Argos

by Simpson, Phillip

  The crowd roared their pleasure. This time, Meges didn’t bother trying to silence them. Their blood was up. They wanted to see a fight. They wanted to see death. My death.

  Meges gestured again and this time it was my cage door that was opened. I stepped out gingerly, in contrast to the entrance made by Butal. A few people in the crowd laughed.

  I confess I was a little surprised at this turn of events. I had expected something a little more … imaginative. Something awe-inspiring. But to be facing another dog? I was almost insulted. Not that Butal wasn’t impressive. He was probably the biggest dog I’d ever seen with a neck almost twice the girth of my own. I felt nervous and a little intimidated but I had faced worse.

  I had never killed one of my own kind before and had no desire to do so now. Butal was only here because he had been forced, probably beaten, into submission. A dog can never be blamed for its behavior. It is their human masters who molds them, shapes them, makes them what they are. In the hands of a kindly master like my own, Butal would have been a completely different dog.

  But he had not been raised by Odysseus. Monsters in human shape had reared him and they had created something terrible.

  I was, however, a realist. If I took the moral high ground and refused to fight, then Butal would kill me. And how would that help me in my goal to return to Ithaca and my family? I had no choice but to fight. It certainly wasn’t a given I would kill him, either. By the looks of him, he was quite capable of killing me.

  There was no more time to consider such philosophies, however as Butal charged forward, a vicious mass of insanity in dog form.

  Our bodies smashed into each other head on, both of us desperate to get a grip on the other’s leg or neck. Twisting away from his snapping jaws, I managed to fasten my teeth on his neck but he was wearing a thick leather collar and I could not tear through it quick enough. I let go, primarily to prevent Butal biting my foreleg, and backed away.

  Some wise humans say that moments of realization only come at times of extremity. Like a bolt of lightning. This certainly was my experience. In a flash, something changed within me, and I knew then that this was part of the gift Athena had given me.

  I could see Butal’s emotions as if they were painted on a clay tablet before me. His thirst for blood a vicious streak of red, his desire for victory to please his master a splash of yellow. There were other colors there too but they were secondary. Not only could I see emotions as colors, but I sensed that there was another aspect to this power.

  Butal charged again and instead of meeting him or even fleeing, I stood my ground, concentrating. I knew what I had to do. It was only the matter of actually doing it.

  I focused and before my eyes, the red in Butal’s emotional profile suddenly changed to blue. It was like the cord connecting Butal’s brain to his basic instincts had simply been cut. He stopped dead before me, not a paw’s width away and just stood there, looking at me, panting happily.

  I had removed his blood lust, his urge to kill. Without it, he was nothing more than an average domesticated dog. A calm one at that.

  The noise in the amphitheater abated, replaced by shocked silence.

  Butal took a step forward and licked my face. It wasn’t just a normal lick either. It was a lick a weaker male gives to a dominant one, especially when the stronger male is standing over a kill. I did not return it, surprised as the crowd above me, but it didn’t stop me enjoying the sensation just the same.

  The crowd jumped to their feet. Some were laughing. Others shouted angrily, demanding that their bets be called off. King Meges rose to his feet as well, his face red and bloated with anger and confusion. Elatus, still seated next to his father, stared at me thoughtfully.

  “Amycus!” Meges roared above the noise of the crowd. “Amycus. Get in here now!”

  A gate opened and Amycus stumbled forward as if someone had just thrust him into the arena. Red and Plump ambled slowly behind him, still armed, keeping wary eyes on Butal and myself. Head down and shoulders hunched, Amycus looked like a whipped dog. He flicked his head sideways, glancing at me for a moment, probably to ensure I was not about to attack him. Actually, the thought hadn’t occurred to me. I was rather keen to see his humiliation in front of all these people. I had no doubt that I would get another opportunity to lock my jaws around his throat.

  The crowd subsided, waiting for Amycus’ reprimand. Surely Meges would punish such ineptitude?

  “What is the meaning of this?” demanded Meges.

