KING OF BEASTS (Hiatus)

The enemy was routed finally, fleeing off into various different areas. Heria took her warriors, having them lead the hyenafolk elsewhere to hunt down whoever it was that was running away. Luckily for Ares and Heria, the hyenafolk seemed eager to do such a thing.

The boarfolk that remained nearby began to gather with each other as they retreated away from the fort, heading out to a little corner. Of course they were still tense as they watch as the last few of their old comrades were slaughtered within the hole. A few thousand warriors had died, and quite a large number of Riveans and their allies had fallen in the fight.

There was an uneasiness between the Reptai and the boarfolk, but Ares seemed more focused on the dead bodies and making sure the Riveans were fine.

“Rally! Rally!” Ares exclaimed with blade in hand. “Make sure they’re all dead! Do not drop your guard!” Ares said as he then started to shift away all the dead bodies, but there were a large number of bodies remaining who were merely unconscious, injured, or even feigning death.

Ares did not say anything. He instead stared down at the enemy and then summoned a mass of spears, raining them down on the enemy. He shifted them away and then repeated it a few times before he continued to shift away the dead bodies. Then finally he turned to look at the boarfolk, continuing the action as if to warn the boarfolk of any funny business.

The squelching noise of the rain of death Ares brought down made him sick to his stomach, but he understood he needed to become so evil in order to protect what little Rivea had. Soon he would need to go through greater evil, so it was almost a warm up, which was another thought that made him sicker.

Many Riveans then did the same for those that had fought beside the giant mound where the surface had been fairly flat. Ares was eventually done with the hole and then returned back to the Reptai. He inhaled deeply to steady himself, not wanting them to know what he felt about the situation. He threw a look towards the boarfolk.

“Did they behave?” Ares asked.

“They have done so,” Zika said, her eyes glued to the boarfolk, though the look in her eye was one of hunger.

“Good… then I will go and deal with the clean up, and once I’m done with that, I will hand out the rewards to the warriors.”

“We will get the bodies to feast upon?” Zika asked.

Ares nodded. “If that would please you. How many would you like?”

“One per head of ours. We shall feast for the next few days before they spoil.”

“Well I can hold onto them all and then hand over a few hundred at a time, they will not spoil with me.”

Zika blinked at Ares and then nodded her head, seemingly pleased with such an arrangement.

“Very well then,” Ares then marched over towards the boarfolk, who relaxed slightly when only Ares walked up to them.

It wasn’t Cori that came to meet him, but rather a tubbier boarfolk with large tusks that jut out, though they had been cut and shaved down to be smooth. He snarled towards Ares, but then quickly spoke out.

“You are King Ares?”

Ares nodded. “King Ares, Master of Waters, Kin of all Riveans.”

“Chief Dari.” The boarman nodded as he greeted the King. “We are to be paid for our work?”

Ares reached out a hand, which had been filled with some small gems. The number of boarfolk that had come to him was decent enough, much larger than he expected. Dari graciously accepted the gems.

“Then we may leave?” Dari asked.

“I was hoping to arrange some more work.”

“We are done with these wars, we shall return home.”

Ares nodded his head in understanding. He threw a glance back and then looked over the boarfolk.

“Do you have enough provisions and such?” Ares said as he looked over the tired boarfolk. They had been through a lot.

“Enough to return home.”

“I would ask that you rest over the night and then leave in the morning. Rivea will provide some more supplies, and I would like to share some of the loot from the battle with you. We claim all the loot that has fallen, but I would prefer to hand some over to the people that had helped us and made such a fight smoother.”

Dari did not seem too eager to take the deal, but he looked back at his people to see that they probably would benefit from such a mercy. He thanked Ares, who then left to check on his Riveans and the Reptai. The Reptai had been stripping the people down to nothing and then piled them up nearby. Ares shifted away all the items before walking over to Zika. “I will also hand you over some weapons and loot a little later.” Zika nodded.

Ares watched as they did so for a little while before returning to the Riveans and then watched as they slew the last few bodies.

“I want a hundred of you start piling up the items off to one side, another two hundred to continue slaying the bodies, another one hundred to return to Rivea to defend it, and then the last hundred to remain on the wall.”

The various captains met up, spent a few moment to speak with each other and negotiate before they took their soldiers away to do as their King asked. Ares sighed, suddenly feeling rather lethargic. He then started to shift away all the loot that was nearby, taking the time to rest as he watched over his soldiers.

Every now and again he would look over to check on the boarfolk or the other soldiers. His Roaring Tridents had taken their place beside him, watching over him, as was their task.

‘This Kingly business is tiring.’