The Argive Ch. 055-060

Chapter 56: The Snitch

The pounding at the door caught all of them by surprise. Tinges of fear and anxiety were visible on all four faces but it was Demetrios that was the first to react, moving quickly to the door.

"I know who you're hiding in there, Demetrios!" raged the newcomer. "You know the penalty for sheltering Spartan enemies!"

"What are we going to do?" hissed Lysandra as she backed away from the door. "Should we make a run for it?"

"Stay where you are," urged Demetrios. "I know who this is. You must remain calm!"

Demetrios threw open the door to reveal a short and ugly creature. The newcomer was a man with crude and ill-defined features that Praxis guessed were as ugly as his intentions. His dark, beady eyes and misshapen mouth glared at Praxis first and then Lysandra next.

"Argives!" he snarled, pointing his finger at them. "Demetrios, you know better than to give them aid!"

"Who I choose to consort with is hardly any of your concern, Orcus," replied Demetrios dryly. "What business do you have at my house?"

"You will bring the Spartans down on us!" hissed Orcus. "They must die! They must die quickly and their bodies must be obliterated!"

"These two are in my care," said Demetrios. "One is wounded but they are not Spartan enemies as you fear."

"You lie!" yelled Orcus before he barged into the house and stormed over to Lysandra.

By instinct alone, Praxis placed himself between the man and his woman. He glowered at the beady-eyed creature but Orcus looked beyond him to her.

"Her features are a giveaway," continued Orcus, pointing at Lysandra once more. "She is an Argive. Now, speak your mother tongue and give rest to any doubts!"

"Lysandra, keep quiet," said Demetrios as he tried to push Orcus away. "Say nothing to him!"

"Speak, you redheaded wench!" yelled Orcus. He lunged at Lysandra with his teeth bared, as if he were no more civilized than the creatures on the mountain. His last movement scared her enough to jump away.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked, breaking her silence. "Why is he like this!"

Praxis had enough at this point. He grabbed a fistful of Orcus' chiton and flung him across the room. He followed quickly, pulling his sword free and placing it against the man's neck.

"You won't go near her again or I'll cut your throat," growled Praxis.

"Argives!" yelled Orcus before his beady eyes settled on Demetrios. "I've heard it! I've heard the girl speak. You lied to me, Demetrios!"

Instead of being angry, Demetrios looked like he was ready to panic. Even Rastus looked afraid, which caused Praxis to make his next offer.

"Say the word, Demetrios, and I'll take care of him right now," said Praxis, tightening his grip. "He won't trouble you again."

"Pull your sword back, Praxis," replied Demetrios quietly. "We cannot kill him."

Praxis gave Demetrios an uncertain look. "But he's a troublemaker? Why would I?"

"He's also one of the village elder's sons," said Demetrios. "Put your sword away!"

It was only with reluctance that Praxis put his sword away and backed away. Every instinct he had told him to ram the blade into the man's throat.

"Now you've set your dogs to threaten me," yelped Orcus as he scrambled to his feet. "You hide Argives in your house and then you try to have me killed!"

"Name your price, Orcus," said a defeated Demetrios. "I have no wish for trouble. What will it take to have you go back to your home without mentioning this?"

A cruel smile appeared on Orcus' face. "Many laws you have broken today, Demetrios. Your punishment would be severe, perhaps even as deadly as the one that faces these two Argives. I don't know if you could afford the price of my silence."

"Name your price," repeated Demetrios. "And then be gone from my house forever."

Orcus started to pace around the house, looking at everything of value that he could see. It made Praxis profoundly angry to watch the creature look for a prize so lecherously. At one point, Orcus stood directly in front of Lysandra, even grabbing at her dress as if to see what was underneath. Praxis moved quickly.

"You touch her again and I'll use your eyes for dice," he warned.

Orcus waved his hands in front of Praxis' face. "You have no idea where you are, do you? I'm the power here, Argive. Luckily for you, I have better tastes than your wench here."

With those words, Orcus stormed away until he landed in front of a small necklace that was hanging from the wall. The pendant of the necklace was a piece of silver that was shaped like a bird.

"That's my price," said Orcus triumphantly as his greedy fingers took the silver. "I want the pendant."

