KING OF BEASTS (Hiatus)

“What is that?” Ares asked.

 

In the distance he could see a rock. It wasn’t quite a rock, not like the rocks he knew at least. The rocks he knew were sedentary, they didn’t grow legs and then begin to move across the land. The rocky creature was massive, even from this distance Ares could tell it’s size was beyond of his entire group put together.

 

“A roc,” Ozondo whispered with great delight, far too much for Ares’ liking.

 

“A rock”?”

 

“Roc,” Ozondo repeated.

 

“Roc?”

 

Ozondo nodded. “A child of the earth, though not one that we dwarves are keen to see around. They love to eat rocks and gems, they seek out valuable ore and gems to consume in order to strengthen themselves. If they grow too powerful only a regiment of dwarves can destroy them, nothing less.”

 

“Does it’s size matter at all?”

 

“It’s large so we can assume it is an adult.”

 

“What does that mean?”

 

“It is an adult. It has lived for at least five centuries. They usually lie dormant until they grow hungry and seek some more food.”

 

“So it’s searching for valuables?”

 

“That’s right,” Ozondo said with a nod of his head, pointing up towards it. “It can smell gems and ore from miles away.”

 

Ares turned to look at Torak. “Could I bring it here?” Ares asked as politely as he could.

 

“Bring it here?” Torak asked. “What are you planning.”

 

“Oh just… to say hello.”

 

“What kind of hello?” Torak raised his brow suspiciously.

 

Ares smiled innocently.

 

Torak tapped his fingers onto his bicep as he had once seen Ares do. The large oxfolk looked out into the distance and then back to Ares. He sighed.

 

“Will we be able to defeat it?” Torak asked Ozondo.

 

“No, you won’t be able to.”

 

“Not even with the help of a dwarf such as yourself?”

 

Ozondo raised his brows. “If you are strong as you say, perhaps you would be able to defeat it.”

 

“I’m not as strong as I claim to be,” Ares said as he looked out to the distance. A small smile grew on his face. “I’m stronger.”

 

It was then Ares summoned a few gems into his hand, holding it up into the air. The creature continued to tumble along before it finally stopped, sniffed the air, and then turned to look towards Ares and his group. It began to speed its way towards them, though it moved slow and lumbering, its sheer size allowing it to bound many paces at once.

 

“Get ready,” Ares said as he summoned a spear into his hand.

 

Ozondo was keeping a keen eye on Ares, seeing how he could summon things from nothing, although having no idea how he could do such a thing.

 

The group spread out, Ares in the middle with Orndu.

 

“Uh, Orndu, would you mind stepping aside?”

 

“I will not,” he said, grasping at his spear tight, “I am Orndu, son of Orndu, Captain of the Roaring Tridents.”

 

Ares sighed and then nodded. “Fine, fine…”

 

Ares awaited as the creature grew larger and larger as it drew closer, it’s body still lumbering about. The ground shook with each heavy step, the world seeming as though it would crumble under it’s heavy weight. Ares smiled to himself as it continued to draw ever closer.

 

It was a large creature, it’s entire body covered in plates of rock. It’s face was like a rhino without it’s horns, and where there were no plates there was thick wrinkled skin like that of a rhino. Its movement was closer to that of a slow elephant, though it was far larger than any elephant Ares had ever seen in pictures or otherwise.

 

His heart pounded within his chest as it sped up. Ares tossed the gems into the air and the creatures eyes flashed over to them. Ares then raised his spear and motioned with it. He summoned various spears from within his ring which shot out forward, though many merely bounced off of it’s rocky plated hide, a few managed to stick into its skin and it let out a pained roar.

 

The others were upon it quickly, trying to pierce into it’s skin with great vigor, though they usually struck rocky plate too. Yet the beast did not fall, instead it swung its giant body about and crashed into the slow Ezak, causing him to fly off.

 

“Ezak! Careful!” Ares exclaimed as he quickly rushed up to the boy, dropping down to knee to check on him.

 

Ezak groaned on the ground but looked up at Ares. “I’m alright,” he managed with a low groan.

