No one moved. No one dared to move even a single inch. Even Ares, Master of Waters, Kin of all Riveans, remained deathly still. He clutched Emerli to his chest, not allowing her to feel the lack of his warmth.

Moments passed. Seconds. Minutes. Then finally he heard a rustle nearby. Moments later Kask appeared.

"It has gone."

"What… what was that?"

Kask gave Ares a knowing look. "Let us continue."

Ares nodded and then hopped into his feet, seeing his shaken crew. He inhaled deeply. "Alright! Let's head on out!" he said. He looked down and reached for Emerli, helping her up.

Kask continued on, leading them away. He whispered something as they walked. "Death will come…"

Ares didn't want to think about such a phrase and yet it preoccupied his mind. He followed after, chewing it within his mind.

Ares had made a sturdy shelter for them all, using his ring to shift around the earth. He didn't want to sleep under the open sky tonight and he doubted his allies wanted to either. He kept Emerli close by, even holding her hand.

She was cold, and shook as though she had a sickness. She was fine, he thought. She didn't seem actually sick, just shaken by the ordeal, as they all were. When they sat down to eat he held her hand and pulled her close, brushing her hair. She eventually calmed down, enough to even feed Ares, who accepted as his hands were rubbing along her side and arm.

"Better?" he said.

She nodded her head and Ares smiled.

"Ares." Kask motioned his head and Ares for up to follow.

"Saykkera, will you look after her?"

Saykkera nodded her head and then sat down beside the Hablin.

Ares followed Kask out. The oxfolk's eyes were glued around the area, specifically into the sky. "We must take our journey slower."

"Yeah?"

"The wind is unfavourable."

"Are you talking about the proverbial wind?"

"The air is thick and heavy. We should not take the warning lightly."

"Alright. So what's the plan?"

"We should return to Rivea."

"What?" Ares had raised his voice. "What are you talking about?"

"It is an ill omen."

"I get that you're spooked, but we can't just leave now."

Kask turned to face Ares. "This is what you have entrusted to me."

"Kask." Ares placed a hand on the oxfolk's shoulder. "I know, but we have to press on. I knew this journey wasn't going to be easy, no one here thought that."

"I do not worry for us, but for Rivea."

"Then you're a bigger fool than I thought. Kask, Rivea is defended by thousands of soldiers led by quite a capable warrior. Then there's the Consul, the Queen, even another King. Outside of Rivea is another thirty thousand or so oxfolk. Whatever threat comes to Rivea is going to have a tough shit time." Ares raised his brows. "Have a little faith."

Kask nodded his head. "I understand."

"If something comes our way, we can handle it too. Whatever it may be. Even if it's a big fuck off bird that makes us piss ourselves. Though… I'd rather we hide again if it comes."

Kask nodded and then the pair returned to camp. Ares returned back to Emerli as Kask went back to grab his food.

Ares called it an early night with Emerli and Saykkera. This was the first time he had actually been under the same roof at night with the pair of them. He sighed as he closed his eyes, thinking of the day. The big ass giant bird was a damn death machine.

He heard something ruffle and he turned to face it. Standing ahead of him was Saykkera fully nude. Ares sat up and turned. "Whoa, what the hell?" He brought his arms up to protect his innocent eyes. "What are you doing?"

Saykkera pressed herself against his back, but Ares leapt out of the tent and then turned. "You need to calm down." He then raised the earth in front of the entrance to keep her from following him from that way. He hadn't realised that Saykkera was so… forward.

He looked at Emerli who hadn't come into the tent. She was making some kind of concoction though he didn't know what it was. "I'm going for a walk…" he said. Then he left, doing exactly what he said he was going to do and then went around for a walk.

He did a lap around the perimeter of the camp some ways away. He wondered just exactly what Saykkera was doing. Then he stopped. He had promised Peros to take the pair of dragonfolk as his wives but hadn't really spoken to them about it, other than telling them to make the choice for themselves.

Was…

Was…

Was Saykkera trying to seduce him? No, no, there's no way. It's… Saykkera. At the same time though, she did literally strip down and try to embrace him from behind. He wondered what she was doing. Was she using this time to try and become closer to him?

…

Was she afraid? Afraid of today? Did she come to him for comfort? Then he just ran away?

Fuck.

Ares raised his hands up to his face. 'I am a piece of shit.' He groaned audibly. He then returned to the camp, waxing his way awkwardly, before then leaving again. He was far too embarrassed at the moment so he went for a longer walk to cool himself off as well as his mind.

"Trouble?" Azzo said.

"Yeah. Trouble." Ares sighed and then looked over to Azzo. "You ever get troubled?"

"All the time. All the time," Azzo said as he smoked in a pipe. He offered it to Ares.

Ares shrugged and took a puff. It didn't do anything. He blew out the smoke and then he felt a little lightheaded, just for a moment.

"I find that thinking about my troubles as they come doesn't work," Azzo said. "I think of them after."

"I try to do that too."

"No, no. That's where we differ, Ares," Azzo said. "I do not try."

'Did he just?!'

A horn echoed through the plains. A dozen arrows then whistled through towards Ares, but he shifted them away.

“How rude.”