“The Reptai wish to join you?” Oshgan said. “I do not trust such a thing. The timing is not entirely in their favour either.”

“I will agree with Oshgan-kin,” Rori said. “I would suggest against allowing the Reptai to become so close to you, Ares-kin.” His face was rock hard, stone neutral, as it always was.

Ares was also surrounded by a pair of his own Roaring Tridents, and he had also invited Gantal here, as well as Orndu. Lana of course was silent, just listening in to the conversation whilst chewing on a thick leaf that oozed out some juice of some kind.

There were a few others nearby, but they remained silent for this conversation, leaving it to those that held a stake within it.

Ares rubbed the side of his neck. “Why exactly is it a bad idea to have them guard me? I could pay them for their service, or they could go through the process of becoming Rivean and then they would just simply be like Gantal or Orndu here.”

“There is a difference between Gantal, Orndu and the Reptai,” Oshgan said as he threw the pair a glance. “Gantal and Orndu were both respected warriors of their peoples, and they have been with you for some time. Even when…” Oshgan stopped.

Ares raised his brow. “Continue.”

“Even when Orndu’s father was killed, he still joined you to become one of your closest warriors.” Oshgan’s face darkened with shame, as though evening mentioning it was some kind of taboo.

“Indeed. I hold the greatest respect for Orndu, and that is why I suppose I should think of a suffix for a man of his stature, but that is a discussion for another time.” Ares mused on the thought for a moment. “I agree with you though, that Orndu has done much and he has earned the right of being a well respected warrior, one of the elites.”

Rori spoke up. “He has also gone through the rite to become one of our Rivean, how would you expect our fellow Riveans to accept so many newcomers after what has only recently occurred?”

Ares nodded his head in response. “I have thought about that, that is why any newcomer will be given a secondary status, a sort of Rivean-in-training. They will be educated and expected to work for their right to be Rivean, but the option of becoming Rivean should be there for them.”

“What do you have in mind?” Rori asked.

“For now I believe that any newcomer who wishes to become Rivean, regardless if they are refugees or immigrants, they should go through three months of training and routine before they are allowed to be Rivean. They will be treated different than a Rivean, though on the outside it may be seen as they may be treated the same, we shall be strict in their training. Of course, this does not include the children, we shall have a different system in place.”

Rori stared at Ares for a long moment before nodding his head slowly. Ares could trust that Rori understood his words, of course he expected as much considering that Rori was his Consul.

Then Oshgan spoke up. “Three months is too little, we should extend such a length of time.”

“The time is not particularly important to me, though it should be at least three months. I would like to increase it in the future, but I picked three months for a reason. It is long enough that people will be able to pick up most of what they need to know, but short enough that Rivea can grow fairly quickly.” Ares took a long look around to his people. “Rivea is still small, and though I wouldn’t say it is fragile, it still is in a precarious stage. If we come across another human legion, a trained force, then we may lose ourselves yet. Luckily for us, the beastfolk that had come were not heavily armoured or highly trained, or I would not be here…” Ares then grew silent for a moment.

“I suppose,” Ares’ eyes turned to Lana and then Orndu, “I would like to hear your thoughts. You were there when I went out alone against the buffalofolk and was… well…” Ares rubbed along the back of his neck. “I overestimated myself.” Ares could feel his stomach throb for a moment. “Yet, though the Roaring Tridents were on their way, it was not Rivean blood that was spilt to save my life.”

Ares looked to Orndu, who held a level of shame within his eyes, though he stood completely straight.

“Of course, it was my own fault,” Ares said. “I don’t blame the Roaring Tridents for not being at my side, it was completely a result of my own folly. I do not, and will not, blame my guard or think poorly of them after that. I am very glad that you, Orndu, and the rest of the Roaring Tridents, are protecting me.” Ares nodded to the other pair near him. “Thank you.” Ares cleared his throat.

He had been too afraid of looking at Lana, so kept his attention to Orndu. “Do you agree that, roughly, a hundred Reptai made their way to me, and only about twenty survived to get me out of the clutches of my own folly?”

Orndu saluted. “Yes, Ares-kin.”

Ares waited. “So what do you think. Did they do well enough to perhaps earn their place in one of the elite squads. Speak truly and speak honestly.” Ares kept his eye on Orndu.

Orndu thought for a few moments. “I think that they are not Rivean, and only Riveans should be part of the elite squads.”

Ares nodded his head and then glanced about quickly. “I don’t object to such a sentiment, though it does reduce our future options of an elite guard.”

The others, even those that did not take part of the conversation, agreed with Ares’ words.

“So if they were Rivean, let us say they went through the three months of integrating within our society, then you would all agree to them joining an elite unit?” Ares asked.

Lana spoke up. “When you had been caught due to your own stupidity, I had seen them move.”

Ares winced at her words but nodded his head.

“They were quick to see just how much of a fool you were, and they to correct such a mistake.” Lana stared at Ares, glaring deep into his soul. “I would not be happy if they were to join your elite guard.” Lana then tossed the leaf in his direction. “It would only spur you to even more foolishness.”

Ares smiled slightly, but then when he saw the dark look in Lana’s eyes, he quickly stopped smiling and stared at her meekly like a puppy that hold just been told off.

“To have a Reptai become Rivean…” Gantal said, and Ares noted just how important the question was in order for Gantal to say it aloud.

“Can they become Rivean?” Orndu asked, and it was as though the pair had said what everyone else had the courage to say.

“Why can’t they?” Ares asked.

“They are Reptai.” Orndu said.

“So?”

“They are too different.”

Ares looked at Orndu and nodded his head. He understood this was going to come up, it always would. Ares then reached up and pointed to his horn. “Orndu, you have such nice horns. I wish mine were as nice as yours.”

Orndu’s eyes flashed with pride, and then confusion. “You do not have horns.”

“No… no I don’t. Does Rori-kin have horns?”

Orndu shook his head.

“So we don’t have horns, and you do. How are you Rivean then?” Ares asked. Then he turned to Rori. “Rori, you have fur all over you, and your ears are near the top of your head, and they are far more rounded than my own. Yet I do not have such ears, do you see?” Ares pointed to his own.

Rori nodded his head. “Yet we are both Rivean,” Rori said.

“Indeed. Yet I also have wings, don’t I?” Ares asked as he flashed an arm into flames. “Am I not Rivean?”

“You are, Ares-kin.” Orndu said.

Ares nodded. “I do not care if you have horns, pale skin, dark skin, if you are a beastfolk, a Reptai, a human, none of these things matter to me. You are Rivean to me, and I hope that everyone here will accept one another as Rivean, regardless of our differences. The Reptai have bled to save my life, I would accept them as Rivean if I was allowed, but I understand some people may take issue to it considering how we’ve been burnt before.”

Ares looked down. “So I will take it slow. That way no one can complain whether or not someone is Rivean by virtue of how they look, or the way they talk, or the way they walk, if they walk, or by the food they eat, or any other such things. Rivean means Rivean. It saddens me to think that anyone would think otherwise.”

Ares waited to see if anyone had an issue. “So are we in agreement? I will ask those that wish to become my guard if they are willing to become Rivean, and they will go through that process, and when they are finally Rivean, they will be allowed to join my elite guard?” Ares asked.

“I have no objection.” Rori said, and with that, it was solidified for no one could go against the combined word of both halves of the heads of power for Rivea.