Ares remained, as still as stone. He towered over almost every creature, his eyes glazed over with intrigue. Yet he did not move from his position. The rivers spilled with the grey and red blood of the two armies.

Roaring, screaming, shouting. One by one, Bitan and Reptai fell. Soon the fighting became more of a mess, yet Ares remained alert for anything else that would surround him.

It seemed his foresight panned out. As he glanced aside he noted a few creatures sneaking up on them. They were small lizard creatures, not the beast like race, but rather actual beasties.

“Eyes up, boy,” Ares said.

Ezak turned to face him, managing to catch a glance of the creatures that had been coming up closer.

“Beasts!” Ezak exclaimed as he pointed his bident towards the creatures.

The others around him turned to face the creatures, but they were a little late. The creatures had been stealthed, and there were even some closer than the Bitan noticed.

The beasts were tiny lizard creatures, no taller than Ares’ knees. They were thin and spear like, though there were a large number of them. They leapt to the awaiting Bitan and tore against them. The twenty five Bitan that were kept back in reserves were mostly younger warriors that had little to no experience in war.

Yet the young Bitan seemed so vicious as they slashed and pierced into the various creatures that tried to swarm then.

San’O returned and then flooded the soldiers with some water, washing away the tiny creatures. Yet they were soon upon the soldiers again, the tiny creatures were apparently rather eager to attack.

Many of the small creatures had fallen, yet some had managed to slipped passed.

San’O brought her hands together. The water from the river swirled around, like a tiny whirlpool, before then expanding around into a sphere that spun. It then rolled behind the Bitan soldiers and picked up the lizards, flinging some of them aside through many were trapped within the sphere.

San’O the let the water drop once the back line of the Bitan, that had been threatened by the lizards that had slipped through, took positions to strike the creatures as they fell.

‘I wonder if the lizards taste any good…’

Then a small group of Reptai broke off from the main group that were fighting the Bitan, and came to support the Reptai at the river.

They were led by a tall, strong looking Reptai, similar to the horned Reptai that had spoken before. They didn’t have horns, though their back was spiked. It charged towards the Bitan, who tried to curl around into the river and then began to shoot the water pellets towards the charging enemy.

Yet the Reptai was unfazed by the pellets, charging onwards with it’s companions at it’s back. It crashed into the line of Bitan that had pointed their bidents forward to meet the crash, felling a few of the beasts. Yet the large Reptai had leapt over all the Bitan with a powerful bound.

It stared at Ares as it charged towards him, though a few Bitan had come ahead of him including Ezak. With ease it had tossed both Ezak and the Bitan beside him aside, marching over the short distance before Ares.

Yet Sta’O appeared, clashing with the creature. It carried with it a long spear, and the pair met in combat for a few moments before the creature shorted the distance and then knocked the Bitan aside with it’s tail.

San’O blasted some water at the creature, yet it was a force of indomitable will, unmoving. It then tossed it’s spear towards San’O, who brought a wall between herself and the spear, which thrust deep into it before it was still, dropping as San’O allowed the water to fall.

‘Such great water control…’

Ares then turned to look at the Reptai that was ahead of him. It remained about three metres ahead of him, standing there as it eyed him up. The sounds of fighting continued, and Sta’O stood onto his feet, trying to get to the creature.

Ares raised a hand. “No,” he said as he stared at the Reptai. It seemed so curious to see him. “It seems as though they want to speak with me.”

The creature was quite powerful and large, not quite as large as the other, but it held with it a presence.

“I am King Ares, Master of Waters, Kin of all Riveans,” he said. “Who might you be?”

It’s tongue slipped out and then flicked at the air before it returned. “Master of Waters? I do not recognise you.”

“I don’t care if you don’t recognise me. Rivee recognises me, and that’s all.”

“You are recognised by Rivee?” It licked the air nearby. “You are no human. You smell different.”

“I am no human. I should smell fine, I’ve been having baths every morning,” Ares sniffed at his armpit, which wasn’t the smartest thing to do since they had been marching all day. “I suppose I should have a quick bath.”

“A slow human, aren’t you?”

“A slow lizard, aren’t you?”

It hissed at him.

“What is your name?”

“Zaka,” it said. It flexed it’s powerful muscles at him. “Princess of Zanz.”

“Well, princess of Zanz, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Perhaps if we had met at another time we could have chat, but it seems as though you are at war with my friends.”

“They had refused our aid, and so it is war.”

“Well you could have just not helped them.”

“The disrespect they had given to us, we could not forgive.”

“Pride, huh?” Ares said. “What a terrible thing.” Ares shook his head. “Pride will end up being your downfall, you know?”

“What madness do you speak, human?”

“Look,” Ares said. “I’m about to slap the shit out of you, princess.”

She snarled at him. “We shall feast on you once we are done with these fish!” She leapt towards him.

Ares grabbed her wrist. “Sorry but, I won’t let you do such a thing. I would prefer to keep them alive as my allies, for they are a part of Rivea.” He smiled and then tossed her across the river with his great strength. She slammed into the ground.

“Let’s go!” Ares summoned a spear and then thrust it into the air.