KING OF BEASTS (Hiatus)

Ares and the rest of his Terrific Ten explored through the village to see if any of the rhinofolk remained. There were a handful that had been injured, some in various stages of being wounded. One particular rhinofolk, an older woman, had been struck with several arrows deep within her. By the time Ares had reached her, the life had faded from her eyes. Ares felt the coolness set to him and he clenched his fists.

 

That sucked. That really sucked. He was seconds away from potentially saving her. There were many others that were faring much better, though they were equal parts suspicious and fearful of the newcomers that had arrived.

 

“Reveal yourselves quickly, we don’t have much time to waste,” Ares said as he dropped down to then burn the skin of various rhinofolk, closing branding and closing their wounds. He did not use his flames of healing, though no doubt if he saw a child that was bleeding out, he would be compelled to do so. The flames of healing were for Riveans, at least for now. He hadn’t even healed his scouts after all.

 

A few of the rhinofolk revealed themselves, some wielding spears, but none really had anything beyond such a thing, except for a handful of blades and axes which seemed to be more used for crafting and such than to fight with.

 

Ares shifted his hand to flames. “I will close the wounds of any of you seriously injured.”

 

They gasped when they saw such a thing and then dropped their weapons, drawing a few steps away.

 

“Come!” Ares exclaimed, urging them closer. “It’ll hurt, but I won’t kill you.”

 

“You’re that Ares fellow, aren’t you?” a young man said.

 

Ares nodded his head and their faces filled with fear. All grew silent and cold for a long moment.

 

Torak stepped forward. “We are delegates sent from Rivea, sent by both the King,” he motioned a hand to Ares, “as well as another, our Consul. We can see that you have gone through something dark, but it was we who managed to stop such a matter. If you do not wish to listen, then we will leave you to die here. The boarfolk might return seeing that we’ve left so quickly without any of you.”

 

“Left? Where will you go?” the young man said.

 

“I’m going to check on those that managed to escape,” Ares said. “See if they need any help or if any of them are willing to join Rivea.”

 

“If they refuse?”

 

“Then they refuse.” Ares shrugged. “I’m not going to force anyone, not right now anyway.”

 

The man nodded his head as an older woman walked forward. “Why have you come here?”

 

“Like my companion Torak said, I’m here as part of a delegate crew. I’ve come to assist those that may need it in offering them a place at Rivea, and those that don’t a simple warning.”

 

“What warning is this?”

 

Ares looked all about himself. “This entire land will belong to Rivea soon enough. Whether you are here or not, it will all belong to Rivea. If you want to live, you may leave elsewhere, but know that Rivea will come there too, as long as it remains on this entire landmass. This has been rightly divined to me by Rivee, and I will listen to such a wish.”

 

“We have heard rumours of such things…” the older woman said before growing silent.

 

Ares merely nodded, waiting to see what the woman would say. She apparently needed to think for a long while, before eventually saying.

 

“It is but one of those things.”

 

Ares nodded his head. That was the way of the world after all. The strong rule the weak, the rich over the poor. Ares was the strong in this situation.

 

The rhinofolk gave in, allowing Ares and the others to tend to them.

 

“Do you know where your peoples are going?” Ares asked as they had finished with saving those that could be saved. Those that had succumbed to their wounds had done so fairly quickly. Ares had shifted their bodies away, telling the rhinofolk he would return the bodies later when they had met with the larger host.

 

“They will be heading to the nearby village for safety,” the old woman, Sippka said.

 

“How long will it take for us to get there?”

 

“A little after dusk.”

 

“That late?”

 

“They will not move through the night, I don’t think so.”

 

Ares nodded at her, letting her lead the way. There were close to twenty of them that remained, with one or two children too.

 

They travelled for a long while, most of them keeping to themselves. Ares was near the front, with Heria trekking off on one side and Saykkera on the other. Orndu and Ezak were beside him, where as everyone else brought up the rear.

 

They travelled beyond dusk and into the night before Ares saw some movement up ahead. There were many figures, all spread apart, hiding under some earth.

 

“Your people, I think.” Ares motion with a hand, though Sippka couldn’t see.

 

Ares then decided to lead the way before he then came up with an idea.

 

“Heria,” he called for the wolffolk.

 

She arrived soon after and Ares asked for an arrow. She handed it over and then Ares slathered a bit in some fat before burning it. “Shoot it over there,” he pointed with a confident finger.

 

Heria did so, but after a couple of moments the fire drifted off. Ares stared at the arrow that had landed some ways away. Ares reached up and hid his face behind his hand, embarrassed.

 

He sighed.

 

Ares looked over to Heria and then shook his head. He then summoned a spear, cracking off the head before wrapping it some rags and then some fat all over that before he shifted his hand and inflamed it.

 

“That’s a much better idea,” Heria whispered quietly to him.

 

“Yeah, thanks…” Ares frowned and then raised his brow at her.

 

There was a long whistle and cry from the rhinofolk in the dark. Sippka whistled and cried back to them. Ares looked at her.

 

He had no idea where or not she had condemned them to a fight.