Ares had been eager to leap into the fray, though with Emerli by his side he decided it would have been best to not get too crazy. Instead it seemed as though Anka was happy to take his place as she bolted forward with her large maul. The first Bitan that was unfortunate enough to meet her, flew aside with a grunt.

With that the battle had started. Anka and Teorn had gone feral, and it seemed as though Teorn was going in hand to hand against the Bitan. The pair of them, who towered over each Bitan, were the vanguard. They went on ahead and created space for the rest of the Nine to follow, though Saykkera was keeping the other Bitan at bay.

“Skar’O, we will keep Saykerra’O busy,” a few Bitan behind Ares had said, clashing with Saykkera.

“Hyip hyip!” Yinyin rode on top of Yipyip and then pulled out her bow and arrow, riding around and showering arrows towards Skar’O to keep him busy, though Skar’O brought up some water and then struck the arrows with the water pellets.

“Yinyin, take Emerli. Kask, Azzo, do your best to support them.” With that Ares turned to face Skar’O.

Saykkera, however, seemed to be quite annoyed. She went part feral and then easily dealt with the small group of Bitan that had been around her with a flurry of blows, striking against them with her talons and her tail. Then she leapt at Skar’O.

This time Skar’O was ready for her, he had gone feral himself, though going feral probably wasn’t the right term. Ares watched as the water around Skar’O shifted around, forming a cross guard that spun around the Bitan.

‘Damn that’s so cool.’

Skar’O leapt forward to meet Saykkera in battle, and with that Ares turned to leave her behind for now.

He continued onwards with his team. He was indecisive, unsure of what he wanted to do. He wanted to get Emerli and the others to safety, but he couldn’t just abandon Saykkera. What would Peros think of him? Then what about the shadows in the ice? Ares shook his head, shaking away the thoughts.

They had managed to get to the steps. Ares looked down to see various soldiers under the steps, about two dozen or so. They were somewhat trapped, fighting from the elevation of stairs was a bad idea. Yet Anka stepped down to meet them anyway.

“Wait, not yet,” Ares said and Anka pulled back. “Watch my back, I’ll handle this.” With that Ares raised his hands on either side of him.

Then he summoned an arrow in his hand. He narrowed his eyes and concentrated, then the arrow turned into lightning and he tossed it down. He repeated this several times, causing the Bitan to scatter.

Then Ares summoned dirt on either side of them, forming them into bricks, covering them from behind too. They went about three metres high, blocking off the Bitan and his group from behind, but then also causing some difficulty for the Bitan under to try and get into formation as he made a funnel for his group. A bad idea, normally.

“Forward!” Ares then shifted into a phoenix and bolted down, crashing into the group of Bitan that had tried to form into the gap. Some of them had readied their spears, but they did not meet Ares’ body, instead they met flames as Ares scattered them like bowling pins.

Then he returned back to human, summoned various small rocks and shooting them out towards the Bitan like bullets, trying to keep them from getting too close.

Still the Bitan tried to push towards him, raising their shields and then crouching to minimise their footprint. Then Ares summoned the stones from above as his group managed to move forward. They rushed to the lake that was ahead, which only had a few guards nearby.

“Ares’O!” The voice was familiar, yet Ares couldn’t quite place it. He turned and saw Aks’E, the older woman that had shared some tea. “I see you are leaving, please do take some tea with you,” she said. Ares wasn’t sure if it was a trap, but he rushed over to her.

She handed him a small pouch. She clasped her hands over his own. “I do wish you the best of luck.”

“You as well, Aks’E. I hope that one day I can return as a friend.”

“You may always return as a friend,” she said as she bowed her head.

Ares bowed his head in return, hearing the soldiers gathering closer. With that he bid goodbye and then turned, shifting away the pouch as he ran back to his group.

They had finally reached the lake, but Ares realised too late what a mistake it was to charge towards the Bitan who had a large lake at their backs.

The Bitan stepped forward once and then the water behind them shuddered, splashing against their skin before they cut forward, large bullets shooting forward.

Yinyin stepped ahead of Emerli to take most of the blows, though everyone had been struck by the pellets. Emerli screamed out in pain, whereas the others tried their best to not let out any grunts of pain. Ares rushed forward, managing to catch Emerli with one arm and then Yinyin with the other. Yipyip had taken most of the blows for the three, though, and fell before Ares’ feet, panting for air.

Ares was hot with rage. “Are you alright?” He asked the pair within his arms.

“We ask you to surrender, Ares’O,” one of the soldiers said.

“Surrender?” Ares brushed Emerli’s hair and then let her down gently. He stepped forward, raising a fist ahead of him, pulling his sleeve up. “Why don’t you try that shit with me, huh?”

The Bitan, a little confused, once more raised the water and shot it at Ares. However, Ares took control over the water, formed it together, and then shot it back to them, though it gentle splashed against their bodies. In that confusion Ares raised his hand ahead of him. Then the lake behind them shuddered and shot out towards them, springing them into the air before Ares then took control of a larger mass of water.

He was fueled by his anger. He blasted the water around them, striking through the various homes, filling the alleyways and then carrying the Bitan, soldiers and civilians alike, away from the group.

“Ares.” Emerli grabbed at his elbow. “Leave.” She tried to pull him to the lake.

Ares stopped forming the water. “Right, sorry…” he said, panting for air.

With that he stepped up to the lake. He turned and exclaimed out. “Saykkera!”

The dragonwoman flew towards Ares, taking bolt after bolt of water that struck against her back. She tried to zig zag around in the air, but there were too many for her to dodge, so she accepted each against her back. Her face was contorted in some discomfort, but she remained as silent as she ever had.

Ares shifted into a phoenix and flew towards her, and once he was close enough, shifted the water away with his ring as he escorted her out. Then he wrapped around her with his phoenix form and healed her with his flames as best as he could.

Ares would remember that for the future. Still he decided to head to the lake. “Go, go, go!”

They leapt into the lake, but Ares heard a drop behind him. He turned to see Skar’O not so far away. The Bitan charged him and Ares inhaled sharply. With that Ares clenched his fist and then he stepped forward. Skar’O’s bident then forced itself into Ares’ stomach, but Ares ignored it. Ares stared into Skar’O, before he felt a lightning shock flow through him.

Ares winced in pain and confusion, but he stepped forward and then punched the Bitan across the face. Then he punched the Bitan, again and again, until Skar’O was forced back. Ares grabbed onto the bident and shifted it away, stepped forward and then he kicked the Bitan away.

Then he turned and leapt into the lake, letting the water caress him as he sank towards his allies.