"Helllllllllp. Enyoooooooo. You''re sister is bullying meeeeeeeeeee!" Ares was in a bit of a bind... A very literal bind in the form of a chinlock. "Why does this gorilla know wrestling moves?!" Ares was taken by surprise as Bellona was actually physically stronger than Enyo! She had way more muscle than her sister and knew how to use it in hand to hand combat. You wouldn''t guess it just by looking at her, but she was a brute! The witch clothes and her reliance on magic were a bait! Anyone who made the mistake of trying to rush down the magic caster hanging in the back would get beaten senseless... Just like Ares currently was! In desperation, he turned to the new, fifth member of the Legion group. The fellow was bald, wore a yellow robe, and possessed an otherworldly aura of serenity. He looked at one with the universe at peace with his role in it. He was very obviously not a member of the Legion clan, but he looked strong enough to play his role in the team; maybe a little over average in the strength department? Either way, Ares only knew two things for definite about him. One, he was going to be Red Soil''s defensive specialist, Ares had already been told this back in Baja. Two: and this was what Ares viewed as concern numero uno, he was in a position to help him escape from the barbaric gremlin attached to his back! "Friend, please! Lend me your aid and I will grant you riches beyond your wildest imagination!" Ares was truly willing to give the guy some shock rocks and block rocks in exchange for a helping hand but, unfortunately...


    "..."


    The bald man stared at Ares before putting his hands together in prayer and bowing his head.


    …


    Bald.


    …


    Yellow robes.


    …


    Peaceful


    …


    "DID I JUST TRY TO BRIBE A MONK?!" Ares had tears welling up in his eyes. "I''M GOING TO HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLL."


    Enyo walked over and kicked Ares in the ribcage.


    Ack


    "Shut up moron. Who told you to insult a woman''s chest?! You get what you deserve!" Enyo kicked him again.


    Ack


    Ares managed to breathlessly eke out a few words. "I''m not against two sisters at once... This just isn''t what I was expecting!"


    Enyo kicked him again. "You wish, chump."


    Off to the side, Trew was debating internally whether he enjoyed this scene or not. On the one hand, watching Ares get pummelled was joyous. On the other, Ares was in the spotlight right now and Trew very much wished Enyo would pay Ares less attention in general. He had no idea what happened after he left those two in Baja and they certainly seemed friendly enough... Trew shook his head in a feeble attempt to dismiss the intrusive thoughts, wishing he could just erase Ares from existence to ease his jealousy.


    Aejaz and Allie went over to say hello to Gladius and Charity. Once again, these four were effectively playing tag along, but they were happy with their lives. They were also quite similar in some regards, both couples having formed in Baja forest and what not. Aejaz had just gotten onto the topic of cooking as he was curious how things went for them. In truth, his own attempt had been pretty average and not worth mentioning. Still though, it was early days for him in his banana split journey. He may never learn how to cook literally anything else, but he would get the banana split right one day even if it killed him! What had been happening in his room with Allie throughout the week only furthered spurred him on, motivating him to try harder and well... Harder. As soon as the word ''cooking left Aejaz'' lips, Charity went on the war path.


    "This mongoloid burned it! Can you believe it? After hours of prep and hard work, this fool let it burn! I told Gladius ''I''m going to take a bath, keep and eye on the food and check it every now and then''. I told him. When I came out, guess what? He was asleep. The moron went to go do some spear training and knackered himself out! He was conked out on the sofa, covered in sweat. If I didn''t help his dumb-ass, he would have caught a serious cold. Unbelievable. Every time I take my eyes of him, he does something stupid and risks his health." Charity sighed and rested her palm on her head. Just remembering that day was giving her a headache. It was only going ot get worse, though, as she noticed her arch nemesis skulking around on the floor nearby. "You!" Charity growled at Leo who was licking his paw with a smug grin on his face. "What are you doing here, you damnable little furball? Don''t think I''ve forgotten about you! Vengeance will be mine!"


