KING OF BEASTS (Hiatus)

“You are a terrifying man, indeed.” Peros said as he followed the thousands of beastfolk from behind. Behind him where eleven bodies, all of which were heavily burdened by great weights. Ten of them held onto several sacks with a large amount of items within them, whilst the last had tied many carts around his body. It was Ares, the so called King, whose brow was sweating with great effort as he travelled through the mountain pass, the path shaking with the amount of people moving through it.

“Not terrifying enough.” Ares replied, panting quietly. He was pulling along four carts filled with goods, though much of them was tied down. He had all the carts filled with goods and then tied those goods down. He had many more within his ring, but he personally was pulling four since it wouldn’t look good if he wasn’t also travelling to hell with the ten others. 

One of those that had joined him was Korra, the oxfolk woman that had travelled with him to defeat the viper. Yet, even though he liked her, he couldn’t treat her any different, so he packed them all around the same amount of weight, at least as much as he could.

Rori and two of the dragonfolk led the way up, the other four scattered in the middle, and then Ares and Peros brought up the rear.

“I have noticed that quite often when we are together you look as though you wish to faint.” Peros joked.

“Is that so? Perhaps I am just far too enamoured by your good looks?” He laughed as they continued along. 

“Shall we rest?”

“Rest?” Ares asked. “We have yet to earn such a respite.” Ares panted out. So the group continued on until Rori thought it fit to stop. They decided to only rest halfway through the day, just once, and then continue along the path until they stopped for the night.

Ares passed out right away, unable to keep his consciousness. When he awoke in the morning he felt far more refreshed, completely healed from the soreness of the day before. He recharged himself by eating breakfast with his children and playing with them a little before then returning to the back of the line and then pulling five carts behind him, the other ten carrying their sacks from yesterday. Ares could see that they were struggling. The younger pair had been struggling even more than the others to the point they dropped their sacks and then dropped onto onto them. 

“Giving up?” Ares asked.

Yet when he asked he could see the pair try to stand up, forcing themselves up. He couldn’t blame them. They hadn’t replied to his question, instead they spent all of their energy willing themselves forward. 

He looked up to the others. “You keep on going.” He said as he felt the ache in his own body, the five carts pulled his body back, but he resisted against it. Ares continued to wait silently, now alone with the pair of them, the ache flowing through his body like a river of pain sent only to torture him. Yet he couldn’t just abandon them here, not having seen their resolve. His brow thickened with sweat as the two managed to stand up. They lifted up the sacks onto their backs and then began to stumble forward, taking everything a step at a time. 

Ares followed them, his own body moving as slowly as they were. He watched them struggle to move for some time before they collapsed again having fallen unconscious. Ares stopped and then waited. They hadn’t woken up for some time, but he refused to move from his position. His ears twitched and he could still hear the steady rhythm of their breaths. They had yet to tell him that they had given up, and they hadn’t yet died either. 

They came to a little while later and then continued to drag the sack along, but continued to stop to rest, their bodies no doubt failing them, though their minds were still eager to continue. Ares continued to follow, the three day journey taking even longer for the caravan ahead, and even longer for the stragglers still.

At the end of the third day, the stragglers had only managed a third of the journey, if that. They had to often rest, for the pair needed to rest their weary bodies. Ares wasn’t displeased in particular, he understood that they did not have the powers granted onto him by a divine being, though he felt as though perhaps he was being a little softer. Yet, they continued to move without complaint, doing their very best.

“It seems you have failed.” Ares called out, his ears twitching as he threw a look back towards where they had come from. He could feel the path shake slightly and he waited with his arms crossed together. 

From the distance he could see a mass of people moving quickly, mostly carrying packs on their back, as well as a weapon on hand. Leading the back, riding on a giant, beastly wolf, was Heria. She raised her spear up, but then slammed it into the ground. She let out a roar, and then her tribe behind her began to roar out too, before she began to ride out to come and meet Ares.

“I didn’t expect to see you so soon.” Heria said, her wide and toothy grin filling her face.

“Yes, I didn’t expect to see you either.” Ares smiled as he glanced passed her, noting the hundreds of wolffolk he could see, though assumed they continued on. “Have you come to uphold your end of the bargain?”

“I had come to check if you truly managed to conquer the mountain, otherwise I would have come to destroy you.”

“So? Do you think I kept my end of the bargain?”

Heria looked at the other two that were half dead, staring up at her. “We will see.”

Ares laughed. “That’s fine. If you go back on your word, I can handle you guys anyway.” Ares grinned wide towards her and then motioned her head. “Alright. Do you have space to carry these two? They failed in their task.” He then looked towards the pair. “You’re done for today, I will have to see whether or not I will let you continue your training.” With that, he motioned a hand over them and then shifted the large sacks away. 

Heria motioned for some of her people to come and help the pair before she offered Ares a lift. “No, it’s fine.” He said as he pulled the wagons along. “If I’m too slow, let me know. I will speed up for you.” He laughed and then he continued leading on ahead, though Heria and her beast pounced up and over the wagons to travel alongside him.

She had made no mention of the wagons he was pulling. Six wagons was quite the number, though eventually she did call for her people to start preparing for the night.

“Would you like to join us?” She asked Ares.

“I don’t see why I wouldn’t accept.” He smiled. “Thank you.”