KING OF BEASTS (Hiatus)

Ares spoke of what he had come for, wishing to see how the buffalofolk had been faring with the loss of many of their warriors.

 

“I see that you are all well and that many of your warriors remain here,” Ares said as he looked about the huge buffalofolk warriors. “Why is that the case?”

 

“Ittalharn understood that we would only send a small number of our warriors, for each of ours hold great power. Our village, though small, would join Ittalharn if he managed to defeat the pretender of Rivee, that was to say who we thought you were,” Boranran said as to not bring shame to Ares.

 

“A pretender of Rivee, I see. Is that the sentiment that is carried with my name?” Ares asked, wondering just how that could be. It was not unsurprising, for he had yet to make himself truly known to the others.

 

“We had expected it to take a long while, this war, and yet when I saw you, I had to wonder. Is this the last of Rivea, or perhaps you had truly defeated Ittalhard… the head which does not speak seems true,” Boranran said, looking at the head that was still glued off aside.

 

Ares raised a finger and the head was gone, out of sight as the sun would do once it had done it’s work for the day, and so the head had confirmed Ares’ words, or at least gave them much more weight for Boranran to think over.

 

“True enough. Rivea will soon be well after the assault, and our numbers will grow. Once that has occurred we will make great haste in incorporating the nearby tribes into our fold, and then we will expand further. To the West where the lionfolk already war, to the south where rhinofolk are already preparing themselves against our inevitable onslaught, to the east of them where the boarfolk roam whom already have received what little mercy I had offered them, and of course here, where already I have almost been struck by cowardice, and even now I wonder if perhaps I have yet to seen all the cowardice the buffalofolk have to offer,” Ares said as he looked over his shoulder. “No, it seems Orndu once again is warding off such cowardice.”

 

“It was indeed cowardice that my brother had taken his axe and swung it so wrongly at you, though I know why, it was not something that speaks true of all my peoples, just those that do not think with their mind but rather their blades.” Boranran looked over to Orazuta who was already grinding his teeth, wishing to grind Ares under his axe no doubt.

 

“You say you have met with Rivee, is this true?” Boranran asked soon after as he bit into his large portion of meat. Ares ate his own, for it was delicious. It had been grilled and lathered in a bit of fat, as well as some herbs and spice, and even a little of Ezak’s own stash which was only sparsely applied due to the Bitan’s warnings.

 

“I’ve met Rivee,” Ares nodded, recalling when he had spoken to Levi. The last time they had met truly, Levi had saved his daughter’s life. “So has my daughter, whom Rivee had saved.”

 

“Your daughter?”

 

“My little Runar, who is the cutest in the world. Perhaps one day you’ll be able to meet her,” Ares said as he then began to fawn over his little daughter, as though he was the kind of businessman who held a picture of his daughter in his wallet and then drunkenly would shower her in praise to everyone with great embarrassment for all.

 

Torak eventually cleared his throat and then sipped on some milk. Ares threw a harsh look towards Torak, wishing to continue to speak so lovingly about his daughter.

 

“You say she has small horns?” Boranran asked, looking over Ares. “You have no horns, are you able to have children with such horns?”

 

“I’ll have to find out. Runar’s parents were others, she was offered up to die due to holding a weak body. I had saved her and made her my daughter. My wife, the Queen of Rivea, Lana who was once a Horn like Torak, will confirm whether or not I will have a child with horns. It is only a matter of time.”

 

Boranran nodded his head, understanding the situation. “This is not unknown, adopting one’s children into your own clan when you defeated others. Is that what you had planned when you had come here?”

 

“Something like that. I didn’t adopt Runar because I defeated anyone, I adopted her because I do not wish to see children die before me. I am not so powerless to allow such a thing,” Ares said with a low growl in his voice.

 

There was more talk of what it meant to be Rivean, as Ares had done with with the rhinofolk, and Boranran grew silent in thought. Ares looked out to the others who held suspicious glances, muttering between one another about Ares’ claims.

 

Then finally Ares smiled, a smile that held within it a savagery that he was not yet used to employing. “As you and your people think on it, isn’t there some entertainment me and mine could partake in?” Ares asked as he stared at the one known as Orazuta, who was holding an equally savage smile on his face.

 

“Let us speak then with our fists and blade, Ares King of Waters!” Orazuta snarled towards Ares, getting to his feet to stand tall like a mountain against the skyline.

 

Ares hopped up far more gracefully, more like a dancer. Yet Ares also knew that he was as strong as a mountain, wondering if these bulky warriors were as strong as he wanted them to be.

 

“I will admit that I was almost felled by your great buffalofolk warriors, I am uncertain if they were of this tribe, for none were as tall or wide as you, but they had surrounded me in such a manner that I was unable to truly fight back. Perhaps it was my own folly to believe I could handle a hundred feral warriors by myself, but it was a good thing that the mighty warrior Zika was at my back.” Ares turned to face her. “Would you be willing to once more fight at my side?”

 

Zika stood up and cracked her neck, rolling her shoulders before her eyes fell onto the great warriors. “It is my great honour, Ares.”

 

“What of you, Orndu? I suppose you have some words to exchange with Uta, or I suppose Orazuta, with how cowardly he had behaved to strike me mid-speech?”

 

Orndu stood, ready and eager to fight as he reached for his blade, wrapping his eager digits around the hilt as his eyes fell to Uta.

 

“I know that Beor is itching for a fight as well, but I would feel too poor to allow so many Riveans to fight when you are only bringing forth about ten of your own. Three is enough,” Ares said with a growing sense of pride, though he could recall when his pride had betrayed him once more. “Since you are so cowardly I suppose three of yours for each one of mine should be enough, or would you like more?”

 

Orazuta’s veins threatened to burst forth as he grew red hot with rage, but Boranran stood up. “We shall face you with three of our own, if it so pleases you, honourable King?”

 

Ares looked to Boranran who punched Orazuta lightly across the arm and then glared into him. Ares nodded his head and then glanced between them all, wondering which of the mountainous warriors were ready to face Ares and his own.

 

“So who is it that you wish to face me and mine in our battle? How would you like for it to occur?” Ares asked as he readied himself. Jiaga remained focused behind them, now with the help of Torak, who seemed bored of the affair.

 

“If the King is fighting, then I must or shame will come to me and mine, Orazuta will come and face you and yours, and so will Lailina,” he said as he motioned to the one great mass wall of a woman that Ares had seen arrive with Orazuta in the morning.

 

“I will accept then,” Ares said as he looked at the woman, nodding his head. “Then I suppose it will be fair if I face you, oh great chief, and then Orndu your Orazuta, and my Zika against your Lailina?”

 

“If that is how you wish for it,” Boranran said.

 

“What say you to a small wager?” Ares asked with a playful smirk.

 

“What is this wager, and how small do you wish?”

 

“It is simple. If Rivea wins, each member will be allowed to take a single weapon from you and yours.”

 

“What if it is me and mine that defeat yours?”

 

“You won’t, so we don’t have to speak of it, but I suppose the same will be offered in return. I have many weapons with me,” Ares said as he waved a hand and then started piling spears, sword and javelins all across the ground before he then pulled his hand away and they all disappeared. “What say you?” Ares asked.

 

“Very well,” Boranran said. “We shall fight outside the village, for we may need some space, and you and yours may use it as well.”

 

Ares nodded and so the chief led him out. The large crowd gathered as the pair stared at one another, the great mass wall of muscle, as well as the much smaller and arrogant King.

 

“Orazuta is eager for the fight, may he start first?”

 

Ares nodded his head as Orndu stepped forth and the pair readied for their bout.