Aura fled the underground village that had been her home since her birth. Flashes of her parents, sister, and friends crossed her mind. Her heart ached as she ran deeper into the Burnt Bark Woods toward the Village of Lilies. She wondered what awaited her there since she left Dax yesterday with no explanation. The moons were beginning to drift down toward the horizon. Her body ached from battle, tumbling with her sister and the break of the bond with Alpha Enoch. Enoch had chosen to exile her instead of just letting her leave, but it was probably for the best. Her body was tired as she ran through the forest. She detoured past the battlefield to find no sign of the battle, only to find a new clearing where they had been. Aura surmised the clearing was created from terrain magic although she had no idea who could have done this. At least their battle was buried, but the Grim Guild would likely strike again. Another mystery that she needed to look into.

Aura kept on her way to the Village of Lilies. Her body was beginning to fall apart from the day’s activities. The bandages her sister had made for her were falling apart, and her wounds were beginning to bleed. A thick fog suddenly filled the air around her. Her vision was beginning to haze when she heard the shrillest laughter from behind her. She turned around to see a blurry, yellow figure, standing before her. Aura wanted to call out for help, but being exiled from her clan and still too far from the village for anyone to hear her, she was alone. The blurry, yellow figure swooped her up into its arms, and Aura wiggled, scratched, howled, growled, and bit at the figure with no luck. The blurry, yellow figure was unphased by Aura’s attempts to escape. Aura looked down only to find that the ground was getting further and further away. She looked back at the yellow figure, and she could barely make out shiny wings. Crap. Was the yellow figure a fairy or a sprite?

Aura watched as they flew over the Burnt Bark Woods. It didn't take long for her to realize that they were headed to the Grim Guild. Aura had planned on dealing with them eventually, but she guessed that it would be sooner rather than later. Why had this fairy or sprite decided to work with the Grim Guild? Sprites and fairies were not native to Lunaris. It made little sense unless this yellow figure was a mercenary, collecting some sort of bounty.

Aura tried to focus her vision on her captor. Whatever was in that fog has seriously messed with her senses and reflexes. She blinked a few times trying to clear away the haze. Her captor was muscular and held her with its two left arms. If her captor had four arms then it was likely a fairy. A yellow-skinned, muscular, and what seemed to be a brown, long-haired fairy. The body shape was broad, making her captor a male. She wanted to ask her captor what she was drugged with, but she was in able in wolf form. All she could do was whimper.

The shrill laughter spilled out of the male fairy's mouth as he flew closer to a large black building that was almost castle-like. Aura wondered how such a large male fairy was capable of such a high-pitched sound. The male fairy said nothing as they came in for a landing in front of the Grim Guild. Aura could barely make out the peaks as they descended. The sun was ready to rise on the horizon as Aura was thrown into a cage along the dirt road in front of the guild. Aura was worn out from everything that she had faced yesterday. The bars of the cage were small and cold against Aura's fur. More shrill laughter filled the air while Aura’s eyes forced themselves shut.

She could hear more hunters approaching the cage to get a look at the latest catch. Aura quietly listened as the shrill voice of the yellow, male fairy began to speak. “Told ya, I’d find one.”

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“Yes. Yes,” An older-sounding voice placated the fairy. “You did good work, fairy boy. You caught one of the dreaded wolf beast shifters although the beast appears weak. It must have been an easy catch.”

“Ungrateful, aren’t ya, Tabusco?” The shrill, male fairy seemed offended at the older voice called Tabusco’s words. “Ya ask for a wolfie, and ya gots it.”

“I just expected more out of you, fairy boy,” Tabusco said. “The one damaged wolf beast. There is no way just one little could beat forty hunters from the Grim Guild. You were hired to find every wolf beast shifter that slaughtered my guild members. There should be a whole pack of them!”

“Fine. I’ll find others. But my name’s Oberon, not fairy boy!” The shrill, male fairy spat back. Aura heard Oberon’s wings spread open as he took to the skies yet again, leaving Aura alone in the cage with some Grim Guild member named Tabusco.

“You poor, injured wolf beast. You have no idea what will become of you, do you?” Tabusco let out a hardy laugh. “Perhaps, I will turn you into a rug for my room once our benefactor no longer needs you.”

“Tabusco! Are you talkin’ to the beasts again?” A loud voice called. Aura wondered who could be joining in on the taunting now. She already started a list of people that planned to kill once she recovered from this drug in her system.

“Crap. Princess Crisela is here.” Tabusco muttered under his breath as a big person approached. Aura could hear each stomp of their footsteps hit the ground. This person was either an ogre, a dragon, or a giant from the sound of the footsteps.

“Tabusco! Where is Guild Master Shadow? I want to complain.” The deep female voice questioned.

Tabusco cleared his throat nervously. “Princess Crisela, surely, I can help you. Guild Master Shadow has gone on an important errand.”

“Ugh! This process is taking way too long can’t we just kill the stupid elf queen, already? I want to go home, but daddy said I had to stay here until you finish your jobs!” Princess Crisela whined.

Tabusco quickly changed his tune to soothe the princess. He urged her to have patience, so she would be able to go home soon. Tabusco explained that they only need a few more shifters, so they could blame the elf queen’s demise on an accident. He encouraged her to return to her potion work, so they had enough to fulfill their plans, and the princess sighed and left. Tabusco huffed to himself in relief.

Tabusco had little time to rest when another person approached, not as big sounding as the princess. The person didn’t speak, but Tabusco went on and on about Oderon, the fairy, and Princess Crisela, some large race person. He spoke of his dissatisfaction with the injured shifter that the fairy had brought back from the suspected battlefield.

Suddenly, Aura felt another body’s warmth beside the cage. If only her eyes would open, she could see the person inspecting her. Aura heard the cage door open as the person picked her up out of the cage. The drug in her system kept Aura from responding to this person manhandling her. Aura decided this person should be number one on her kill list as he inspected every part of her. She felt violated by this person although she was glad she was stuck in her wolf form for the moment. The person had large hands that were coarse from laborious jobs. Strength came in spades for this person with the way Aura was being tossed about like a ball. Finally, the strange person placed Aura back in the cage and closed the door. Aura could barely hear a whisper outside of the cage.

“Are you sure, guild master?” Tabusco asked with surprise in his voice.

Again, Aura could barely hear a whispering low voice. She tried to force her eyes to open, but she had no luck in her attempts. She heard Tabusco agree to the whispering voice which made her panic. The second person left the area around her cage, which calmed Aura’s internal panic. Still, she had been faced to face with the Grim Guild’s Guild Master Shadow, which only elite members of the Grim Guild had seen. Just what was the guild master wanting with her?

“Oh, little beast, you are going to wish you were never born.” Tabusco hackled like a madman as he threw a trape over Aura’s cage. “Rest while you can.” He taunted as he walked away when Aura felt her cage being lifted. Aura had no idea where she was going, but it was clear that she was alone this time. She felt truly exiled.