“What do you want to do with them?” Rori asked as he motioned a hand towards the several oxfolk they had detained.

Ares stared down at them, rubbing his eyes. He had only just woken up and had only time to splash his face with some water before Rori had come to him with the issue. There were about thirty or so oxfolk that were being kept in the centre, with about a dozen guards circling around them, as well as another dozen a little further out. The group were families, a pair of parents with a handful of children, some older with their own children, some barely even teenagers. Within a family was one of those that had attacked him the night before, and they had a particular deathly glare in their eyes.

“So they tried to run away in the night…” Ares said aloud as he rubbed his chin. This was a simple enough matter. “Don’t let the coward run away with the gear that’s meant to be used for dragon slaying. Get him the spear he used last night, and take the gear we had given him.” Then he began to ask each person if he had any of their belongings within his ring, and when they had spoken to him of such matters, he returned their items. “Alright. Rori, will they be safe in their return?” Once Rori nodded, Ares returned the nod and then turned to leave. “Alright, have a safe trip then, I need to go train.” He yawned as he left, letting Rori deal with the rest before he went to go and train, having a few hundred people joining him.

He trained a few of them that he viewed as veteran soldier types, letting them train the others once he was done. Then he went to go bathe in the nearby river that ran near the mountain, with a few others arriving to join him after. He didn’t keep his guard up, though some seemed to want to come to him for something, so he threw a look over their way. He realised it was a woman, and she was almost entirely nude save for a loincloth that covered her nether regions. Ares clenched his jaw to stop the heat from reaching his cheeks.

“Chief… may I speak with you a moment?” She asked.

Ares reached up to rub his forehead. “Sure, what is it that you need?” He asked, keeping his eyes closed, though his ears open.

“I ask that you… please show mercy on my daughter for her mistake…”

“Ah, the girl that pierced my chest?” Ares inhaled deeply, sucking in air through his teeth. “You know, that kind of thing is mean. I’d rather have a girl pierce my chest with her looks. It’s a pretty bad thing to bully the chief like that you know, just because I’m unmarried, that doesn’t give you girls a reason to aim for my heart like that.” Ares threw his head back in laughter, trying to stop the tears coming from his eyes.

The woman seemed to be confused, though did draw closely. Ares raised a hand and his face darkened. “Whatever you’re planning on doing, stop it. If you don’t like the fact that your daughter is going to join me on conquering Dragon’s Spine, then you can leave with her, once you’ve set on leaving, let me know, so then I can return to you whatever items I have of yours. There are no other options.”

The woman remained there, her eyes in thought. She looked once more at Ares, but seeing his expression, she left him be. Then Ares relaxed in the river. He was perhaps a little too blunt as a ruler, but it would have to be such a way…

Ares drowned himself in his thoughts to the point that he was so relaxed he almost dipped under the water. He hoisted himself up swiftly and then went to change, returning the greetings of his tribe as he made his way back to where they had camped.

Ares ducked as a giant maul swiped by where his head was before springing back up to his feet. He looked towards the oxfolk that towered over him. They wore a top that covered half their torso diagonally, and a shorts and skirt combo. He also had a long braid down one side of his head with beads in it, and then a feather at the back of his head.

“Excuse you.” Ares said, waiting to see what would happen next.

“I’ll be coming to slay dragons.” The oxfolk said, his voice deep and low.

Ares stared up at them. “You couldn’t have asked?”

“I just did.” The older man said, narrowing his eyes. Ares could see the look of confusion on their face.

“You do know you could have used your words.”

“You said I had to be crazy…”

Ares nodded his head slowly. “Alright, fine. What’s your name?” Ares reached out his hand. The oxfolk reached over and shook his arm.

“Orndu.” They said.

“Orndu. Yeah, sounds like a name you’d have.” He said and then he squeezed their arm a little harder. “Try that again and I’ll have to return the swing.”

“Right.” Orndu said. “Do you have any more that you are going to take to the Spine?”

“Not yet. I’ll have to see if any more are as crazy as you. Do you have anyone in mind?” Ares asked.

Orndu took him to a group of older oxfolk, some that had appeared with the troublemaker. There were seven of them, four men, two women, and one who was heavily clad in furs and covered head to toe.

“Who is that?” Ares asked, motioning to the one that was covered head to toe.

“Elder Minza.” Orndu said. “She is the Elder.”

“The Elder?”

“Indeed. Many have joined you because of her.” One of the older women said. “She wishes to see what happens with you.”

“Ah, I seem like fun, is that it?” Ares grinned. “Alright, then, I’m sorry for taking so long to give my greetings. I was hoping to greet everyone properly once I had conquered the Dragon’s Spine, it’s a pride thing I suppose.” Ares shrugged.

Minza raised her hand and then nodded, or at least that’s what he assumed since he couldn’t really see her properly.

He looked around to the others. “So you all wish to join me on my journey to conquer Dragon’s Spine?”

In one way or another, they all nodded their heads, and Ares smiled. “Good, then I’ll leave the youngsters to you because I don’t want to babysit them.” He then waved and left. “We will get to know each other better later.”

Finally Ares returned to the tribe as they began to eat. “If any of you want to leave, go ahead. I’ll give you another chance when I finally conquer Dragon’s Spine, but if you want to leave now you’re fine to do so. I ask that you leave alongside others so your travel back isn’t so treacherous.”

“Ares.” Called Torak from behind him. “You should be more careful when it comes to showing such weakness…” They whispered.

“Weakness?” Ares asked as he then chuckled. He stood up and then turned to face Torak. “You think what I’m doing is weak?” Ares then looked to Rori who was watching him, waiting to see what Ares would do now. Then Ares turned to his people. “I’ll say this much. I only want those that believe in me here, so that when I go to conquer Dragon’s Spine, no one will get up and leave, nor try to take over what I’ve built. So if you think you can manage to do that, I suggest you leave, because once I’m done with conquering the mountain, I’ll be returning as a dragon slayer. If you think you can handle someone like that, I dare you to take over! Though I’ll say this much, you’ll be living in a nightmare once I catch you.” Ares laughed.

With that rambling display out of the way, they continued to eat and then finally packed up, travelling for the mountain where Ares would make history.