bears, ten big cats of different kinds, seven wolfes, a dozen monkeys, and a dusty gray wolf leading the charge. The dusty gray wolf looked eerily familiar like a ghost from his past. Could it be that the wolf looked exactly like the one he slaughtered to save that child in the past? Can wolves look like copies of each other? Or was it the same wolf? All the options seemed impossible as Dax clashed with a solid black bear. The bear swiped down at Dax knocking him around like a branch in the wind. Dax finally ducted under the bear’s paw, allowing Dax to stab his sword into the bear’s shoulder. The bear growled loudly in pain and struck Dax with its other paw, sending both Dax and his sword to the ground. Standing over Dax, the bear began snapping at him. Dax wielded his sword and called upon his magic to strike lightning straight through the bear’s chest. His first kill laid before him on the ground lifeless.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Dax looked back toward Jalen who had been working on saving Aura. All he could see was his friends' panicking faces as a giant shadow descended on the meadow. Everything was black like a heavy black fog. Within minutes, the shadow receded, revealing more bloody and disemboweled bodies and organs. The putrid smell of blood and death filled the air, and the beasts returned to attacking the knights and royal guards. Dax heard Rhys and Ivy screaming, and he ran back to them.

  “Dax…” Rhys sobbed. “He took her.”

  “What? Who took who?” Dax questioned only to see Jalen, Ivy, and Rhys speechless. He looked down where Aura had been, but she was no longer there. “Where’s Aura?”

  “That bastard from Grim Guild got her...again…” Ivy explained with her misty eyes.

  “No…” Dax whispered. “She was just here. How can she be gone?”

  "Captain Dax! Behind you!" Roland's voice shouted as he appeared with reinforcements.

  Dax spun around to meet an angry puma who wanted to eat him for dinner. His grip tightened on his blade as he slashed his blade toward the puma. He needed to focus otherwise Aura would have no one to help her. "Jalen, Ivy, Rhys, I know this is probably the last battle you would ever want to have, but I need your assistance… If I have learned anything over the last two months, it's that Aura is stronger...than any woman I have ever known….I won't pretend that I am not going crazy over her disappearance, but she... will hold out until we are done here...Injured or not…" His speech was broken from his fight against the agile puma, but his friends nodded in agreement. "Aura...hang on."

  Ivy sprinted toward the royals while Jalen and Rhys tried to disable the shifters surrounding Dax. A wolf had penetrated the royals' defense, so she made a quick leap, landing on the wolf’s back in time to snap its neck. Ivy stood in front of the royals to block any more intruders from reaching them. "Worry not, your highness. I will protect you." Ivy gave a sincere smile. The queen nodded.

  Queen Galadriel was becoming antsy. A large battlefield was happening just in front of her, but she couldn’t participate because the stupid king next to her kept telling her not to soil her hands. She wished she would punch the ogre in the face to shut his pie hole. All she had heard today was his boasting tales and how much of a philanthropist he was. Queen Galadriel didn't believe his tall tales for a second. In fact, this whole battle was hard to believe. First, the herbalist woman shifted into a beast while trying to charge at her. Then, these shifters pop out of the forest like wild daisies, attacking this village while she was here. King Hexion was even acting suspiciously with the way he tried to keep her out of the fight. Now, this elf woman was standing guard in front of her when Queen Galadriel wanted nothing more than to enter the brawl.

  More shifters broke through the lines trying to defend the royals. Ivy fought off two before jumping in front of the queen when a monkey shifter tried to stab her. Ivy took the knife and snapped the monkey's neck as a mercy kill. Only God knows what hell these shifters were in with the Grim Guild. Chaos erupted around the royals, so Ivy took the opportunity to pull the queen and one of the royal guards away. They snuck into one of the shops outside the village away from prying eyes.

  "Sorry, your highness, for my abruptness, but we need to talk," Ivy said quietly.

  "It's fine. You saved me from the annoying king. All is forgiven. What is troubling you, my dear?" Queen Galadriel answered.

  Ivy let out a sigh of relief as she saw Stell walk out of the back room. "Queen Galadriel, I am Ivy MorJor of Le'Anisa. This is my friend, Stell. We have reason to believe that the Grim Guild is behind this attack, using shifters to either kill you or your political proposals."

  "That's the craziest thing that I have heard all day, which means it's probably true. How are they using shifters?" Queen Galadriel responded.

  "Well, my lady, we believe the guild master is a siren of sorts like myself. When I call upon you, your body automatically comes to me, and you lose your mind. He's taken that ability and corrupted it. Maybe with magic? I am not sure." Stell said, spiritedly.

  "Okay. What's your plan?" Queen Galadriel asked.

  "We are so glad you asked!" Stell grinned happily. Ivy rolled her eyes at her friend, and Queen Galadriel was amused at Stell’s excitement. "How do you feel about magic?"