  “I don’t understand, noble king,” said Amycus, licking his lips. I don’t believe I have ever seen someone grovel so much. A shiver of pleasure ran up my spine.

  “Clearly, you have put not one, but two worthless dogs in this arena,” snarled Meges. “I asked for a show, and this is what you give me?”

  “But … but, you have seen Butal fight before, my king.” His head twisted to take in the crowd. “You have all seen Butal fight,” he said, beseeching, pleading. “You know that Butal is a killer.” His eyes met the king’s again and Amycus flinched.

  “What I know and what I saw are two different matters, Amycus,” said Meges, calmer now but still breathing heavily. “Butal is no longer a killer. Can you explain this behavior?”

  Amycus shrugged his shoulders helplessly. “I cannot, my lord. I am at a loss. I suspect that Argos used his will to dominate Butal.”

  Meges’ mouth fell open in outright disbelief. “You expect me to believe that, Amycus? You expect me to believe that one dog dominated another without so much as moving? Never in my life have I heard or seen such a thing.”

  Amycus swallowed heavily, considering his words carefully. “Nevertheless,” he said, “it happened. You just saw it with your own eyes.”

  Meges frowned. He could not deny what he had just witnessed. But he had lost face in front of his people. They had been expecting a show. Instead, they got something entirely less satisfactory.

  “Get him out of here,” said Meges, addressing Red and Plump. “I want him whipped. Perhaps that will provide an incentive for a more entertaining show.” He turned his gaze back to Amycus. “Before you receive your punishment, I want more animals in here. Now! I warn you, Amycus. If any animals refuse to fight, I will personally put you in a cage with the largest, hungriest, and most deadly.”

  “And what of Argos and Butal?” asked Amycus meekly.

  Meges waved a dismissive hand. “Kill them both. They are useless. Feed their carcasses to the other dogs.”

  I hadn’t expected this. Now was my chance to make a run for it. The door to the arena was still open. It was probably my only chance. Maybe I could instill a sense of fear and urgency into Butal and get him to run with me. Just as I was gathering myself for a burst of speed, I saw Elatus tug gently on his father’s tunic. Meges bent down as Elatus whispered something in his ear. Meges scowled but eventually nodded. He straightened.

  “Wait,” he said, as Red and Plump moved toward me. “I have a better idea. I have a new animal arriving in the next few days. An animal never seen before in this part of the world. I have been told—no, promised—that this animal is more terrifying than any other. Argos and Butal will fight against it. And if they don’t fight—no matter. They will be torn apart regardless.”

  The crowd cheered again. Meges smiled cruelly. I didn’t like the sound of that one bit.

  “Now,” said Meges. “Bring me some real animals. I want to see a proper fight.”

  Butal and I were dragged away by Red and Plump. Not that either of us needed dragging. Butal was so docile that he was almost catatonic and I was clever enough not to resist. Sadly, I never got to witness Amycus’ punishment. Two guards passed us as we exited the arena, presumably to do just that. Judging from the screams and sounds of cheering that drifted down the stairs after us, I gathered that Meges was using Amycus to warm up the crowd. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer person.

  It did fill me with uneasiness, however. If Amycus hated me before, he would g
o to the ends of the earth to punish me now; mining the depths of his depravity and hatred to find a satisfactory retribution. It couldn’t be helped though. As much as I hated him, I had never intended to humiliate him again. Bad luck for him.

  I had time to think about what had transpired after Red and Plump threw me back in my cage. Fortunately, I had a convenient test subject. Butal was pushed into the empty cage next to mine.

  I should never have doubted Athena concerning the usefulness of my new ability. I could now control the minds of other dogs. And was it just dogs? Could this power work on other animals? On humans?

  Only time would tell and I had plenty of that to kill. This fabulous and deadly beast of Meges’ would not arrive on the island for a few days, which meant I had time to get acquainted with my new ability.

