"Are you adjusting to your powers?" the Water Spirit asked from its place within a river.

The world felt unusually still, save for the soft breeze bellowing through the trees and the flowers. Quite frankly, this world was far too bright for Ares.

"I'm getting there." Ares shrugged. "This teleportation stuff was a pain to master."

"Thea hasn't even begun to realize her potential, yet you realize yours in mere days. I dare say you're more impressive than your predecessors before you."

Right, there had been others before him. He was told his power had been shaped and evolved by those who had come before him. "What was the last one like? The one who came directly before me?"

The Spirit chuckled. "You know I cannot tell you of that before your arrival."

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"There will be others after me, won't there?" Ares frowned looking down at the Spirit; a perfect diamond shape with translucent water floating around its core.

"Yes. You humans are perfectly imperfect and are prone to mistakes caused by pride and anger."

Ares chuckled darkly. "Perhaps that is so, yet you seem blissfully unaware of your own mortality. Earth grows weaker by the day, and from my brief conversation with you, I sense that your power is also draining. Try as you might, you cannot perform this feat many more times. Tell me, have any come before you?"

"You are very perceptive. None came before us, though that is not to say none will come after and repeat the cycle."

Ares smirked. "That was before my arrival."

The Spirit paused, stunned by how easily they had been tricked. "You are clever indeed. Perhaps the cycle will not end with you, but I have high hopes for what you will accomplish."

"Yes. I believe that your previous attempts had been in vain due to the nature of those you had chosen. However... I do believe you've made one crucial error this time. One that should the time come, I will deal with personally."

"Oh? And what might that be?"