 

“Take it easy,” Ares said, “just use some water and pelt at it.” Then Ares turned to look back at the creature which had swallowed the gems and then turned to look at its assailants all about it.

 

Its body shifted until it was finally a ball and then it rolled over towards Uta and Torak, who went feral to escape the deathly roll, before it then stood to look at the others all the while Zika had climbed it. She continued to climb forward and grabbed at its head, though the moment she had the Roc then curled into a ball once more, causing her to let go as it began to roll around.

 

“It’s defence is too high for us,” Ares said as his mind raced. The creature wasn’t exactly as deadly as he expected, but he assumed the issue came with the fact it would take so long to take it down. How could he kill it without wasting too much time so that his fellows would not die.

 

Ozondo watched as the group assaulted it, staying near Ezak as Ares began to march forward to the beast.

 

“I wonder…” Ares said as he summoned a spear into his hand. He looked out to the creature and then concentrated his mind as the spear then began to turn into lightning. He tossed the spear forth and it crashed against the creature.

 

An alarmingly powerful screech filled the air, so powerful that even Zika was blasted back by it. The creature continued to screech in pain as Ares set upon it a number of more spears of lightning until finally it thrashed about, knocking over several of his companions until the creature then fell, dead.

 

Ares looked out to his allies. “Is everyone alright?” he asked as he checked on his companions.

 

“We’re fine,” Torak said as he checked on everyone before turning back to Ares.

 

Ares looked into Torak’s eyes and then nodded before turning to face the dwarf.

 

“I thought that was going to be more difficult,” Ares said.

 

“Me too,” the dwarf replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

 

“That was disappointing…” Ares raised a hand and then shifted away the large creature, causing an audible gasp from the dwarf’s lips.

 

Ares turned to the rest of his companions, each of whom had attacked the beast with careful consideration. Then he turned to Ezak and checked on the youngster, who seemed to be fine.

 

“Well… uh… I suppose let’s just make camp and eat,” Ares said with great disappointment.

 

They began their routine as they made camp for the night. They had travelled for a couple of days with the dwarf now, moving forward and backwards between certain areas as he seemed to follow the whispers of the earth, which kept causing him to backtrack now and again.

 

Ares just assumed he was getting lost.

 

“How long until you’re done with your journey?” Ares asked.

 

“A few more days,” Ozondo said. “These upper lands are not the same as our tunnels.”

 

“I’m planning on making a large number of roads soon, so hopefully when they are finished such journeys are simpler.”

 

“You would make a road out to here?” Uta asked.

 

“Probably to whatever city I want to establish out here.”

 

“You would come this far? Why?” Uta furrowed his brows in confusion.

 

“Hopefully our people will number in the thousands,” Ares said. “The hundreds of thousands. I would like, more than anything, to have millions, but I don’t think there are that many beastfolk on this continent.”

 

“There are,” Ezak said as he looked up at Ares.

 

“What?” Ares asked.

 

“There are millions.”

 

Ares looked to Torak and the others, who all seemed to agree with Ezak.

 

“What do you mean?” Ares stared at Torak.

 

“There are a large number to the far west.”

 

“There are?”

 

“Yes.” Torak nodded.

 

Ares looked at the others once more, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. “You’re kidding, right?”

 

Torak shook his head. “Our federation of Horns was the largest for some ways, but there are cities to the far west that easily have a hundred thousand or more.”

 

Ares’ mouth opened like a fish out of water, disbelief rushing through him. “Are you… what?”

 

“You did not know?” Torak asked.

 

“No! No one told me!” Ares exclaimed. “Here I was worrying about the population of Rivea…” Ares sighed. “I suppose I’ll have to keep worrying if there are such people to the far west… what about the humans? How many of them are there?”

 

Torak shrugged. “We do not know, but at least an equal amount if we are to be safe, many more most likely.”

 

Ares sighed. His ears then perked up as he looked up into the distance seeing a cloud of dust beginning to roll through the land towards them.

 

“What is that?” Ares asked.