  I turned to Butal sitting in the cage adjacent, no more than an extended foreleg away. He stared at the cages opposite with no apparent consciousness. Concentrating hard however, I could see that he still retained the same calm mental state awash in swirls of blue. I experimented, focusing hard on the blue, trying to turn it red. It happened so quickly that it took me by surprise. One moment, Butal was sitting there calmly. The next he was a blazing tower of hatred and fury. Fortunately I had not been pressed up against the bars. If I had, Butal would have torn my face off. He threw himself against his cage, desperate to get to me, to tear and rend, heedless of any damage to himself. It was actually quite terrifying. When he couldn’t reach me, he turned his attention on the unfortunate dog imprisoned on his other side. That dog whimpered with fear and huddled in the far corner of its cage, trying desperately to get as far away from Butal as possible.

  I immediately concentrated on turning the red to blue and it happened just as quickly. Butal was once again subdued. Docile. Moist clay in my paws.

  Over the next few days, I continued to experiment, tweaking his emotional responses until I was satisfied. I learned to control other dogs nearby, too, but I realized that my power had a limited range. I estimated that I could only control a dog that was no more than two spear lengths distant. This was a disappointment, of course. I desperately wanted to try it out on the inhabitants of the cages opposite me but they were just too far away.

  Although I didn’t see Amycus during this time (I suspect he was licking his wounds), I saw Red and Plump more frequently than was strictly necessary. Both Butal and I received regular and almost decent food as well as fresh water. Clearly, Meges wanted us both at our healthiest for the challenge we would shortly face.

  I did try my new powers on both of them several times with an absolutely underwhelming response. In fact, nothing happened at all. I couldn’t see their emotional colors. Whatever this gift was that Athena had given me, it had its limitations.

  The first time I tried it with Red after he’d just topped up my drinking water. He saw me staring at him.

  “What are you looking at?” he demanded. I continued to stare at him, concentrating so hard that I thought my skull was going to explode. The only color I could see were the glints of gold in his hair.

  He raised his stave threateningly. “You think you scare me, dog?” he growled, taking a step closer to my cage. “I’ll show you what it is to be scared!”

  “Leave him,” shouted Plump, waddling toward us from the end of the corridor. “The king said we weren’t to touch him. We’re to make him hale and hearty for the big fight.”

  “I know that!” snarled Red. “I don’t like the way he’s looking at me though. Needs to be taught a lesson.”

  I changed tack. By now, I had learnt to focus Butal’s rage against a target. If I didn’t give him a target, he would attack the nearest convenient animal which was usually me. I did this now, coloring Butal’s emotions red and focusing his thoughts on the human in front of him. Just as the big man took another step toward my cage, I unleashed Butal like an arrow launched from a bow.

  Butal threw himself toward Red with such violence that the whole cage rocked and shook. Red jumped back in alarm.

  “Gods. What’s gotten into Butal?” he said, his face a mask of fear.

  “I don’t know,” said Plump, lumbering up beside his companion. “I just wish he’d used some of that in the fight the other day.”

  I reached out with my mind and changed Butal’s color. In an instant, he was calm again. He sat down and wagged his tail.

  “Look at that,” said Red. “Gone quiet again. If that isn’t the strangest thing I’ve ever seen, I don’t know what is.”

  “Strange, all right,” said Plump. “Just hope he’ll get it back for the next fight. He’s going to need it all too soon.”

  “So, it’s arrived then? You’ve seen it?” asked Red, his voice high with undisguised excitement.

  Plump nodded. “It has and I have. Amycus is dealing with it now. Won’t bring it in here for fear of riling up the others too much. Besides, I don’t think we could fit it through the door. He’ll take it directly into the arena.”

  “Can’t wait to see it,” said Red.

  “Be careful what you wish for,” said Plump, raising his eyebrows. “It’s not something I would want to face.”

  “It can’t be that bad,” said Red, his voice filled with doubt.

  “You’ll see,” replied Plump, all smugness now. “Fight’s in two days. Meges has the whole island coming to see it. Sent runners to every village.”

  So, I thought. Two days. Two days to escape or two days to prepare myself for imminent death. If I couldn’t escape, then I had no choice but to face this fearsome beast.

