“I understand that many of you are quite new here,” Ares said as he glanced about. He was standing tall, as tall as he could considering his stomach was still aching him so, and he was overlooking all of Rivea from the top of the cliff that wound up near Rori’s home. “As such, I will give you a basic overview of Rivea’s state of affairs.”

Ares motioned a hand towards King Abdan and his people, who were standing to one side, a group of ten White Cloaks nearby. “As you know, Rivea is welcome to all people. This includes those of the human persuasion. I understand this might be distressing for some of you, but I vouch for King Abdan and his people, for they have helped me a great deal, and they are here under Rivea’s protection. Anyone that takes a swing towards King Abdan and his people, take a swing at Rivea.” Ares raised his brows, as though daring any of them to start something with the humans.

“Rivea does not discriminate on what you are, but rather, what you do. I understand that some of you are used to certain rules and laws that your people have held for a great time, but now you are in Rivea, and as such, you will follow Rivea’s rules and laws. Your host family shall speak with you about what they know, and they will show you how a Rivean is expected to act and behave.” Ares nodded and then waited for a moment, letting them take in those words.

“Some of you can see that I am injured,” Ares said as he revealed his stomach. “Very astute of you, I would say.” He smiled. “Yes, I am injured. Yes, I am weaker than I have ever been. Yes, this would be the perfect time for you to raise arms against me. Yes, we will put you down so easily, that Amal and Salea wouldn’t need to stop cooking, for we will be hungry after our work is done.” Ares smirked.

“Ask the rhinofolk how easy it was to defeat their Ittelboy, whatever his name was. Ask the buffalofolk how we had defeated them in combat, three-nil if I am to recall correctly. Even Orndu, who is injured, could beat any one of you, perhaps more at once.” The King shrugged, looking about the people.

“You have come because you wanted a better life, or because we beat you, or because you were sick of the human legions that have come to take your land, or because you came at us and we drove you away, and have come to reclaim our right as victors in the battle.”

Ares paused for a long moment, taking in the sight of the thousands before him. These weren’t all the people that had come, he would need to repeat this to those at the fort.

“No longer will Rivea allow such mercies that had allowed others to come and rise up before them, to kill our brothers and sisters, our fathers and mothers, our sons and daughters. There is only one option I will allow you. You will be Rivean in three months, you will become one of us. You will follow the rules and laws of Rivea, you will join her armies, you will till her fields, you will create her walls. You will share in the fruits of Rivea, you will share in her warmth, you will share in her glory. This, I swear to you as King.”

Ares raised a hand and then summoned a blade, the noon sun glinting across the blade. He reached up and then cut a shallow wound across his hand. He stared at everyone as his blood dripped down his palm. It was far more painful it had any right to be, but that was because he was currently still recovering from his great wound. The hot blood oozed its way down his palm and dripped onto the cold stone. He could feel the glare of his wife, but he did not care.

“I bleed for those who bleed for me,” he said.

Those of Rivea, returned the words back to him, for they knew what it meant.

“These are the words of Rivea. If nothing else, adhere to them, and life will be all the more simpler.”

Ares then raised his hands. “Now eat your fill, sing your songs, dance your dances.” With that, he turned and left.

“Did you have to cut yourself,” Lana asked as she walked with him, taking Ares’ hand in hers, feeling the hot blood trickle against her palm.

“I had to,” Ares said. “To let them know, and to remind our own.”

With that the pair returned to their tent. Ares would need to head to the fort soon, but first he needed a moment to rest. The stress of preparing such a speech had done quite a bit to him, and he was feeling the ache within his body again.

“You should rest for today,” she said.

“I’ll be fine,” Ares said as Lana checked on his wound. It didn’t seem to look any worse than typical, though she redressed it.

“I will come with you.”

Ares did not protest against her, for her allowing him to go in his state had to come with a price, and if that price was her glare against his back when he cut himself a second time, then so be it.

“This Kingly business is hard,” he said.

“You make it hard. If you took a moment here and there, you would be fine.”

“If I took a moment here and there, Rivea wouldn’t exist.”

“You speak so certain for a man who knows little.”

“I know a little, but the little I know, is the little I know.”

“What does that mean?”

“Looks like I’m becoming a decent politician.” Ares laughed, coughing as his wound cramped together again.

“To the fort?” she asked.

“To the fort.”

They rode with their White Cloaks, heading to the fort. There were also a group of ten wolffolk riders, one of them being Heria herself, who had wanted to join in the fun. Ark was currently keeping an eye on things at the fort, whereas Hemwa had returned to Rivea. They had swapped duties on Ares’ behest, partly because Ares trusted Ark a little more, and for Ark to gain a little experience with dealing with such a harsh duty.

When they arrived, all was not gone to hell as Ares had thought, and perhaps Heria had wished. The peoples were in their tent towns. Three separate and distinct towns had been formed. Those that Heria had conquered, including the oxfolk that had rebelled against him, were a single group. Those that wanted to join due to hearing about Ares, formed a town. The last were those that Heria had described as… broken. They were those that had joined without a fight, those that were most hopeless. They were off on their own, and Ares had a few of his soldiers hang around with them. They had brought food and instruments to the people, and they would perform.

Rori had created a small group of people from Rivea who would also tell stories of Ares and his conquest, much to Ares’ displeasure. Such a thing was a great embarrassment, but he accepted it regardless, because Rori had formed it. If it were almost anyone else, Ares probably would have declined it, with varying levels of politeness depending on who it was.

Ares approached the walls and looked out to the people, repeating the speech, not quite verbatim. Eventually he cut his hand and said the words of Rivea. Much to his surprise, a few of those in the tent towns did so, though some had to stop their children from emulating such behaviour.

‘Oh, shit, right…’

He’d need to stop doing such public displays of self-harm, he didn’t want that to become something that every Rivean did, especially not the children.

Ares then turned to look at those that they had conquered. He could see the thousands of them, most of them still quite suspicious of the King.

“I will be heading to the east soon,” he said. “As such, there will be need of a great many labourers. We will create another wall, a wall much larger than the one you already see. Those that labour for the wall will receive full citizenship after two months. That means two months from when you first arrived at the fort. I offer this to only those currently at the fort, all of you who can hear me. By the time I return, I hope for the wall to be done. I’m not sure how long it will take, but if it can take two months with a large number of you, then I will be all the more happy, and Rivea, which will be your home at the time, will be all the more safe.”

With that, Ares returned to the tower near the fort. He was too tired to deal with anything at the time, and so ate alongside Lana and a few others.