Demetrios couldn't have looked more distraught. "That is not for me to give! That's the only possession I have left of my daughter! I cannot give that away!"

Orcus only shrugged. "Not my problem, you fool of a healer. You broke the law and now you'll pay the penalty. It's either the pendant or nothing at all. Nothing in this house speaks to me otherwise."

"What about my sword?" offered Demetrios. "I've had it since I was a boy! Hasn't been used in years either. I'm quite certain it's the best sword in the entire village, if not all of Arcadia."

Orcus spit on the ground. "I have no use for swords. Others do my fighting for me, as it should be. I'll take the pendant. Otherwise, I will go tell my father and the rest of the elders who's in this house and all of you will die. The choice is yours to make, Demetrios."

Praxis didn't think the situation could get any worse, especially with Orcus' demand but to his surprise, Demetrios seemed to actually be considering it. It was just one step too far.

Praxis pulled Demetrios to the other side of the room. "Tell me you're not about to give him the pendant."

"What other chance do I have?" asked Demetrios. "If I don't give him something, he'll lead the rest of the village up here and you'll both be put to death, with me alongside you for harboring you."

"He's bluffing," said Praxis. "He won't do it."

"You don't know Orcus," warned Demetrios. "He's a vile man and his biggest concern is for himself. I've never gotten along with him as long as I've lived here, and I have no doubt that he would take the first chance he got to destroy me. This is his chance, Praxis. He won't squander it."

"What if we leave your house right now?" offered Praxis. "Lysandra and I could get a head start and get moving. We could be far from your village by nightfall."

Demetrios gave him a sad smile. "You wouldn't escape this village so easily. You might be healing, Praxis, but you're not healed yet. They would catch up to you and kill you anyway. At least this way, I will buy you some more time."

"But at the expense of your daughter's memory. I couldn't ask you to do that, Demetrios."

"That's good because you're not asking. I'm offering, Praxis." The old man then took a deep sigh. "Besides, it's just a piece of silver. My daughter's memory will always be with me. Even a foul creature like Orcus can't take that away from me."

"I still don't like it," said Praxis. "There has to be another way. Let me offer him my sword or my cuirass. Both are worth money."

"What's done is done," said Demetrios with a tone of finality. "Let us speak no more of it."

With those words, Demetrios turned away from Praxis and walked the short distance over to Orcus, who was waiting with greedy eyes. Demetrios bowed his head.

"You may have the pendant as long as you keep quiet about what you've seen in this house. But I'm warning you, Orcus. If word gets back here that you've betrayed me, the consequences will be swift and severe."

Orcus could only sneer in return. "So wise you are, Demetrios. And so thoughtful as well. Very well, we have a deal."

The small man extended his hand. Demetrios took it only reluctantly to seal the bargain.

"Now leave us," ordered Demetrios. "Your presence here is insulting enough."

Orcus nodded his head toward Praxis and Lysandra. "A piece of advice for you, Demetrios. You might want to get them out of here as soon as possible. I can't protect them if someone else notices their movements outside the house. An intelligent man like yourself shouldn't take any further risks."

With that warning, Orcus made for the door, slamming it with his exit. Praxis could help but grind his teeth in anger, wanting nothing more than to take the pendant back and to kill the demon that took it. Even still, it was Demetrios that stayed his hand.

The old man's head hung low as he stared at the closed door. After what seemed like minutes, he finally turned to look at Praxis.

"Such is life, I suppose," said the defeated Demetrios. "Let's focus on getting you healed so that you can get on your way. I don't trust Orcus further than I can throw him. A few more days and then I'll be able to let you go with a clear conscience."

Praxis intended to beat him to the punch. He gestured for Lysandra to move to the other room with him. She gave him a confused look once they were alone.

"I don't intend to give him that many days," whispered Praxis. "I think it's important that we leave now."

"But Praxis, you're hardly in the shape for long travel."

"I made it up the mountain today, right? I can travel if needed. And I think with our situation, it's definitely needed."

"But we bought ourselves safety," countered Lysandra. "Or rather, Demetrios bought it for us. The pendant has to count for something, Praxis."

"With an ordinary man, it might count for something," replied Praxis. "But it's clear to me that Orcus has no integrity. I don't trust him and I want us to get out of here as soon as possible. Before he has a chance to go back on his word."