    Meanwhile, Gladius had snuck over to Aejaz and Allie, away from his rampaging partner. "Uh, as you can tell, Charity''s become a bit more lively since we last met. So has Enyo, so I''m guessing this is just a Legion clan woman kinda problem. I''d always heard that they tend to get a bit freaky after they fall in love... Oh how right my old man was. Still, even though she complained a lot, she still took care of me that day when I fell asleep. It was only when she realised I was ok that she started giving me hell for the food... I guess I deserved it though. I do sorta wish I could hear the end of it, but I guess I''m gonna be hearing about that mistake ''till the day I''m ''conked out'' for good. Ah, but I''m getting side-tracked, how''ve you two been? Good?"


    Aejaz scratched his head. There was only really two answers to that question depending on the time frame. Back in the snatcher town during the incident? Pretty not good. Now? Pretty dang incredible! Aejaz simply explained everything that happened after Baja to which Gladius was truly regretful. At the end of the day, he was still a member of the Legion clan, obsessed with Justice and righting wrongs. He wished he could have helped the people in the town himself instead of knowing, in hindsight, that he was a daytrip, at most, away from suffering and anguish.


    While Everyone else was involved in a conversation in some way or another, even Appa who was snickering at Ares, Trew was being his usual downer self. He kept playing through all of Enyo and Ares'' interactions that he''d personally witnessed, and he really wasn''t too pleased with how much the distance had shrunk between them and how rapidly it had all happened. He was roused from his contemplative stupor by an arm draping over his shoulder. He frowned as he looked up at whoever it was that was treating him like a lamp post, and frowned with even more disgust when he saw Ares winking at him after having presumably teleported out of Bellona''s grasp.


    "What''s up, blue? Is that your real name, or is that just how you''re feeling?"


    "You!..."


    Shhhhhhhh


    Ares put on finger to his lips and one to Trew''s. "Now wait just a minute, Mr Short Fuse. Don''t go blowing up on me just yet, save that for later. I may even decide to help you out with it if you ask kindly. First and foremost, you''ve got a price to pay for a particular quarrel you and I had back in Baja." Ares pointed over at Appa who was receiving head pats form Enyo. "That is my daughter, Appa. If I remember correctly, you called her a pet. Now, as much as I''d like to personally beat some sense into you, I think its better if grudges are solved personally. I''s high time you got the comeuppance you deserved, and from the person who deserves to be the one to get vengeance. Look." Ares took a step behind Trew and fixed his head forward, straight towards Appa. Of course, Enyo glaring at Trew from the side-lines only made what was about to happen to him that much more severe.


    Appa glanced at Ares, who smirked and nodded in encouragement, before it turned to Trew and stared deep into his eyes. With great sadness in its voice and a pitiful, heart wrenching cry, Appa wailed, "Shame! On! You!"


    It was unknown whether Trew''s penitence originated from his guilt over describing Appa as a pet or Enyo''s disapproving glances but, either way, clearly, he was seriously wishing he could undo time right about now. He limply fell to the floor and lay on the ground with blood oozing out of his head, taking rapid, raspy breaths as his wide eyes stared off into the distance. In a way, what was happening to him was worse than what Ares went through because, at the very least, Ares had been unconscious even if the severity of his injury was more grave overall. It was probably a good thing Trew''s vision was blurry and his ears were ringing right about now or otherwise he would have seen and heard literally all nine other people laughing at his expense. Then again, maybe someone would have actually pitied him if he wasn''t an asshole and/or deserve to be punished for his unforgivable mistake.


    Bellona snuck up behind Appa and wrapped her arms around it. "AWWWWWWWW. YOU ARE SO CUTE! Ares did say it, but you are the most adorable thing I''ve ever seen! And your soft too..." Bellona glanced up at Ares with a serious look on her face. "Can I have Appa?"


    Thwack


    Ares drop kicked Bellona and slung Appa over his shoulder like a body bag. "Nope. Nope nope nope nope. She is my daughter and that is final!"