  I prayed to Athena that my new power would work on other animals just as readily as dogs. Goddesses didn’t usually answer the prayers of lowly dogs—even favored ones—but it couldn’t hurt.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Two days went by more quickly than I would’ve imagined. Time, I have begun to realize, is not constant. There are days that seem to drag endlessly. You awake from a nap only to find that the sun is still not past its zenith. To pass the time, you sleep again and awaken still well before dinner.

  Then there are days where you are so busy that they seem to flash by in moments. This is how those two days passed. Simply put, Butal and I were working on our escape. I set him to work gnawing at the bars that separated us while I started chewing on the other side. Together, we would have a chance. If I could get into his cage then we could attack the door as a unit. The wood around the latch was the obvious target and it looked slightly rotten in his cage. Other dogs, not possessing my intelligence, would never have thought of attacking the weakest part of the cage. Dogs do not think like that. They are instinctual creatures, not logical ones.

  I had enough logic for both of us but lacked the strength to tear through the latch. With Butal’s formidable jaws, it was possible, but it would still take both of us.

  I also spent some time honing my skills controlling the other dogs that were within my mind’s reach. I directed the ones closest to begin gnawing the wood around their own latches. Their chances for success were slim but that was still better than none at all.

  My plan was simple. I had noted that Red and Plump did not always lock the door to the corridor. I suspected that this was out of laziness. Whenever Amycus was around, they always secured it in order to avoid a tongue-lashing. But Amycus wasn’t around. He was busy with the new arrival.

  All Butal and I had to do was free ourselves and wait inside our cages for Red and Plump to unlock the door to the corridor. Then leap out, overpower them, and make our escape. Easy. With any luck, some of the other dogs might escape too, adding to the confusion and hindering recapture.

  But time was against us. Two days were almost up. Butal and I had destroyed the bars linking our cages and were both busy gnawing away at the latch. Frustratingly, we had been disturbed several times by the arrival of Red and Plump distributing food and water to the inmates. They came in at other times to deliver more dogs or take animals up to the arena. Each time, I would retreat back to
my cage, hoping that neither man would notice the gaping hole. It would have been unlucky if they had. The angle was all wrong for them to see it.

  Although my teeth started to hurt, I actually enjoyed the monotony of it. I also developed a bond of sorts with Butal. Working together in such close proximity was very intimate. Not since I was a puppy had I spent this much time with another dog. By necessity, Butal and I were almost constantly rubbing shoulders.

  During my experimentation, I realized that my ability to manipulate emotions had a limited life span. In other words, if I didn’t tweak his mind state from time to time, he would revert to what I considered his baser nature. I had learnt this the hard way. One moment, he would be happily chewing on wood, the next snarling, poised to attack. Once or twice, he surprised me and I was lucky to escape with only a couple of bites.

  After a time, I began to look for warning signs. Watching the colors of his emotional state over time, I could see a gradual shift from blue to red. But once he turned fully red, I had no choice but to change him back again.

  But something changed over the course of days we spent together. It took him longer and longer to shift to red and even then, his rage seemed to have lessened. Finally, there came a moment when he was about to change from blue to red. I watched closely, ready to alter his mood but it was unnecessary. His emotional state went green instead. I didn’t know what to make of it but he didn’t seem aggressive so I continued to work.

  I was still working when I felt a soft tongue in my ear. I started in alarm but then relaxed when I realized what green meant. Butal had finally shown me his true colors. He wasn’t a crazed killing machine. That was what humans had made him. When shown some kindness and companionship, Butal was becoming the dog he should have always been.

  I stopped and looked at him. There was a little slobber around his jaws but he was wagging his tail. I knew what was expected of me and returned the favor. From that moment on, I realized that I would never again have to alter his mood in order to keep myself safe. Butal and I were, for lack of a better word, friends. I had never had a friend other than a human before and I found this concept a little challenging. Pack mates would probably be a better word but two dogs hardly constituted a pack.