Lysandra didn't seem pleased by what he was suggesting but Praxis could tell she wasn't going to fight it. She nodded her head a moment later. "We're not safe here anymore, are we?"

"No, we're not. Let's at least spare Demetrios and Rastus the fury of their own village," said Praxis.

"I'll start gathering our things."

It only took a few moments for them to grab everything they had. They appeared before Demetrios in the other room, leaving no doubt as to what they were doing.

"You don't have to go," said Demetrios, his words lacking confidence. "You're not ready for the outside world right now."

"Maybe not but I can't keep you in danger like this," replied Praxis. "This is what we need to do. You've been great to us, Demetrios. I can truly say that I'm only alive because of you and your care. You've done your best for me and now I have to do my best for you. I have to leave before I get you into any further trouble."

Demetrios didn't like the answer but the old man nodded his head. "I understand. When you leave, go to the north around the mountain. It's the safest path--"

Before he could complete his sentence, all of them froze. Just beyond the house was the sound of voices--many of them. They came closer and closer until they were just outside Demetrios' door. This time, they didn't knock before entering, leading several older men into the room, followed by that worm, Orcus.

"Demetrios!" yelled one man in particular, a seasoned man with nearly snow-white hair. "So what Orcus says is true. You're harboring Argives!"

Praxis grabbed his sword and lunged at Orcus. "Hera's fiery ass, I'll kill you!"

Chapter 57: The Consequences of Discovery

At that moment, Praxis knew nothing but white, hot rage.

It started with all the village elders barging into Demetrios' house, letting the secret out for good. Their accusatory stares landed directly on Praxis and Lysandra, and many of them were filled with pure hatred at their very presence. To make matters worse, they'd been led there by none other than Orcus, who had vowed to keep their existence secret in exchange for a silver pendant that had once belonged to Demetrios' daughter.

It was this betrayal of trust by the vile creature Orcus that had Praxis springing into action. He'd no sooner grabbed his sword before he was restrained by Demetrios and Rastus both, grabbing his hands with all their strength.

"Calm yourself, Praxis!" urged Demetrios. "You cannot kill him!"

"He will kill us!" countered Praxis. "He must die for what he did!'

"What is the meaning of this, Demetrios?" asked the lead elder, a man with snow-white hair. "What have you been up to?"

"He's been harboring Argives!" shouted Orcus, who was fingering his pendant (much to Praxis' disgust). "He keeps them here in his house in direct violation of our laws. He should be put to death alongside them!"

In response to that, Demetrios just shook his head at the betrayal. He pointed his finger at Orcus calmly. "You know what you've done. I know the gods will punish you for it someday. Hopefully that day comes while I'm still alive."

Orcus said nothing to that. He just continued to finger the pendant out of fear.

"That is quite enough," said the snow-white hair man. He took a step in front of Orcus as if to protect him. At that moment, Praxis guessed there was probably some kind of familial relation between the two.

"Explain yourself, Demetrios," continued the lead elder. "Why have you broken our laws? Why do you give shelter to our enemies?"

"They are no enemies of mine, Medios," replied Demetrios. "And they've shown no inclination to violence while being under my care."

Medios gawked at him. "Did you not just witness the threatening movement this Argive just made toward my son, Orcus?"

Praxis scoffed. "It would have been what he deserved."

"These two are in my care," added Demetrios, raising his voice above all others. "My duty as a healer to this village is to heal. I don't care who it is that needs help as long as they get the help they require. This man came to me on the verge of death, brought by his lover to my doorstep. Who am I to turn them away?"

"But they are Argives, Demetrios," said Medios. "And if I had to guess, this has to do with the city's recent fall to the Spartans. You know we cannot afford to upset them by giving strength to their enemies. Have you forgotten what happened the last time the Spartans passed through our village?"

Demetrios shook his head slowly. "I haven't forgotten. But I wasn't about to let them die out there in the elements. My integrity wouldn't allow it."

"Your integrity?" mocked Orcus before looking at Medios. "Let's kill all of them, Father. And then we can send their heads to the Spartans to show them what loyal subjects we are. If we move quickly, we might get their heads to Sparta before the army returns from its campaign."

"I do not wish to end your life, Demetrios," said Medios, clearly perplexed by what course to take. "But anyone who gives harbor to Spartan enemies shares their fate by our own laws. Did you know you were putting your life at risk?"