    Ahem


    Enyo cleared her throat and chimed in, "Our daughter. It''s even on the adoption certificate, in case you''ve already forgotten."


    Bellona leapt onto Enyo''s back and made her give her a piggyback ride. "Ooh la la. You two finally a couple then? Took ya long enough. Come on sis'', tell me all the deets. You know I''m a sucker for a good rrrrrromance. It''s kind of a shame though, it was funny watching you two bumbling buffoons fumbling about around each other."


    "Yes, we are a couple. Actually, we''re a bit more than that." Enyo couldn''t hold back the radiant smile that spontaneously took shape on her face, amping up her beauty to eleven. A few passer-by disciples of the sect even walked head-first into walls while drooling. Now that Enyo was starting to walk around the sect with her helmet off, she''d become the talk of the town. So too had Ares but mostly because there was a cult, growing larger by the day, that sought to expunge him from reality for being in a relationship with such a beautiful woman. Said beautiful woman''s captivating presence only amplified the blow that was incoming to all who would hear it, however... "Ares is my fiancé, And I am his spouse!" Enyo''s giddiness was on full display as she excitedly spread the news for the first time, except their was one small problem...


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Ahem


    This time it was Ares'' turn to clear his throat and interrupt. "Not yet... I''m going to propose, but I haven''t actually done it yet..."


    Hmph


    Enyo folded her arms and turned her putting head to the side defiantly. "Don''t care, we''re engaged now whether you like it or not."


    "... Enyo, I get that you''re happy, but I haven''t even given you a ring yet..."


    "Still don''t care. You''re lucky I''m not already calling you husband OH I should start doing that! When are we getting married, husband!? What kind of ring are you giving me?! What date and where?! What kind of wedding dress should I wear?! Who should we invite?! The food.... The cake... The drinks... The photographer..."


    Everyone who witnessed this hitherto unseen side of Enyo was dumbfounded. Stoicism? Where?! This was a woman who had gone mad with both love and power. This was deranged lunacy combined with extreme enthusiasm and delirium. Gladius side-eyed Charity and prayed to every God he knew she wouldn''t also turn out like this... He wasn''t sure he could handle it. He would much rather just train every day until he fainted so he could avoid her.


    Of course, the person who was most taken aback by Enyo''s crazed ranting was none other than Trew. He refused to believe the scene playing out in front of him and looked over at Appa, thinking whatever art it had used on him was more than just painful, it was making him see illusions! As Trew gradually took in his surroundings, most notably everyone else''s shock, he slowly realised his worst nightmare had come true... Ares and Enyo weren''t just friendly. They were married? About to be? Whatever the correct assessment was, Trew didn''t care and he certainly didn''t want to find out lest he be driven mad with anger. "What... What are you doing?" Managing to power through his perplexed and puzzled thoughts, he quietly eked out a question he knew he didn''t want an answer to...


    Enyo was in her own world and some annoying flea''s despairing whimpers weren''t going to bring her out of it, but Ares heard him. He heard him loud and clear. "Hm, I''m no expert in women but, If were to guess, I''d say she''s fantasising about the life we''re going to live together, you know, forever. Is there a problem? Because I genuinely don''t see why my ''wife'' being happy is a problem. It''s certainly attracting a lot of attention but, hey, she''s having fun and, in case you''ve forgotten, she can do that whenever, wherever, and with whomever she chooses. She told you that herself and she meant it so, if you don''t want to be beaten to within an inch of your life, I would suggest you don''t interrupt her. As for who''s going to be doling out the beating, frankly, it could be anyone of us, maybe even all of us together. I know what you''re thinking and I know how you feel. None of that matters though. What''s done is done. Move on and find someone else. Anyone who''s willing to put up with you is someone you should actually bother pursuing because I assure you there aren''t going to be many women who will in your current state."


