KING OF BEASTS (Hiatus)

Ares could see his soldiers lined up, geared up and ready for battle. He marched his way through the fort, but then stopped.

Around him he could see the refugees clinging to their items, ready to bolt at a moment's notice. Ares raised a hand and smiled. "Don't worry, everything will be fine. You are in the safest of hands." Ares said as he dropped down to ruffle a child's hair. "Go get some sleep. I will deal with this." Ares said as he walked through the front of the fort, which still had no door, long cloths draped down to block out some of the cool breeze. His face was stone still as he left, though his thoughts were much less so. 'Seriously? No door still? Come on guys…'

Heria rode over to meet him as Ares looked afar. The humans had camped some miles away from them, but the flames of their camp revealed a little of their situation. Their camp used much of the wall that he was creating, for it was miles away from the fort in order to create a border. Since it was incomplete though, the humans were no doubt able to drive away whoever he had left to build it.

"Major." Ares said as Heria nodded. "It seems that we'll be quite busy."

"They arrived before sundown, the scouts had seen them some time ago but they didn't seem to be heading our way. Then they increased in size and we sent for you, we still haven't made contact with them, and they haven't with us."

Ares nodded and then looked out to the humans once more. "No suspicious behaviour that I can see either… I'll go and speak with them."

"Let's wait until morning. A night time battle when we're outnumbered isn't the best idea."

"I was just going to say hello."

"I know, but they might try to capture you if you aren't flanked by too many soldiers, and if you come with so many, they may begin to fight then and there."

Ares sighed. "I suppose you do have a good point…"

Another had walked up to them at this point. "Ares-kin, I wish to speak with you." The soldier said. She was young, about his age, and wore light armour and carried with her a shield and spear. She was an option woman, the muscular kind.

"Speak then." Ares smiled.

"I was in charge of looking after the slaves. When they had seen the humans earlier, they tried to flee so we had to cut them down. Half of them remain, some are injured, but half are dead."

Ares' smile faded but he nodded. "I'll speak with them." He said as he rubbed the side of his head.

The woman remained, waiting for something. Ares remained silent for a moment, inhaled in a deep breath. "Thank you for the information, soldier. Return to your post. I'll come by in a short while to speak with the slaves and the soldiers. I need to go and speak with our friends first."

The soldier saluted and then left quickly. Heria groaned.

"I told you it's a bad idea."

"Major, you seem to have the wrong idea. For once I wasn't being sarcastic." Ares laughed as he began to walk away, though Heria followed him.

Ares walked over to the large group of oxfolk that had settled themselves near the base of the mountain. A handful came out to meet him. One of them was quite old, probably in his fifties, but was wearing heavy furs as well as a giant axe on their back. They were also tall, easily towering over Ares, and was twice as thick too, his muscles cartoonishly big.

"We greet you, Ares."

"I greet you." Ares nodded. "May I speak with the Horn?"

"The Horn is unable to speak with you at this time. I can speak in their stead."

"Ah, well, it's a pleasure to meet you then."

"Ogar."

"Yes you are."

Ogar blinked at Ares.

"Sorry, uh, right. I just wanted to ask how you guys felt about the humans not so far away?" Ares asked as he gazed passed to the thousands of oxfolk that seemed to be ready and waiting for a battle.

"We bear them no love. If they come for you, we will come."

"Oh, well, that's good then. I was just wondering if you wanted to join us in driving them away if it comes to it. Though we are still, as of yet, quite uncertain of their intentions. If they have no qualms against us then I will leave them be, as long as they leave peacefully soon. I hope you will respect such a thing as well."

Ogar stared at Ares, a low growl in his chest, but he nodded. "If it is your wish, we will not attack."

Ares smiled. "Thank you. I'm glad that you are on our side, Ogar. It gives us great comfort." Ares bowed his head. Ogar returned the bow. "Please give your Horn my regards."

"It will be done." Ogar nodded and then Ares left him be.

