Ares had remained silent when he returned, going right to bed. Many noticed that his clothing was slightly torn in places and much of him looked far more dishevelled than when he had left, and his sword was nowhere to be seen. Ares had come back with a dark look across his face. Rob had glared at Ares for having fun without inviting them, but Ares was soon asleep with Runar in his lap.

When the next day came, Ares’ eyes shot open. “Today is the day.” He said. No one else turned to face him or even acknowledged what he said, instead sharpening and maintaining their gear that they were going to use today.

Marina had remained silent, and Emerli remained close by Ares as they continued. Even she could feel the air grow heavier as they approached the summit of their destination. Emerli’s breath was harsh and heavy to the point she seemed she would collapse at any moment. She wrapped her cloak around herself as the air grew cooler.

Yet the oxenblut here seemed unperturbed, and even the wolffolk seemed to relish in the cold. It was then, as if an avalanche had come upon them, that they appeared.

The same lizard creatures that Ares had faced the night before, emerged from the rocks ahead. There was a sea of them, more than any of them could count using all their fingers and toes. Emerli gasped, and her breath signalled the start.

There was no thought between them, they all moved silently. The beastfolk that were eager to fight had gone feral within the blink of an eye and all had moved from their positions, guiding the Elder, Marina and Emerli away, with Jorgan slipping with the group, holding Runar within his arms between them all.

The wolf folk had split into two groups of four, with Rob going off on his own. The oxenblut all moves as well, the three groups not speaking with one another. The oxenblut had taken the middle, with the wolf folk flanking them on either side. The archers remained behind them and rained arrows down upon the enemies until the front lines clashed.

Yet Ares was nowhere to be seen, he was not where the group had been caught, nor with the front line, the archers, and the small group that remained away from the fighting. Then, from the back of the drakes, came large rocks that landed atop the middle of the pack.

Standing on the mountain ahead of them was Ares, with an arm out towards them. As each second passed by, rocks fell from the heavens, catapulting against the various creatures. There were about ten rocks twice the size of any of these creatures, and they continued to fall and then disappear. He kept shooting them down as if he were a god with a giant shot gun, blasting down pellets the size of giants. The ground shook with the weight of his attack.

It lasted but a whole minute until the sea of drakes was not even a dribble. Ares’ eyes were ice cold as he dropped down ahead of the beastfolk.

“There’s no need to deal with trash like this. Let us leave.” Ares said as he turned and then continued, the sea of drakes disappearing into the void. This was but a momentary distraction from his goal, and he wouldn’t forgive anything that would bring Runar closer to death. She had looked as though she was on the edge of death for days now, yet she continued to live.

Runar trusted in him to save her, and as her father, Ares was going to make sure it wasn’t misplaced. Ares had gone from cheery to deathly serious several times throughout the journey, and though he was trying to remain stoic, he couldn’t help it. His mind was heavy with worry, and his body was heavier so with stress.

It was then that Kask had come across a giant bit of stone that protruded from the mountain. “Here.” He said as he motioned to it.

Izir looked out to the stone. “It’s different.” He said as he rubbed his thick hand along it. He then turned to look at Marina.

“The base of the shrine… we are close.” She said as she then followed the way it was pointed, and then as though she was drawing something out in her mind, she followed an invisible curve. Then she pointed up. “Nary a mile.” She said as she nodded.

Ares looked over to where she had pointed. Over the mountain was what seemed to be a set of trees that disappeared around it, as the mountain blocked his view.

“Let’s go.”

They continued to follow the trail, which seemed to widen for them. As they rounded the corner, they came across large pillars and then several rocks that surrounded the road as if to keep out anything from not following the trail up. Sitting atop those rocks were several beings, though there was one that sat between the pillars that was different than all the others. There were seven in total.

Six were unquestionably dragonfolk. They were human looking from the top half, though with large wings that jutted out their back, and horns that went up and then curved slightly. Their lower halfs were much different, moreso like those drakes that they had come across.

Yet in the middle was someone that Ares was far more interested in. There was a man that was quite tall, taller than even the dragon folk who were no doubt close to seven feet tall, though he was laying on his side, propping his head onto his hand as the elbow rest against the ground. He was well built, not too much muscle or fat, and his face was devilishly handsome, or perhaps it was angelically so. His skin was pale like milk, yet had a certain glow to it as if it were every colour simultaneously. His eyes were golden, though held a shine within them as well. He wore very little on his top half, revealing his bare chest to the world, and his lower half was covered by a cloth that was crisp white, more than it should have been considering where they were. He wore boots that went up to his knees that the cloth then tucked into, though these were silver. His face was handsome, in a statue-esque sort of way, with beautiful curly hair of what seemed to be liquid silver.

“Peros.” Ares said, calling out to the stranger.

“Ah, what rude guests we have. You know of my name, yet do not call your own?” He asked, his lips curling up to a smirk.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Ares.” Ares nodded his head. “It seems as though you’re in my way, I am here to pay my respects to Rivea.”

“Oh? Is that so?” He smiled and then looked out to the rest of his party, whom had their hands ready on their weapons. “What are they here for?”

“They are child minders, for my sick daughter.”

“Sick daughter?” Peros’ smile faded as his eyes fell across the form of Runar. He then sat up. “Why would you bring your sick daughter on such a treacherous path?”

“Treacherous path? We only came across a few lizards, I don’t think there’s anything on this mountain that’s treacherous. What do you say?” He said, calling back to his tribe.

Lana replied quite loudly. “I’ve barely worked up a sweat from the pleasant walk.” Her voice was raised somewhat.

“Still, you have yet to reply.” Peros wagged a finger towards Ares.

“I’ve come to speak with Rivea, to see if he will help my sickly daughter. I am just a worried father, is all.”

Peros fell silent for a moment and then he finally cocked his head to one side in thought, staring at Ares’ form.

“You are… no oxfolk. How can you be her father?”

“I have adopted her into my family. She is my daughter, as Lana is the daughter of her parents, and Jorgan the son of his.”

“Yet. Though you look human, you are not. Yet. You have no eyes of gold. Yet. You are so familiar to me.”

Ares just smiled. “I would rather we speak another time, for I must seek Rivea, and ask for their aid in this matter most important to me.” As much as speaking with Peros was interesting, he didn’t want Runar to suffer any longer.

“The death of a child, is insignificant. I wish to know what you are, and how you came to be, and who gave you that ring that you wear upon your finger, and the cloak at your back.”

Ares’ brow twitched. “Oh? Are you interested in such trinkets?” He asked, clenching his fists together.

“No. Not in them, but how you managed to obtain such items.”

“I have no obligation to answer that.” Ares smiled as warmly as he could, though there was a darkness that cast over his face.

“Indeed. I have no obligation to allow you through either.” Peros smiled towards Ares.

With that, the talks had settled. Ares cracked his neck. “I had hoped that we could have done this the easy way.” Ares then rolled up his sleeves and clenched his fists. “Cause ain’t no pretty boy taking my daughter away from me.”