When morning came Ares had left his tent early to run around and then do some light calisthenics around the area. He wasn’t wearing much, just some shorts and some boots as he ran around in the brisk morning air.

Yet his body still felt heavy, he needed to figure out a way to try and regain some strength. He would need to speak about making a hot spring of some kind nearby, perhaps the dragonfolk would be willing to help?

Beor finally approached Ares as he was doing handstand pushups on the fort wall. Ares looked back to see an upside down Beor. “Good morning, Beor.” Ares said as he slowly lowered himself until he finally sat down on the wall.

“We will be leaving now.” Beor said, though remained there with something else on his lips. “What were you doing?”

“Training.”

“Training?”

“Training the body so that I am stronger than yesterday.” Ares said as he stretched his neck from either side. He motioned his head to the various soldiers around the place that were training as well.

Beor nodded. “You treat your men with a great kindness.”

“I do.”

“Though they have failed you?”

“Everyone fails, Beor. It’s not the failure I judge, but what they do after.”

Beor narrowed his eyes, nodded, and then left with a goodbye.

Ares looked out to see them move out, moving in several groups of about a hundred or so each. Beor returned to the warriors he had fought alongside yesterday. The panther woman looked towards Ares and then grinned at him.

Ares returned the smile and then nodded towards her. She seemed to be taken aback. She turned and left with Beor, and Ares chuckled.

Abdan had decided to join the beastfolk in training. He, as well as several of his guards, seemed to be quite close with the Roaring Tridents that Ares had assigned to protect the humans. He wondered if the other half would be fine protecting the hundreds of humans in the capital, but he assumed that Rori would be able to sort out any kind of issue that might arise.

“Are you enjoying yourself, Abdan?”

“Ahreez, this feeling of pleasure after the pain, it is addictive.”

Ares laughed. “That’s for sure.” Ares then flexed his physique in front of Abdan, whose body was already quite impressive. “If you keep it up you will be much larger, but still as lean as you are.”

“Is that how it works?” Abdan asked.

Ares nodded and then began to describe, quite loosely, how the process of muscle building worked to the other King. After some time though, Ares realised that perhaps they should get a move along to allow the people to work in peace. Having the higher up around to watch one’s work was always stressful after all.

“Shall we return back to Rivea?” Ares smiled.

“I would like to have a bath.” Abdan admitted and Ares laughed.

“I have some soap and can probably summon enough water if you’d like to have a bath before you leave. I’ll even warm it up.”

Abdan’s eyes lit up. “If it would not trouble you, oh honourable Ahreez.”

Once the pair had finished washing themselves they changed and then made their way back to Rivea, using the straight path that they had used to arrive at the fort in a timely manner. The oxen pulled along the cart quickly as they returned, at least twice as quickly as a human could by walking.

“This path I made in order to move quickly between the fort and the capital city, though it’s only to be used for military actions and such.” Ares said.

“Was it a bother that I had used it?”

“No, I assume you received permission from Rori. I don’t mind so much. Though I hope you understand why I couldn’t allow all of your people to use it.”

“I can understand.” Abdan nodded.

Ares wondered if Abdan truly meant that, or if as a fellow King he understood such a need for it.

When they had finally returned it was barely noon. Ares could see that Rivea hadn’t gone to hell and so sighed in relief.

He found Rori to inform him of what had happened the day before.

“Beor son of Geor? He is a kin of mine.”

“No shit.” Ares said though he cleared his throat. “Oh… well if I had known that, I would have been far nicer.”

“We do not get along, but we are still kin.”

“I was going to ask him if he knew you but I thought that was racist…”

“Racist?”

“You know… just assuming all bearfolk know each other.”

“Many of us know the other clans, at least up until a few generations ago. Our names give away our identities.”

“No shit.” Ares said again though cleared his throat. “Sorry. Right, well, that’s good to know then. I can’t wait for him to see you.” Ares laughed. “I wonder if he’ll be surprised that you’re my right hand man?” Ares laughed.

“How soon are you wishing to leave Westward?” Rori eventually asked.

“Probably in the next few weeks. I think Rivea will be able to survive for the next short while without me. The fort seems to be nearing it’s end, and well, the human slaves are still working on the wall but the fort will be more than enough to protect us.”

“We have received many offers of those who wish to be given the right of going with you.”

“Oh? Really?”

“There are many of us who have never left towards the West. We have heard a great many tales of those in the West, the great Dragon Kingdom that seems even to us a myth. Then there are the great many chiefdoms who war with one another over various claims and so never have become a great force, along with a number of others. We lived peacefully in this land, but it seems even we must spread ourselves outward to survive against the greatest threat since the last humans and the giants to the north.”

‘Whoa that sounds so cool.’ Ares smiled. “I can’t wait to go and explore it.”

“If you so wish, I shall bring those who wish to meet you when noon has come over lunch.”

“That sounds great, thank you. Have you weeded out those you didn’t like?”

“I have refused those that I believed would not benefit you in the travels, save one.”

“One? Are they special?”

Rori looked to Ares with a particular look Ares couldn’t place. “Something like that.” Rori said.