    Ares''s words slowly burrowed their way int Trew''s thick skull, becoming a tumour in his brain that drove him to insanity. Even now, however, the Legion clan''s training was strictly ingrained and, although every single cell in Trew''s body wanted to have a deathmatch with Ares this very instant, he remained ''calm''... As calm as someone who''s years of daydreaming and hoping had gone up in smoke... And to an imbecile like Ares no less... The rage brought a type of clarity to Trew who''s earlier meekness was nowhere to be found. His voice was still quiet, but he spoke quickly and assuredly with blatant resentment. "Listen to me and listen well you insufferable bastard. We''re going to duel. You and I are going to fight. One of the elder''s in this sect is going to set up a Training Field and one of us is going to slaughter the other. I don''t care what rules you impose. Best of 1, 2, 3, 10, 100, one god-dam thousand, whatever it is you choose. When I beat you, and I AM going to beat you, e v e r y single time, I''m going to drill it into that moronic brain of yours that you are not fit to be Enyo''s partner. You are not fit to stand by her and you most CERTAINLY, ARE NOT FIT, TO BE HER HUSBAND!..." Trew exhaled and chuckled lightly. "... I remember. I remember back in Baja you made that one bet with the buzzbladers? right? Well, you and I are going to bet again. When I win the duel, you''re going to give up on Enyo and..."


    Smack


    Ares had let him go on long enough for no reason other than he actually felt sorry for him. If someone else had gotten into a relationship with Enyo he would have been just as distraught. He never would have been this pathetic about it though. Trew had crossed a multitude of lines with that last bit he tacked on at the end and Ares had to make him understand that. "Now it''s my turn to speak, you bastard, and you''re going to listen well because I will not repeat myself. I am not going to fight you. It will likely come to that during the regionals, but that is the exception. I am not going to duel you unless you attack me unprovoked, in which case I will kill you. I will not forgive you and no one, even Enyo if she cared which she doesn''t, would be able to stop me from ending your miserable life. The duel you want is pointless. Not only will you not win, but losing will just make you even more of a lunatic..."


    "YOU DON''T KNOW TH..."


    Smack


    "I SAID listen. Even if the sky came falling down on me and you won, so what? Who cares? You think I would listen to you and stop loving Enyo? Do you think my love for her is that shallow? That I would ever even think to remove her from my life willingly is utter insanity. I''m going to do everything in my power to live with her even if reality were to become nothing more than ashes and still, even then, our love would persevere, do not test my devotion to her. And what was it you were going to say after that? That you wanted her if you won? Who made you king of the fucking castle? Who Enyo loves is her own choice. I already made it clear to you I wouldn''t acknowledge the bet even if you won, but what makes you think Enyo would? She''s a living being you cretin, she makes her own choices. Why should she adhere to the results of a bet she had no part in and doesn''t want to be a a part of anyway?! Are you insane? I smacked you to try and smack some sense into that head of yours because you aren''t thinking straight. Enyo is not an object and my affection for her is not up for debate. The duel is not happening, now or ever. Furthermore, even if it did magically happen against my will, what would I get out of it anyway?! I can''t win Enyo''s love, I already bloody have it! You would have to be blind, deaf, and dumb not to see that so tell me, what would I get when I won?! Even if I were the world''s greatest piece of human trash, willing to put my relationship with Enyo on the line, what could you possible give me that would be remotely worth it?! I want for nothing. I have a family I love and need nothing else but, even if I were materialistic, I assure you I have that front covered too. I have treasures beyond your measly comprehension and my status is something you wish you could have. You''re jealous of me and I get it, really I do. Sometimes the ''easy'' life I''ve been given bothers me because I know that, were I any less lucky, my life would be infinitely harder. I was born with everything I could ever want and even then I was lucky enough to find a wonderful family on top of that. I know how much you must hate me for having everything you want but trust me when I say this, I have my own burdens. being me is not as easy as I make it look so, if you keep making my life any harder than it already is, I''m going to deal with you permanently. I have concerns that are bigger than you. MUCH bigger than you. If you think I''m going to sit around and entertain you''re pettiness and duel you over an already settled matter that doesn''t even benefit me on top of being stupid to begin with, you''ve got another thing coming. If you still somehow don''t get what I''m trying to tell you then let me make it abundantly clear. I hate you. Enyo hates you. Everyone hates you. You are unliked by everyone who has ever met you. You are not liked, you are tolerated. You''re attitude is the worst of anybody I''ve ever met, and that includes a rapist because at least they understood they were a piece of shit. He was a worse human being but at least I could kill him and never have to see him again. Although I''ve said I won''t duel you, I honest to God hope you attack me so I can kill you for good. That is the extent of my feelings toward you, and everyone else''s too. you could have a heart attack right now and we would all just walk away. Hell I would, but Enyo might even take the opportunity to stamp on your heart and finish the job herself. There is no chance, no matter what, that Enyo and I are going to separate so, and I already said this once but I will say it ONE MORE TIME, move on and find someone else, Trew."