"The wolves are itching for a fight too."

"Everyone is, I'm sure. Though, I'd prefer not to fight if it comes down to it." Ares sighed.

Heria looked over to him questioningly.

"We still have refugees at the fort, I don't intend to endanger them…" Ares said as he then made his way to the small group of humans. They had been bound further, their arms and ankles now connected to one another in sets of five, before even more rope connected between every single one of them.

There were only fifty or so of them left, and another fifty lay in a neat like, dead. Some oxfolk had already begun digging a hole for them, but had stopped when Ares arrived.

"Fill up the hole." Ares said as he then walked alongside the dead humans and then shifted them away into his ring. He wasn't going to let some stupid humans find their resting place under his fort. He would bury them elsewhere. Then he turned to the other humans, some of whom were injured.

"I do not know why your kin have come to our lands, I'm uncertain if it has anything to do with you. They have a number of reasons to approach me. Perhaps they have come to invade Rivea, as they heard I have destroyed a legion of theirs. Perhaps they have come for you, for perhaps some of you are high born and they do not wish for such a slight, or they have come for our refugees, wishing to come and slay them all for sport. I do not know. I do know one thing, however. Come tomorrow, they will be gone. With or without you, dead or alive, by sword or by word, they will be gone. I ask that you don't get any stupid ideas. Your workload has doubled due to the stupidity of your fellows. Still, I am a merciful King. If they have come for your liberation, I shall offer a fair deal. If they pay the price, I will set you free."

Ares looked between them all. "If they do not offer a fair deal, then you will not leave. You will slave away until your task is complete and you have earned your freedom, in which case, I shall set you free with a weapon, some food, and perhaps if I feel generous, a small sum of coin. No one will refuse you that right, for it is a right I as King have granted you. Now sleep and pray, either for hope or for strength. Good night." Ares nodded and then left the slaves be, heading to the woman that had brought it to his attention.

"Allow the slaves to rest for a few days so that those injured do not aggravate their injuries. Then have them work the wall again, but keep a Company's worth around to guard the slaves as well as to keep them in check. You've done well to not kill them all."

He had wished that none of the slaves had been killed, but they had chosen their own fate by running. Heria remained close by as he travelled back to his army. He stood ahead of them all.

"Good evening! It's good to see you are all so eager for battle. Yet it seems there may not be a battle tonight." Ares said before turning to check the humans were still within their camp, and seeing they still were, he turned back to face his army. "Rest up. We shall have two Squads on watch at a time, only for an hour, and then they will switch with another. This way only two Companies will be needed for such a thing, and the rest will have a full rest. I will sleep early but I hope that someone will wake me once the sixth watch has been completed, unless of course the humans have…" He stopped as he turned to see a lone human figure approaching with a torch in hand. They were still some ways away, but Ares then walked towards them a little.

The human was a young man, bold and brave, wearing the same armour he had seen of the soldiers before. He stopped when he saw Ares. "The Commander wishes for an audience with whoever commands. A tent shall be set up for talks soon, we shall set it up halfway between the two parties."

"Tell your Commander he can wait until dawn to start setting up such a thing, otherwise he will find it filled with arrows. I'm getting some sleep, he should too."

The human soldier had been taken aback. "Commander Nevro will seek to ask your Commander's name."

"King Ares, Master of Waters, Kin of all Riveans. Tell him that the crown has made me sleepy, and that if he sets up the tent between us in the night, I'll bury him with it. If any human steps out of their camp, we shall take it as a sign of war. If you have need for some food, we shall offer a little." Ares said as he raised a hand. "Open your arms."

The human did so, and Ares dropped some meat the size of about a goat within their arms. "There. Now you will have no reason to leave your camp."

The soldier seemed confused, but nodded and then left. Ares returned to his own people. "If any human leaves their camp, make for war, otherwise make for bed."

With that Ares left to the fort, set up his tent between both groups of refugees and then passed out.