KING OF BEASTS (Hiatus)

"The mountain is rejecting us," Asyllia said. "These drakes were under the influence of two greater drakes, those of the skies." Asyllia was looking rather rough. She was still tall and strong, as Ares expected of her, but there were a large number of marks against her body from the fight.

Jin and his people were dissecting the creatures, though Ares had shifted most of the drakes away so they could eat them later. The hide would be useful as well, for they made decent armour.

"Wyverns," Ares said, wondering how he hadn't thought that the mountains beyond held such creatures. He wondered if there were other dragons too, those that were bigger and could shake the very heavens.

Asyllia's eyes snapped to Ares. "That is their name, yes. How do you know of it?" Her eyes remained trained on her King, curious.

"I know a great many things, Asyllia.” Ares smiled “If they are my enemy, I should know that much at least, or I won't be able to face them. Knowledge is power."

"Skywyrms, some call them, but wyverns are their names of old. These were but the weakest, though at this level even they can resist our roars. Only the First Dragon would be able to control them."

"Are they alright? The dragonfolk?"

"The skywyrms dare not attack we of the dragon blood."

"So why did they attack us?" Ares asked, now suspicious of the situation. "Did they notice that the dragonfolk were no longer our allies?"

"That is not the case," Asyllia urged. "The dragonfolk and Rivea are united, they are our allies."

Ares froze. He looked to Asyllia, brow raised. "They are our allies?"

"They would not betray us," she said firmly.

That was not what Ares was getting at. He smiled at how funny it was that she did not realise his intentions. She had firmly entrenched herself into Rivea, she was as Rivean as he. Such a thought brought him great joy, as though he was walking through a field of poppies on a spring morning with winter long past.

"I was just musing aloud," Ares said. "I meant nothing of it. I know the dragonfolk are our allies." Ares recalled the day when he had met with the First Dragon to deal with such a thing. Apparently, he had gotten so high that he didn't recall much, but he did recall that they had an agreement. The dragonfolk remained on their side, but they were allies. In Rivea's greatest time of need, they would be there. This was but a minor skirmish, even if it did end up destroying a small section of the city.

The builders were already at work trying to survey the damage and what they would need. Soldiers were posted out on duty, with Saykkera flying ahead to see if there were any more drakes ahead. They had reacted as quickly as they could, trying o see how much damage had been done to Rivea, as well as posting up guards both to look out for the drakes, but also to put the people at ease.

“We should have been worried that something like this was going to happen,” Ares said. He rubbed his forehead and shook his head, sighing out with great exhaustion. The wound had taken much out of him, and his near powerlessness against the drakes had taken even more. Being powerless had been the worst feeling, even in comparison to his stomach.

“Rivea’s activities are bringing out creatures who are not happy with the power you possess,” Asyllia said. “There may come a time where we will face bigger and stronger threats, for the mountain holds powers that have lain dormant since the time before, even before the ages of heroes, when those of Azen and his kin had once lived.”

Azen, the name had been so familiar to him. “Azen?” Ares asked.

“Azen,” Rori said. “The Bear King. Ozar was his son’s name, and the name that I had suggested for your son.”

Ares nodded. “I do recall now,” he said. “That seemed like another age.”

“It was,” Torak said, “in some respect.”

“This was before we met,” Ares said to Asyllia, “and before I came to conquer the mountain. I suppose one could say that I haven’t truly conquered the mountain as of yet.”

“You have conquered it,” Asyllia said. “It is only a matter of expanding your victory beyond, though we should be careful still. There is no need for us to expand across the entire mountain range, it would only upset great powers, and it wouldn’t give us much more strength. Rivea, the capital, is in the greatest spot.”

“You’re right,” Ares said with a nod of his head. “We should be careful expanding too far in, but we should at least create a border, a wall, between the enemy and us. I would like Rivea to be the highest spot for some ways, which may take some time.”

“We have a mine, a great abundance of natural resources, and heavy defences around,” Torak said. “We have the ability to grow a decent amount of food as well. Rivea is a well-rounded city, perfect as a capital.”