    …


    Ares'' long dressing down silenced Trew who, over the course of the rant, had been forced to come to terms with everything Ares was saying. He''d already known, deep down, that everything was true; it''s just that no one had actually ever said it to his face before. He''d heard the whispers back home. He''d even rounded a fair few corners in the midst of fellow clan members ''discussing'' his faults. The truth hurt and he tried to ignore it but, now that he''d ignored it for so long, it just hurt even more. Part of him, an evil part that had long since been squared away by the Legion clan''s belief system wanted him to just attack Ares. He didn''t even know what he''d do if he won, he just knew that if he lost he would be dead and he wouldn''t have to worry about anything anymore. Fortunately, or maybe even unfortunately for him, he just wasn''t that kind of person. He simply had no justifiable reason to attack the man in front of him and therefore couldn''t bring himself to do it. He wasn''t sure whether to curse or laugh at his inability to move or even do anything in this situation. He had nothing left to say, he wasn''t sure where to go from here, where to look, where to stand so he wouldn''t be in anyone''s way... He was completely lost. Maybe Ares was right after all? Maybe where he was at mentally right now was harmful and he should just... Move on... Every time he looked at Enyo his heart broke again and again but he knew that was problematic. He felt awful but... Did she? About any of this? Of course not. She was still happily monologuing to her sister and daughter about her wedding. Even if he could fix his own broken heart, wouldn''t it have to come at the cost of Enyo''s happiness? Wasn''t that just selfish? Truthfully Trew wasn''t even really a bad person, he''d just been hit hard by the Legion''s indoctrination. There were plenty of lost causes that wouldn''t have let this matter go; plenty of ''young masters'' and young ''mistresses'' who thought every beautiful woman and man under the sun belonged to them. Ares would undoubtedly run into these types further down the line, it was just unavoidable really with a status like his and a partner like Enyo, but Trew wasn''t at that point. He was just a lonely man who let authority get to his head and proceeded to lash out when he was first struck by reality. Going forward, if he actually took these things to heart, there was a chance for him to be a decent person yet. He looked up at Ares who was looking back at him with an unfond gaze. Ha, of course he would look at me like that... Who wouldn''t? Even I would if I could... In the end, there really wasn''t anything he could do other than just plainly accept what he''d been told in a hushed, despondent voice "... Right..." He wasn''t sure where to go from here, but there was one more thing he wanted to do so he walked over to Appa and got down on one knee while stroking its head. "I''m sorry." Appa, loveable as ever and quick to forgive, reassured Trew in a peppy voice.


    "Don''t worry, I''m not upset! And neither should you be! Being sad is hard, so you should try and be happy instead! That way, you''re life will be easier!"


    Pfft


    Trew couldn''t help but laugh and shake his head. "It''s not that simple, unfortunately, but I''ll try." And with that, Trew stood up and walked away. Where to was anyone''s guess but, at least this time, it wasn''t because he was mad with anyone... Well, anyone other than himself, anyway.