“That didn’t take long at all,” Ares said.

The large Reptai with the bronze-grey scales had appeared not long after, far quicker than Ares had originally thought. He wondered just how exactly they had appeared so quickly.

Ares remained sitting, drinking a bowl of warm milk. He stared down at the Reptai as they finally hoisted themselves until they were ahead of Ares. Now that his mind was clear, and he had experienced the terror that had been Zaka Princess of Zanz, he understood that he needed to go all out if it came to blows, rather than to wait until he had been overwhelmed.

“Eminence Flame,” it said to him.

“Ah, excuse me. I am King Ares, Master of Waters, Kin of all Riveans.”

“I am Zika, Queen of Zanz.”

‘Why the hell are your names all so similar?’ Ares couldn’t help but think.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Queen of Zanz,” Ares said. He bowed his head towards her and then stood up from the seat he had made of stone. Of course he should show some respect to a Queen, regardless of who she was.

“You as well, Ares,” she said. “Who has given you such titles? I hadn’t expected…” She licked the air but then narrowed her eyes. She remained silent for a long moment. “No, no. You are no human.” She continued to lick the air. “What are you?”

“I ask myself that every morning,” Ares said. He chuckled and then shrugged. “I call myself a god, partly because I am partly one, at least in my estimation. In reference to your previous question, I was given my titles by Rivee.”

“Rivee? The Seamother?”

“If that’s what you call them, sure.”

The Reptai looked up to the crown and then looked back down to him. “It is no lie,” she said. She remained silent and stared deep into his eyes.

“So… uh. Why did you chase me?”

“You are Eminence Flame, how you say, a phoenix?”

“Yes, I am part phoenix.”

“Part?”

“A gift from Rivee.”

“What have you done for Rivee to warrant such gifts?”

“I made a promise,” Ares said. He smiled at Zika.

“What promise was this?”

“I told him I’d help the those within this land against the humans,” Ares said. “So far I think I’m doing an alright job, but I’ll have to speak with Rivee about it.”

“All the people of this land? Does that include we people?”

“It includes all the people of this land, though it does seem you have an issue with my friends.”

“The Bitan?”

“They have treated me quite well, and it seems that Rivee has tasked them with some of the same thing. They and I are cut from the same cloth, which means if you have an issue with them, then you seem to have an issue with me.”

“We too have been tasked by Seamother.”

Ares raised his brows and waited.

“It is our task to protect Seamother shrine.”

“Ah, so we have a similar task then.”

“Similar?”

“I too am protecting a shrine. At Dragon’s Spine I have created a city and there is a shrine there that I have been granted the privilege of protecting.”

Zika remained silent. “Another had been tasked with protecting such a shrine. There was a light, a wave, seeking his return.”

Ares furrowed his brows in confusion. “Are you talking about Peros?”

Zika nodded.

“Yeah, we met. He’s left to the North though, and so the task has fallen onto Rivea and it’s people.”

“You had met Peros?”

“Yes I did.”

Zika remained staring at Ares, who stared back.

“Is something the matter.”

“No.”

“Well… that’s good then.”

Ares and Zika remained silent for some time.

“So uh… why did you chase me so far?”

“We wanted to see if the Flame Eminence had returned.”

“I haven’t returned, but I am here. I’m sorry to disappoint you.”

“We are not enemies?”

“I don’t think so. You might be my enemy though.”

“For we are facing the Bitan?”

“Yes. They have been quite kind to me so it’s only right for me to be so kind to them in return.”

“Then have you come to mediate between our peoples?”

Ares stared at Zika for a long while. In all honesty he hadn’t expected her to be so talkative. Her willingness to speak did cause him some embarrassment.

“I guess that… I suppose I could do that. You seem so eager to not want to fight…” Ares tried not to sound too disappointed. He wanted to see what the Queen could have done against him, if her daughter had dome so much to him.

He could hear the rustling of the thousands of Reptai approaching, though they were still quite far away.

“There is no need to fight, if we are all kin of Seamother.”

“I suppose that is one of my titles. If you are all kin of Rivee, then I am obligated to help you. Any kin of Rivee, is a kin of mine.” Ares nodded.

“My kin will be here soon, I shall speak with them of such matter if you are willing to wait.”

“Well I should probably show my face to them anyhow,” Ares said. He smiled the most innocent smile he could.

“Very well.”

Ares followed Zika, who mounted her giant lizard and then led Ares back to her people. There was some shrieking and roaring off in the distance, the Reptai shouting to one another to position themselves.

Eventually Zika roared out, and then Zaka replied.

“I have found Flame Eminence. Come to me!”

“I recognise you, mother Queen! Zaka has heard, Zaka will come!”

Then the shouting of such, but from others. A Rola, Zola, Zoti, and Mota.

Finally they had appeared, the five that seemed to lead the others. Each were a variety of different lizard-like creatures. The others were short, save for Zaka who was slightly taller, but none were quite as tall as Zika.

“This is the Flame Eminence?” The one that spoke was short, dark green and wore a long sabre at their side.

“A human?” Another growled. They licked the air. “No, not a human.”

“He is King Ares, Master of Waters, Kin of all Riveans.”

Ares looked at Zika. He was surprised that she had introduced him so completely.

“Master of Waters? By who!” Snarled a white scaled Reptai.

“By Seamother,” Zika said before she snarled at him.

“Seamother has chosen it?” The white scaled Reptai glared at Ares. “No. No!” It grabbed it’s pair of sabres, each long and slightly curved.

Zika raised her own weapons, but Ares smiled.

“Hold on now, your majesty,” Ares said. “If this fine… Reptai has an issue with me, I’d like to deal with it myself.”

“I cannot allow her to harm you, for you are our mediator,” Zika said.

“I assure you I’ll be fine,” Ares said. “I just need to blow off some steam.”