“Other cities we will specialise,” Ares said. “A region of cities for food, a region for production, so on and so forth. We should be careful to protect them all, for we shouldn’t develop a land only for it to be taken by invaders that seek to threaten Rivea hegemony.”

“We don’t have much hegemony,” Rori said. “Especially if we cannot defend our city from natural threats.”

“How ironic that we’ve looked one way for enemies, and turned our back against another.”

“It was a failing of our leadership,” Rori replied. “We should have known.”

“We should have.” Ares rubbed the side of his neck. “We can use this opportunity to learn more about our defences. We’ll create a few small towers around that section, temporary towers for now, and then we’ll deal with the dissolution or the creation of a Rivean fortress down the line.” Ares wondered what that could look like. Rivea, a fortress city, the last bastion.

“We will need to consider such a thing in the future,” Torak said.

“Something to speak to the dragonfolk about,” Rori said, “for they know much about these lands, more than even we, as I am reminded every time Asyllia speaks.”

“And every time Saykkera doesn’t.” Ares chuckled at his joke, cringing in pain, and then cringing further when no one else laughed. “I thought,” he said in between a gasp, “it was rather funny.”

“I’m sure you did,” Rori replied.

Torak almost snorted from Rori’s quip; they were so rare and often unexpected, like an invisible cobweb when one walked between two poles.

Ares had nothing to say in return, but luckily for him, Runar began to cry off in the distance. “I suppose that’s a call for me,” Ares said as he bowed his head and then left, leaving behind his Consul and the very few trusted members to deal with the issues remaining.

“I would like to speak with you soon,” Rori said.

Ares threw out a wave. “I’m always free to speak with you, come whenever you please, though hopefully when I’m not sleeping.”

Ares returned to Lana, who was soothing Runar by rocking her from side to side. She was humming a gentle tune, though stopped and offered the girl to her father. Ares plucked Runar from her mother and then rocked her. Runar looked up and then looked to find her father’s eyes, quietening from her cries until she lay her head on his chest.

“When did she wake up?” Ares asked.

“Just as she began to cry,” Lana said. “How goes the meeting?”

“It went rather well,” Ares said. “I think everyone else can deal with that.”

Lana smiled.

“What?” Ares asked.

“You are finally learning.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“You are finally placing more faith in your advisers.”

“I have great faith in my advisers, isn’t that why I am always leaving them in charge whilst I’m off galavanting across the continent?” Ares raised a brow.

“Galavanting?”

“Roaming around whimsically,” Ares said.

“That is just who you are,” she said. “Galavanting about from one day to the next.”

“Isn’t that why you married me?”

“No,” Lana replied firmly, “it’s not.”

Ares winced. “Why did you marry me?” he asked, cautious as a cat treading on a windowsill.

Lana looked off away and then back to Ares. “Why did I marry you?” she asked, as though it was a question directed towards herself.

“Ouch,” Ares said as he reached out to rub her side. “That hurts more than this wound.”

“You should remember that I am more painful than almost dying,” she said.

Ares let out a single scoff, wincing immediately after from the torrent of pain seizing his body. He leaned in to kiss her horn, causing her to wilt away from him in embarrassment. Ares couldn’t help but flash a smile and then he pressed his elbow against hers gently.

“Soon we’ll have a large number of immigrants coming into our country,” Ares said. “I will need you to assist Rori in dealing with such matters, and to show them how a Rivean is supposed to behave.”

“I will make sure to not behave similarly to you,” Lana said, narrowing her eyes like a cat up to mischief.

“I’m offended!” Ares smiled. “You’re the best Queen I could hope for, I hope you know that.”

Lana narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “What do you want from me?”

“Nothing, nothing…” Ares replied with a smirk. “Well then, shall we head to having some lunch? I’m sure everyone is hungry and it seems we were so kindly gifted some meat by the mountain.”

“What of the surprise?” Lana asked.

“The surprise?”

“The surprise you had promised to us, would it be a good idea to reveal it now?”

Ares thought about it for a long moment. “Actually, it’s not a terrible idea… though I’ll check the mood. If the people are too solemn, I’ll reveal it to them.”E