KING OF BEASTS (Hiatus)

Ares was finally brought out of his thoughts by a slap against his back. He let out a grunt and then looked up to see Lana. “We’re waiting for you.”

Ares had been lost to his thoughts for some time. “Sorry.” He said as he leapt to his feet and then finished his meal before heading up to the representatives who waited for him. He could see that the wolffolk representatives were all on edge, eyeing him suspiciously. Behind them were a sea of beastfolk of a variety of age, gender and clan. 

“Excuse my lateness. Before we begin, I’d like to remind you all that I would like to be referred to as Ares-kin, and this title is also to be used when calling the Consul or yourself. I have heard quite a few people, including yourselves, calling me King. Please keep that in mind.” He bowed his head and then looked out to the representatives. “Thank you for coming. Is there anything some of you wish to speak to me about? I have much work to do, but if there are any emergencies I need to tend to, then let’s get to it now. Emergencies will take precedent over everything.” Ares looked between them all and when no one spoke up he continued. “Very well.” He cleared his throat.

“We will make haste in a number of things. I would like all those who hold the same or similar thing to group up together.” He pointed to various areas around him. “Leather workers, anyone that can make melee weapons, anyone that can make ranged weapons and things of such nature, anyone that can make armour of whatever design, stone workers, carpenters, tailors. If you are able to do multiple things, pick the one you are best at and remain in that group for now.” He waited for everyone to shift around, though about nine crafters remained where they were.

When they were done he nodded. “Is Roshe here?” He called out and then the familiar face of Roshe walked up front of the group of leather workers. “Ah! Roshe, it’s good to see you.” He smiled. “Alright, I will consider you in charge of the leather workers then.” He walked over to shake their forearm. “I hope all has been well?”

“As well as it can be, my King.” Roshe nodded.

“That’s Ares-kin.” Ares tutted. “I’ll let it slide because it’s you. Have you made much leeway into the work I set for you?”

“I have completed about twenty pairs of boots.”

Ares nodded. “Alright, well, you’ll be having a lot of help soon.” He looked out to the leather workers behind him. “This is what I’d like for you to do.” So he went to explain what he wished from them. He then began to draw the backpack design onto the ground, etching it using his void magic. “I want it to be generally quite round, like so. This way the rain will bounce off of everything. I want the lid slightly larger so the rain won’t enter it, and I want various strings to keep everything shut. If you need help from the tailors for that, go ahead and recruit a handful. I want half of you to work on the boots and the backpacks, and I want you to make at least a hundred backpacks, and I want you to…” He trailed off for a moment. “How many pairs of boots can you make in a day, generally, assuming you are a competent leather worker?”

“Depends on the kind of boot? If you want sandal boots, I could make three pairs, with an apprentice, six.”

“Sandal boots, sandal boots…” Ares thought for a moment. Sandal boots would be pretty good, though he would prefer his soldiers have some protection for their feet. An army marched on it’s stomach, but you still needed your feet. “What about if I wanted leather to cover the top of the foot?”

“Two, three with an apprentice, maybe four.”

Ares nodded his head. “How about the backpack?”

“One backpack a day, maybe two.”

Ares nodded his head and thought about it for a few moments. Then he looked up to the group of leather workers and began to count them. There were quite a few so it took some time. “One hundred and seventeen, alright…” 

“Ares-kin, pretty much anyone that can work with leather can probably work as a tailor too, and the reverse is true too.”

Ares looked out between the two groups of roughly equal size. “Is this true? Put your hands up if you cannot do the other, or are not confident in such a thing.” There were about eight hands that went up, all of whom were rather young. “That’s good to know.” Ares beamed. “Alright, very well, I will keep that in mind.”

Then he returned his mind to the task at hand. “Alright. I want seventy of you to focus on making backpacks, and the rest of you working on boots. If you are relatively inexperienced or are an apprentice, please form a group beside so I can count that out. That includes all the other groups as well, please.” 

When the mass shifted around he could see that most of the people here were apprentices, which was fine with him. He tapped his chin and then thought about it further. Then he counted the apprentices. “Eighty eight apprentices, alright. That means I want fifty apprentices and…” ‘God damn it! I hate math!’ Ares threw his head back in exasperation. “The things I do to rule…” He muttered quietly as he focused. “Twenty nine leather workers, then?” “Alright. Which is easier to make. Boots or the backpack?” He asked Roshe.

“Backpacks are much easier, if you want them all the same size.”

“Good. Then I want forty apprentices and twelve experts to work on backpacks, the rest of you on boots. I’ll count you out.” He then split them into another group with the required amount, the rest forming one group. “This is your grouping. If you have had an apprentice, you may swap them between the groups, but the numbers must not change. Now, boot squad.” He looked over and then eyed them up. “Actually, Roshe. Pick three other experts. They will be your assistants. You will oversee both operations, and the three will help you do so. If the tribe needs a leather worker to help fix something, then one of you three will be it. If there is a bigger need, Roshe will oversee such matters.” He shook their forearm. “Alright, come to me with your designs by the end of the day. I want to see both a design and then a finished copy of a backpack and a pair of boots. Just the one. Pick a single leather worker expert and give them a handful of apprentices to make the designs for each project and then at the end of the day, or when you are done, show them to me. If I like them, then everyone will get to work. If you want someone’s size then I want you to pick Heria for the first boot.”

