KING OF BEASTS (Hiatus)

Runar almost crashed against Ares' leg, though he moved aside and then tried to squat down to pick her up. The pain flared through his body like hot fire and he retreated back to his walking stick, trying his hardest to not fall. He managed to hide the wince with a small smile as Runar looked up at him, her arms up for him to pick her up.

Ares' inhaled deeply and then reached down to hold her hand, which she grabbed with her hands and then tried to grab further up his arm before finally bringing up her arms in motion to be picked up.

Ares frowned. Oh how he had fallen, from a King that was once leading ten thousand with many more joining him, to now only, what, five thousand or so? Was it less? He couldn't quite recall. Worst of all he could no longer pick up his daughter.

No. Such would not do. He would pick her up even if it meant he would keep over. He reached down, crouching his knees slightly as he picked her up with his left hand, grasping her just under her underarm before pinning her to his chest, letting her sit against the crook of his elbow.

He ground his teeth as the pain filled him. The effort of raising his daughter had been great, to the point he could barely hear anything. His ears rang for a short while as he saw Lana try to say something to him. He stepped closer to her and bowed his head.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Ares said. "I've just been sleeping for so long so I need a few moments to catch myself." Yet Ares knew there was something else to it. He had grown weak due to the wound, and even now as the heat continued to fight back against the curse, his legs were at a perpetual state of almost collapsing.

Runar hugged him though, wrapping an arm around his back as she sucked on her thumb, her head pressing against his chest. Ares kept her close, even though with each passing second the pain grew harsher, as though flames were catching pieces of dry wood.

Lana reached around to his elbow and held onto it, guiding him around as the three sets of guards escorted them around.

Ares and his company found Ares' twins, the little Ozar and Ozri, who were currently with Torak. He was roughhousing with them, grabbing them and tossing them around now and again as Ozar tried to tackle the larger man down, though found himself being held upside down. Ozar apparently found that hilarious as he'd babble and giggle with delight. Ozri, however, remained nearby, sometimes grasping and crying when Torak would toss him around.

"Torak-kin," Ares said with great pain as he finally relented and handed Runar to Lana. He kissed the girl's forehead as she reached over to go back to her father, but Lana kept the little girl to her side.

"Ares-kin, I see you're well."

"As well as I can be."

"What need have you of me?" Torak asked, though Ares could see within his eyes an apprehension. It seemed as though Torak knew what Ares wanted.

"How is everyone? The magnificent seven, or whatever we were at the end of everything."

"Let us walk," Torak said as he motioned with his head.

Ares followed Torak, a pair of his Roaring Tridents accompanying him as Lana remained with the children, tossing Runar and Ozar up to keep them entertained.

Torak led Ares away quite far, away from any prying ears that may be wanting to eavesdrop. The Roaring Tridents remained, of course, but they were Ares' trusted guards and so they were fine to listen in.

"Uta and Orndu are missing, either dead or within the captivity of rhinofolk."

"Rhinofolk?" Ares asked, barely able to understand what Torak was saying.

"A had come across a few enemies on our way back after you had…" Torak stopped. He glanced aside and then motioned with his head. "Come, let's find a place to sit."

Ares raised a hand and shifted the earth so they had a small wall they could sit on.

"You had taken the blow, tossing Ezak out of harm's way. You went unconscious right after and we returned to the horses. Ozondo came with us, he was unsure of what was happening. Orndu did not trust the dwarf, but I took charge, being the one that you have entrusted with your children, I had earned that right."

Ares nodded his head. It was sound logic, Torak had been someone Ares had known for a long time. Orndu was his guard, yes, but Torak was a friend. He trusted both greatly, but Torak had years of experience in such matters.

"So we bolted away to safety. There were some issues, that of food and water, but sometimes it would rain. You had awoken a few times, and the rain would come hashest then. There was a time we were being chased by some rhinofolk and you had awoken, the ground shifted around and we managed to evade them. However, we came across another group and then… Orndu and Uta turned and fought them. Zika remained by your side, Orndu had charged her with such a task. I led the others away. There were a few more incidents, but everyone else managed to survive in one piece."

"So Orndu and Uta are missing?"

"We presume them to be dead."

"How long was I out for?"

"Two weeks. It had been a few days since we have returned to Rivea. We rode quite hard, and we slew the horse gifted to Ezak in order to eat. He then rode with Zika after, but the meat managed to sustain us for a while, along with the rain."

"I'm sorry for what happened," Ares said as he reached up and rubbed his brow. He was sure there was more to the story, but if that's all Torak was going to tell him, that was fine by him. He could barely keep up with it.

"Is everyone else okay? Ezak, Beor? What of the dwarf?"

"They are fine. Ezak had been quite weak upon return, but in the few days he has gained much of it back. Beor is well, though he needs some rest. Zika is well, she managed to hunt for some food for us and so we owe her much. Ozondo remains within the custody of the Counsel and his guard. We were waiting for you to see what we should do."

Ares frowned. He wanted Rivea to be more independent. He'd need to work on that, he has been far too negligent on such a task.

"I'll speak with Rori and the others about Ozondo, and I'll need to speak with him too. Has he been treated well?"

"Yes. Not many know of what has happened to you."

"Did you tell anyone?"

"No, no one knows, save for us."

Ares glanced at his guards. They had heard quite a bit, except for what exactly had wounded him.

"It seems the curse has spread."

"I've noticed," Torak said with a nod. "It had spread during our journeys."

Ares sighed and rubbed his forehead. "It hurts like a fucker," he said with a groan. "It feels like I'm being constantly stabbed as long as I walk and sit. Laying down is better, but trying to stand from that is just…" Ares remained quiet. "I think that I'm weak, too weak. I still have some of my powers but… I can barely walk. I can't fight, not like this. There's so much to do. The villages nearby need to be assimilated as soon as possible. We need to send a rescue team for Uta and Orndu too. If they're dead, then we'll bring them back home so they can be buried here. Then we'll need to prepare for the war against the rhinofolk."

"There is much to do," Torak said, "but you need to rest. Recover as much as you can and then we can deal with everything else. What remains of the southern plains will be easy to conquer, even without your aid. We need to find a way to heal you."

"I know the way. I will need to do that too, but first Rivea must be secure."

"Rivea is secure," Torak said. "Even without our King, Rivea has managed to get fall. We confide in you, Ares, not because you're out King, but because we trust you have a vision for us, and we want to see it with you."

Ares nodded, wincing as the pain in his stomach flared up once more.

"Trust us with what you need. I will speak with Rori and Beria about your plans, about your orders to assimilate the nearby villages. Are there any rules you wish for our army to employ?"

"How big are the villages nearby?"

"Around a few hundred each. Some have already come to seek refuge, and I'm sure others have tried to prepare against you."

"Then send Heria with a thousand soldiers. Have her take five hundred wolffolk, if we have that much, three hundred hyenafolk, and two hundred…" Ares thought as his body grew hotter and heavier from the effort of it. "No. Ten oxfolk, but otherwise wolffolk and hyenafolk. The oxfolk will be her private guard, have them be made up of the Phoenix Guard or the elites, and equip them with whatever they need."

Ares grabbed onto his knee and tried to catch his breath. Speaking too much apparently hurt him too, as his breath came slightly ragged. "Don't kill kids. If they don't surrender, kill everyone but the children. Let them know the choice is to join or to die. That is the fire situation that Rivea is in."

Ares grew hot and heavy as Torak stepped forward and grabbed onto his shoulders.

"Good night," Ares said as he collapsed.