Hmm… I wrote this chapter really fast so I'm not sure it came out as I wanted it to come out but oh well

enjoy

"Is something wrong?" Ormaine's voice startled the very irritated Auria. She placed her hand on Auria's shoulder and attempted to direct her gaze to the object that had caught Auria's attention.

"I'm fine Ormaine…" Auria snapped.

Ormaine shook her head and then breathed out tiredly. "You must learn to tolerate Ierek. You cannot let him take such an effect on your emotions."

Auria only wished that she could do as Ormaine wished and forget. Yet the fear for Ulrik's life after seeing Ierek ate at her incessantly.

"Come… the elders are about to speak and start the Ordeal… we must stand by them." Ormaine said before she began to walk toward the elders. Auria followed, directing her gaze to the very troubled Lumina.

Lumina stood far off from the crowd, looking on toward Ierek who had begun to prepare. Her face was pallid with fear and her hair and skin looked sickly. She had been crying and Auria could not figure out why. Had she in fact poisoned him after all? Was the effect of the poison slowly taking over his body? Or was she simply afraid for not doing so… afraid to lose him forever to death or simply to another woman.

The elders began to speak, setting up the rules for the match and gathering all the willing men together. Now that the men stood close to each other, Ulrik included, the group appeared to be smaller. Not many felt like going up against Ierek after all. If Ierek were to win, it would mean death to those who fought him. Yet none of those men displayed the qualities of a leader and able fighter. They stood, half shifted into the wolf form and bathed in the light of the moon. It would be the men that would fight first. It would be the last fighter standing undefeated that would win the match whether they left their opponent dead or not. Auria felt a shiver go down her spine as she sensed the smell of death slowly overtake her.

The men gathered in a circle and then shifted into their wolf form as they howled one last cry to the glorious moon before they began the Ordeal. It was a fest of blood, fangs, and savage bestiality that appeared to overtake all of them. The women and other onlookers watched intently, many praying for their lovers and worried mothers crying for their sons. The crowd became intoxicated with the rush of the fight, many pushing their fighters on and others simply crying to the moon for a good ruler.

Auria did not flinch as the other women; she had seen much more bloodshed that the one displayed to them that night. The only thing that kept her on edge was Ulrik. She recognized him in his glorious wolf form just as she had recognized the unmistakable black wolf form of Ierek. They were the only ones that mattered. Both of them defeated their opponents effortlessly until it was just the two of them facing each other and ready to tear each other apart.

Both of them had known each other as children, when Istain was still considered harmless and a friend. Had Ierek recognized Ulrik? Auria was sure he knew. When they began to fight, Ierek's sudden viciousness had been sprung from the fear of keeping Ulrik alive. Yet, each attempt to deliver a fatal blow to Ulrik only weakened Ierek. He began to lose his strength and had already suffered a few a fatal blows that weakened him. Meanwhile Ulrik remained unscathed and stronger. The anger that Ulrik had spent all those years in exile harboring burst out at that moment as he launched himself towards Ierek and delivered a fatal bite to his neck. His teeth pierced the fur covered skin and then a bone crack was heard. Ierek fell to the ground, his lifeless eyes looking up at the sky and his neck covered in blood. Dead.

A cry from Lumina could be heard as she stood stock still, pale with fear and anguish. She looked on, her eyes fixed on the lifeless Ierek as everyone else stared aghast. Ulrik stood as he shifted into his demi-form, for a moment blinking and staring at Ierek in surprise. The blood on his mouth dripped down to his chest and gleamed in the moonlight. He himself could not believe that Ierek… the last remnant of an awful past was dead.