“Alright, leave it in my care.” Roshe nodded. 

“Stay for now in case I want to switch some tailors over to you too. If you need a few tailors, you can take ten apprentices and ten experts without complain from the tailors. However, anymore and you will have to speak with the leader of the tailors, and if you disagree, bring me into the matter and I will see what the issues are. We will discuss, and if I feel you do not need any more help, then I will decline the request.”

He continued to do the same for each group. Metta, an older, thinly built wolffolk woman was chosen to be the tailors representative. He explained what he wished of her. He wanted her to create various designs for clothing for everyone, a basic uniform of sorts. “I want everyone to wear a similar sense of clothing, though various things are allowed to be individually personalised. Such things as jewellery and the sort are fine, anyone can wear whatever in that regards as long as it isn’t too unwieldy, but in terms of clothing I want everyone to be fairly similar. I have a few designs in mind, but I’d like the tailor’s input. I will have you make about three designs of my own, and then as many as seven others that you will pick from the other tailors. I want the absolute best. I need each person to be able to carry things within a pocket, at least one pocket that’s large, and another that’s smaller for personal belongings.” So Ares etched into the ground what he wanted. 

Then he went to speak with the carpenters, mostly to ask if they needed help with anything. When they had informed Ares that they were fine, but wanted him to check their work, he nodded. “I will check once I’m done with this then. Remain here so you may familiarise yourself with my methods and policies.”

Then he moved on to the melee weapon makers and asked them to make a few designs of spears that were most used. He then made his way to those that crafted ranged weapons. He had already had a few of them work, so he spoke with them a little about arrow designs, as well as javelins and other such weapons. Otherwise he told them to have about half work on the weapons and half on the ammunition. He walked to the stone workers. “Just… wait here a second, your task is rather tough.”

He went to the armourers. He picked the biggest and oldest looking oxfolk and then went about discussing about armour. He wanted prototypes for three types, a similar one to that of the humans which would be classed as medium, of various segmented plates that covered one’s upper body as well as the upper arms. Then heavier armour that would include a large breast plate that was curved slightly, as well as segmented armour for the arms and then the waist area too. Finally lighter armour that was made of leather, a cuirass. He also asked to see whether they could make scale armour similar to that of the segmented armour, though he said it mostly as an after thought. “Focus on those first three armours. Also, lots of shields. One large, the size of an oxfolk. One more typical, slightly larger than one’s torso, and then a smaller buckler type shield. Make one of each first.”s

“It will take some times. Shields won’t, but the armour will. I don’t know how many know how to use metal, some of the wolffolk probably know, but I don’t.”

“Oh yeah? Alright, I’ll let you delegate as you need for now.”

“Why don’t I become the representative? I know how to make many armour types.” An older wolffolk woman spoke out. 

Ares thought about it for a few moments. “Very well. I shall have you be in charge, though your second in command is this big guy.” He pat the large oxfolk against their back. “Alright. I want designs for the shields first, but the rest of the crew can focus on armour. We don’t have a forge, but I can make one if you have any particular design you need so let me know and I’ll do that. Pick a spot and I’ll make a few there.” The pair nodded their heads. 

He then walked over to the last crafters who each told him their specialities. They could make jewellery and musical instruments. 

“Oh.” Ares said. “Alright! Hmm. Alright, alright.” He said as he began to go deep in thought. “Alright.” He finally said. “I want you to make some drums and a whistle.” He informed the instrument crafters.

To the pair of jewellers he thought for some time. “You don’t really need to do much for now…” He supposed. “Although. I’ll let you take whatever scrap that the other group doesn’t need to make jewellery. Pile them up and then show them to m-” Ares stopped and then looked up to the sky, narrowing his eyes. “No. No. Can you make items made of metal and wood? I’d like for you to make medals, if you can.” He explained to them the kind of medal he wanted. 

“With some help from a smith…” They nodded. 

“Good. Please make those. Just twenty. Each one you make you will give to Rori. If someone comes to you to ask for jewellery, tell them to wait until you have completed ten, then you can make one small thing between medals. Otherwise I want this to be top priority for you, no other projects, alright?”

“Yes, my King.”

“Ares-kin.” Ares corrected them.

“Yes, Ares-kin.”

“Good. Thank you.”

Then finally Ares went back to the stone workers. “Stonesmiths. We have a lot of work to do. Though your work will start later, once I’ve gotten the soldiers ready.” Ares smiled. “You’re in charge of making the fortifications.”

“Fortifications?” One asked. 

Ares grinned wide. “Oh yes.”