KING OF BEASTS (Hiatus)

Ares was shattered, physically and mentally. Yet even with the throbbing headache, he rallied his warriors. They had lost a handful of the First Century and the Ten. He shifted away the dead bodies of all the soldiers, including his own.

“We will mourn when we return home, we have to carry on.” He said as he gazed upon his warriors. He then looked out to the seven of the Ten that had remained in good health. Three had died, and two were injured. They were brought down to half. Ares then looked over to Inta, who was being supported by the two that had been with him. 

“You are to return home.” He informed the remaining Ten that had survived. He looked over to half of the logistics team. “Some of you will return with them.” Then he motioned his hand to twenty of his remaining warriors. “Escort them back.”

There were some complaints over his decision, but Ares turned. “You can complain when we return. First Century, forward!” He raised his fist and then thrust it forward as though he was cutting the air and they marched forward. Asyllia followed him without missing a beat. He concentrated on healing himself, and with each passing second he grew more tired.

The evening chill clung to his skin. Ares leaned his back against a tree and he crossed his arms. His eyes were heavy, but he had to take the first watch. There would be no way that he, as the King of all these people, would sleep without at least taking a watch. Once he would sleep, he’d feel so much better.

Asyllia landed down nearby. “My king, the soldiers remain at the base.”

“Sounds good.” Ares mumbled.

Asyllia stared at Ares as his eyes began to close, though opened up halfway, and then he continued this twice more before his eyes shut and sleep took him. 

When he awoke in the morning, the warriors had already packed up everything but his tent. Ares looked up at the tarp above and then he sat up and stared ahead of him. ‘Fuck!’

He drooped out of his tent and then looked around as his soldiers. “Well, this is awkward.” He chuckled nervously and then rubbed the back of his head. “I hope everyone had a good sleep, I know I did…” He trailed off and then packed up his tent and handed it over for the logistics team to deal with it.  “Let’s go!”

Asyllia had appeared soon after to inform Ares of the situation ahead. “They are still at the base of the mountain.”

“After this long? They’re probably waiting for their companions to return…” Ares rubbed his chin with his knuckles. “Let’s go give them a surprise, shall we?”

They had managed to march their way fairly close before Ares snuck away. Ares crept around the perimeter, managing to squirrel himself passed the soldiers that were on guard duty. Then he began to wall the soldiers around the encampment, not giving them time to react to trapping them. Then he shot out javelins to the stragglers that he hadn’t managed to trap inside.

There was shouting from within the camp and Ares leapt over onto the wall that stood three metres high and then squat on it. “Hello hello.” He smiled, his face barely illuminated by the torch of a nearby soldier. “It’s good to see you.”

Various soldiers had drawn their javelins and had been ready to toss them as one particular soldiers cautiously walked up to Ares. “Who are you stranger?”

“Honestly, I had a word with your leader about that sort of thing. What was his name? Faltain?” Ares cocked his head to one side. “Sorry, I don’t remember the name of every dead man.” He smirked.

The soldier narrowed their eyes. “What brings you here, Ares was it?”

“Ah, so you’ve heard of me?”

“There have been many rumours.”

“I hope that they’re all nice.”

“Fantastical, that’s for certain.”

“Fantastic. Well, since I’m a nice guy, I’ll offer you guys a chance to live. How about it? Why don’t you become prisoners of mine? I won’t offer you another chance to surrender.” Ares chuckled.

“Why would we surrender to a lone fool?” The soldier asked as they raised a hand. “We shall offer you the same, however, out of courtesy.”

“Oh yeah? Well I appreciate that… what was your name? Ah, no bother. I won’t remember it anyhow.” Ares said as he raised his own hand. “Though, I have brought you gifts.”

It was then that the nearby area was flooded by heavy objects that fell from the sky, destroying the various tents that they landed on. Ares dropped another as the soldiers began to yell out in terror. He held onto Faltain’s head. “I’ve come to return to you your companions.”

They loosed their javelins at Ares who vaulted over them and then landed on the ground ahead of the soldier that had spoken to him. “I guess you didn’t like my gifts?” 

As the dead bodies continued to rain around them, the mountain shook. Arrows whistled from behind the soldiers, raining down upon them as the warriors then appeared. 

“You really should have surrendered.” Ares then summoned a spear in hand and then set to work on whittling down the enemy as there were quite a few of them. 

However, with how shaken they were from Ares’ gifts, it was an easy enough bout. The soldiers barely put up a fight as Ares rained javelins from above and the heavily armoured First Century swept through the encampment, raining death upon the enemy as death rained around them. 

When there were only a handful of soldiers left, they soon tossed their weapons aside to surrender. 

The beastfolk had slowed their pursuit of death and waited for Ares as they surrounded the humans. 

“Didn’t I tell you? I wouldn’t offer you another chance to surrender, isn’t that what I said?” Ares then rubbed his chin. “Though I guess I’ll show a little mercy.” He then raised a finger.

“One. I’ll leave one of you alive.” Ares offered. “I’ll let Asyllia pick.” Ares turned to the dragonfolk woman.

Asyllia gazed over the remaining soldiers and then motioned a hand to the only soldier with a blade still in hand. 

“Alright. Kill the rest.” Ares nodded.

Wailing and cries filled the air before it grew silent once more, only the crackling of flames flickered every so often. “See, aren’t I a kind and merciful King?” Ares asked as he walked over to the soldier. “What’s your name?”

“Jor-” The man gasped as Ares plunged his spear through their front, grabbing the back of their neck. 

“You really shouldn’t have fucked with my people.” Ares whispered as he pulled his spear out. “Go ahead, you can leave.” He said as he then shifted part of the wall away.

The soldier stumbled their way out, gasping for air still. Ares shifted the wall back up before there was a distant thud.

He turned to look at Asyllia and then back to the First Century. Then he raised a hand and shifted the dead bodies away once more.