"I knew," replied Demetrios brazenly.

"What about your grandson Rastus?" asked Medios. "Did you know his life was forfeit as well?"

Demetrios shared a look with his grandson before turning back to Medios. "I knew that too," he whispered.

Medios shook his head. "There is nothing that can be done then. I might have been willing to show leniency if you proclaimed an ignorance to the law, even if that would have been hard to believe. But your own words show that you knew the consequences. Even as a healer, your first loyalty is not to your patient but to your village. And you placed our lives beneath those that you don't even know."

"These two are good people," said Demetrios, pointing at Praxis and Lysandra. "If we must do something, then let's have them leave our village. The Spartans will be none the wiser. You can clearly understand that they only need to be away from our village for this problem to cease. Let's make them leave now!"

Medios shook his head. "You should know that it's not that easy. Word is already spreading of their presence in this village. By nightfall, everyone will know. All it takes is one slip-up, one mention from an unassuming mouth and all of Sparta will know of our transgression. No, they must die. And as much as it pains me to say this, you must die with them, Demetrios. As will Rastus. There can be no exceptions."

"There must be some other way," said a frightened Lysandra, now rushing to Praxis' side. "We've done no harm to this village! Nor to Demetrios! We can't be treated like this!"

"I'm afraid the Spartans won't see it the same way," replied Medios. "Now you have two choices. You can come willingly and accept that your lives are over. Or you can resist and we'll torch the house and put anyone who escapes to the sword. Are you going to do this the easy way or the hard way?"

Praxis was already grabbing his sword, ready to do it the "hard" way. There were only five elders plus Orcus but with his movement, Demetrios put pressure on Praxis' hand.

"There are more outside," he whispered to Praxis. "You won't be able to get out. We're as good as dead."

"We're as good as dead anyway," hissed Praxis. "I'd rather go out with a sword in my hand if I have the choice!"

For some reason, those words seemed to trigger something in Demetrios. For several moments, he said nothing at all as an idea worked its way around his mind. It was clear that whatever idea it was, he didn't love it, but when he turned to face Medios again, he seemed set in his intentions.

"There is another way," said Demetrios. "I ask for permission for them to face the trials."

There was an audible gasp from several of the elders. Many of them turned to look at each other, their eyes anxious at such a question being asked. Finally, they turned to Medios, who didn't look pleased.

"The trials?" he barked. "Impossible! No one has faced the trials in almost two generations! It's impossible to even think about, let alone discuss!"

"Isn't the trials the only way they can possibly prevent the punishment you're suggesting?" asked a calm Demetrios. "If they survive, then we can drop the charges against them."

Praxis had no idea what Demetrios meant by the trials. He even glanced at Lysandra, who seemed just as stumped as he. Whatever it was though, he guessed it wasn't going to be easy. You didn't just call them the trials if they were effortless.

Even still, Orcus seemed far from pleased.

"No trials!" he yelled, making a big display of waving his arms. "They need to die now! Before the next Spartan army comes through!"

Medios made a show of thinking through the suggestion before he spoke again. "The Spartans won't be through this part of Arcadia anytime soon, not so quickly after the last campaign against Corinth. So this is possible if not entirely probable."

"Let them face the trials together," insisted Demetrios. "It is a suitable alternative for the laws that have been broken."

All the elders turned to look at Medios, who was the one that was obviously the most senior. He glanced at Praxis and then back at Demetrios before giving his verdict.

"I'll allow it," replied Medios. "But this won't be easy, Demetrios. The elders and I will come up with the trials they will face this evening, and we will return in the morning to lay them at your feet. We won't hold anything back though. They should be ready for the worst."

"They will be," promised Demetrios. "I'd expect nothing less."

"One more thing," added Medios. "Whatever fate they have in the trials will also be your fate. You're now tied to them, as is Rastus. If they succeed, you'll get off. If they don't, then you will perish alongside them. Do you understand?"

"I understand perfectly," replied Demetrios quietly.

"Very well. We will be back in the morning," said Medios as they all exited the door. Orcus came along reluctantly, the creature obviously disappointed at the lack of bloodletting. Before they could leave for good, Medios stuck his head inside once more.