The white Reptai lunged at Ares with her pair of blades. Yet Ares had long prepared himself, keeping part of his awareness out in case any of the Reptai decided to betray him.

He stepped aside from the lunge, watching the two blades pierce through air. The white Reptai turned to look at Ares in shock, before then their scales began to shift together, their eyes slanted together, and then they grew longer and thinner.

She leapt up towards him, though Ares again was a step ahead. As she brought down the pair of blades against him, Ares slammed his spear with such force that she was knocked aside, even though he had met her blades. His spear shattered in his hands before he summoned a pair of blades, one in each hand.

Ares began to circle around the white Reptai. He was going to goad her, but even he felt a little bad for the Reptai. If he hadn’t faced Zaka, he wouldn’t have been warmed up for the Reptai. She would have been able to at least manage a blow or two before he became used to her techniques, yet Ares continued to walk around her, deflecting blow after blow, until the white Reptai was panting for air.

“What are you?”

“I’m King Ares, Master of Waters, Kin of all Riveans.”

“Master of Waters, but you don’t use water?”

Ares smiled. He raised a hand towards her. “I’ll accept your request, since you asked so nicely.” Then he summoned about a glass of water, before then shooting it like an arrow towards the white Reptai. She managed to duck under it, but Ares narrowed his eyes and concentrated, before the water whipped her across the back of her head.

“You didn’t even give me your name,” Ares said.

“Mota, I am.” Mota rubbed the back of her head.

“Well Mota, are you done?”

Mota looked back to the other Reptai, snarled, but then sheathed her blades. “I see you, Ares.”

“Thank you,” Ares said. “You were unfortunate that Zaka had already warmed me up. She was quite terrifying, so I started off on edge.” He chuckled.

Mota snarled, but Zika grabbed her shoulders and lifted her up. “So you have been recognised,” Zika said and then tossed Mota back, who landed on her talons with ease. She was still panting from the effort of the fight, though Ares was relatively fine still.

He looked between the others. “Do we have any issues?” he asked the others.

Zaka growled quietly. “I still wish to face you,” she said. “You had not used all your abilities against me.”

“You overwhelmed me, Princess.” Ares bowed his head. “It was quite troublesome.” He chuckled.

Zaka looked to Zika, but then remained silent. Ares threw a look to Zika.

“Then you wanted me to mediate? Shall I return to the Bitan to inform them of your request?”

“If it would please you,” Zika replied.

“Alright. Well I’m not sure they’d be happy to find all the Reptai coming to march on them again, why don’t you choose a few guards and I’ll have Stah’O do the same.”

“If that is what you request,” Zika nodded towards him.

“Alright well, how about you meet me halfway between here and the place where you met to battle? I’ll fly over to let you know when everyone is ready.”

Ares then leapt into the air, shifted into a phoenix and then flew back to where he had come.

‘What the hell just happened?’ Ares was surprised to see that the Reptai were so open to communicate. He wondered what the story was between the Flame Eminence, them, and then also Rivee. He’d need to sit down and speak with them and the Bitan to see what they were up to, but also their relationship to one another, and then what the history was between them.

Ares dropped down once he saw the Bitan, seeing the various dead bodies of the Reptai and the handful of Bitan that had also died too. The Bitan had scavenged quite a few weapons and such from the Reptai.

Ares dropped down near Stah’O and then shifted back into his human form. “I’m glad to see you’re well, Stah’O.”

“You as well, Ares’O,” he said.

“I lead the Reptai away and managed to speak with their Queen. It seems as though she is willing to speak in order to make some peace with you, with myself as a mediator.”

“We thank you, Ares’O,” he said. “Though we do not wish to speak with them for peace, it is time for war.”

Ares raised his brows in surprise. “What? You won’t make peace with them?”

“It is not within our interest to make peace with the Reptai. They were unable to do as Water-Shais asked, and it is time for us to take their duty from them.”

“What are you talking about?” Ares asked.

“They had failed to do as Water-Shais asked, and now the shrine has been overwhelmed. It is our duty to take back the shrine for the Shais and then to protect it so it may not fall once more.”

Ares raised his brow. “You can do that without warring them.”

“They will not hand over the duty to us, so we must earn it by facing them in battle.”

Ares rubbed the side of his neck. Seriously, what had he gotten himself in to?

“Well…”

Stah’O remained silent, waiting for Ares to continue.

“How about we head to the meeting so that way we can at least discuss this,” Ares said. “I’m sure we could find a way to peacefully resolve this so both sides don’t war with one another, and then we can each continue to help Rivee with the tasks we have been given. As someone who is protecting a shrine, I assure you I can at least sympathise with both sides.”

“Ares’O… I have been told by my son what you have planned for us Bitan,” Stah’O said.

With that the Bitan began to surround him, weapons out. Ares raised his brows in surprise as he glanced behind him to see that the thousands of Bitan seemed ready to engage him.

He turned back to look at Stah’O. “What’s going on?”

“We must stop you, for the good of the Bitan,” Stah’O said.

‘Shit.’