“Right, so,” Ares said, “I have been wanting to ask you if you and your people would like to join Rivea.”

Ares was sitting opposite Zika on a solitary rock, with one a single guard a piece. Ares’ wound had yet to completely heal, not much progress had been made on that part and it seemed as though that this would be a semi-permanent wound for the next while.

Zika did not reply. She remained silent for some time. “Why is it that you wish for us to join?”

“Well you are distant cousins of ours. We both have been tasked by Rivee for something, and I want us to work together for our common goal. I would like for you to be citizens, but if you would prefer it, I would be happy to ally with you. I’d be happy to add you to our army in order to protect this land against the human threat.”

“The humans have come once more?” Zika asked.

“They have. We managed to fend them off and I played some part against destroying an entire legion.”

“An entire legion?”

“Ten thousand or so, yes.”

Zika remained in thought for some time. “Why is it that you wish for us to join your army if you are able to do so much without?”

“Well… I very much doubt that we’ll be able to pull off the same thing quite so easily. The situation was in our favour and the humans had underestimated us. The next time they come, I don’t think they’ll be quite so ill prepared.”

Zika let out a low growl as she breathed, thinking deep on Ares’ proposal. “What will be given to us?”

“Depends. If you become a citizen, then you’ll become Rivean. You will behave accordingly, adopting our laws and such. You will be given every protection any other Rivean will be given. Shelter, food, education. You will have a home in Rivea.”

“As your warriors?”

Ares looked at the Reptai. “For now you’ll fight as a mercenary force. Though the price of such a thing, well… I’ll allow you to remain on some land, letting you hunt and such whilst you work for us. It will be a contract that will last a few months at a time, and if you come to see no fighting, that’s fine by me. Though if I need you to fight every day of the contract length, then you’ll have to do so.”

Ares did have other ideas of how he could incorporate the Reptai into Rivea. He was wondering whether or not to form an elite guard for the royal family out of the Reptai, since they would no doubt remain loyal to the royal family instead. Still he wasn’t sure if the other Riveans would be so glad, especially those within his most elite units that he had already formed. Though…

“I would also like to form an elite guard out of some of your most elite Reptai. Thirty six of them to be exact, and they would have the privilege of joining the elite Rivean guards. They would be given the same rights and responsibilities of the other elite units I have created, and so would be Rivean, regardless of which path you decide. If you have so many that would be so willing to do so.”

“You have brought us great honour in your words, Ares,” Zika said. “I will have to think about such a thing further. We still do not know what it means to be Rivean.”

Ares nodded. He was somewhat vague, not entirely on purpose. He wasn’t sure what Rivea was at the moment, nor really what it meant to be Rivean in it’s entirety.

“Well. If you would like to you can join us as the mercenary force, and then at the end of the contract length we can renegotiate whether you want to leave, remain mercenaries, or become Rivean. I will respect whatever wishes that you desire, even if you decide to not join.”

Zika bowed her head. “I shall bring this up to my people. We thank you for your offer.”

Ares nodded in return and with that settled, he decided to go for a walk. His stomach burned with an ache with each step, but he continued to walk for some time in thought.

Saykkera remained nearby, allowing him plenty of space to walk on his own. The Reptai were very different. Perhaps if they had been the Bitan, inviting them to Rivea might have been much smoother, but he was stuck with the Reptai.

He wondered just how rough it would be for the Riveans, and just how crazy they would think Ares was.

‘Either this is the best idea I’ve had, or I’ve really fucked this up.”

Ares continued to walk around the area before the pain in his stomach was too much and he needed to lay down.

“Would you like something to calm your nerves?” Azzo asked as he brought over a pipe.

Ares took a long inhale, the smoke filling his lungs slowly before he let out a soft breath, the smoky cloud whirling upwards. The pain within his stomach was reduced slightly.

“You know Azzo,” Ares said. “I think you might have a smoking problem.” Ares said as he returned the pipe, coughing once as his stomach spasmed with sharp pain as though a knife had forced itself through.

“There is no problem when it comes to smoking,” Azzo replied back, taking in a longer drag of the pipe.

“Yeah, yeah.” Ares waved a hand.

“What did the Reptai say about joining Rivea?” Kask said.

“They need to discuss it,” Ares said.

“What if they decide not to join?” Kask said.

“If they don’t want to join, then they don’t want to join.”

“You are currently suffering. It would is a terrible time for us.”

“What do you mean?”

Kask threw a glance to Saykkera and then looked back to Ares.

“They could attack us,” Kask said.

“They could.” Ares nodded.