The Argive Ch. 061-065

The Argive - Chapters 061-065

*****

Chapter 61: The Second Trial

Most of the village elders were still in awe at seeing Praxis and Lysandra come back, not only with the golden statue of Ares but also with the daughter and grandchildren of one of the elders. Though the task given to them had been fraught with danger, there was never a moment when Praxis thought he was going to die. Perhaps it was due to the way he and Lysandra worked together as a team that saw them through, but if this first trial was any evidence, they might just live to tell about it someday.

The lead elder, a man named Medios, was the one who least celebrated their return. The son of Medios, Orcus, was positively disappointed and began to kick at the ground, sending up clouds of dirt.

"Very well, the first trial is now complete," said Medios reluctantly. "But I think the rest of the village is forgetting there will be two more trials!"

"No one has forgotten," replied Demetrios. "We're only celebrating their return. What they've done is no less than extraordinary."

Medios grunted. "It doesn't matter. The only thing that does matter is that we need to give them their second trial. And this one will be against beast instead of man. I think they will find the beast a much harder opponent than a few foolish priests."

"What is our task?" asked Praxis. "What kind of beast are we going up against?"

"The most dangerous predator in all of Greece," replied Medios. "The wolf."

There was a noticeable lack of chatter once he announced the beast to be defeated. Suddenly, all the excitement died only to be replaced by morbid acceptance.

"You want us to kill a wolf?" asked Praxis. "Just the two of us?"

"That is correct," replied Medios. "And you must do so without the use of a long-range weapon. No bows or slings allowed."

More chatter erupted from the crowd. To ask them to only use a sword was tantamount to a death sentence. Wolves were aggressive at short range and no matter how quickly Praxis moved, a wolf would be faster.

"Go into the mountains to the north of the village," instructed Medios. "A wolf pack will be found there. There is an old alpha male that is bigger than any other wolf in Greece. Once you kill him, you must return with his body in order to pass the second trial."

"How long do we have to do it?" asked Lysandra.

"I'm glad you asked, girl, because you only have a day to do it, just like with the first trial," announced Medios. "So you better get moving."

Praxis and Lysandra shared a look together. It was the same look they had before setting out on the first trial.

A look that said how the hell were they supposed to do this?

Medios and the rest of the elders didn't linger long and they returned to the village. The silence was just what Praxis needed as he attempted to figure out just how he was going to take down a wolf on his own.

"This task seems a lot more difficult than the last one," noted Lysandra as she pushed into his arms.

Praxis began to rub her back. "I keep trying to think of ways we can do this without getting killed in the process. It's a lot different to kill a wolf at short range."

"Do you still think we can do it?" asked Lysandra, pulling back.

"We have to. We have to find a way."

She nodded and began to prepare her things for them to leave. Praxis gathered his armor, his shield, and his sword, knowing they'd be critically important for this task. But it was as he was looking at his sword that he wished it was just a little bit longer, at least enough to keep some distance between himself and the wolf.

It was that line of thinking that brought him back to fighting the last priest in the temple, the one that had used the spear instead of a sword. He had used the weapon to jab at Praxis, staying out of Praxis' immediate reach and making the fight longer than it should have been. At that moment, Praxis had an idea.

"Demetrios, do you have a spear around here somewhere?" asked Praxis, searching the room. "Anything that I can borrow for this trial?"

Demetrios thought for a second and then moved to one corner, where he found a spear buried under several other tools.

"What do you want a spear for, Praxis? You heard Medios say that you couldn't use it to throw at the wolf."

"Medios said I couldn't use a bow or a sling but he said nothing about a spear."

Demetrios winced. "Yes, but he meant all ranged weapons. That would include a spear."

"What if I didn't use it as a ranged weapon?" asked Praxis.

Demetrios gave him an odd look as Praxis hoisted the spear next to his head, so that the main body was mostly parallel to the ground. He then jabbed it forward without throwing it, and once the jab was complete, he pulled it back solidly.

"That's... an interesting way to fight," noted Demetrios.

"Fighting this way might just give me a leg up against the wolf," replied Praxis. "It's worth a shot at least. If the temple priest could make it work, then so can I."

"For everyone's sake, I hope you make it work as well," said Demetrios. "If you can manage to kill it, you can keep the spear when you're done. I have no use for it."

"Let's just hope I bring it back in the first place," joked Praxis.

It only took a few more minutes for them to get ready before they were setting off again. As they crested the hill above Demetrios' house, Praxis let out a yawn. With so little rest last night, he could have used most of the day to sleep.

Lysandra saw his yawn and smiled. "When this is all over, we're going to sleep for the next week."

"Yes, lots of sleep," he agreed. "And maybe even some sweet wine too."

"Don't forget sex," teased Lysandra. "I fully intend to keep you in bed with the promise of lots and lots of sex."

"Like I needed any more excuses," joked Praxis.

The couple continued to ascend into the mountains near the village. At this close range, several high peaks dominated the view, separated only by rocky valleys full of trees and wildlife. Praxis knew that the wolves preferred those valleys and so he made for the closest one to the village as his starting point.

"Do you know anything about how to lure a wolf to us?" asked Lysandra.

"No, I was sleeping during that day of instruction from my tutor."

"Praxis, be serious!"

"I'm not sure," said Praxis. "But I know that most creatures are fiercely protective of their young. Mess with the young, and you bring out the mother. Mess with the mother, and you bring out the old alpha. At least, that's what I'm hoping for."

Lysandra gave him a disgusted look. "We're not going to be killing wolf pups, are we?"

"No, that's not my plan. I just want them scared of us in the beginning. If we do that properly, we might just lure out the old alpha."

"I really don't like this plan, Praxis. So much can go wrong."

Praxis nodded his head. "I think that's why they're making us do it."

They continued to move until they reached a spot right near the middle of the valley. It was here that Praxis found a wounded deer that could barely walk and was rutting on the ground. Something had taken a chunk out of its hind, and the deer wasn't long for this world.

"I have an idea," said Praxis as he moved closer to the door. He softly petted the animal's fur before using his spear to put it out of its misery. The beast let out a whimper before falling silent. "We're going to use this deer as bait."

"I thought wolves were predators, not scavengers," said Lysandra. "Wouldn't they just ignore something that's already dead?"

Praxis shrugged. "Maybe not. Maybe if it's easy food, they just might take the bait. Come on, let's position this deer next to a hiding spot for us. Hopefully, we won't have to wait very long."

Lysandra drew her sword and nodded. Together, they found a hiding spot centered around one, large boulder that looked like it rolled off the mountain centuries ago. They both crouched down and prepared to await their prey.

It took hours of waiting before they spotted something. At first, Praxis thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. He could see movement but it was too small to make out. It was only after several minutes of watching that he gently touched Lysandra's shoulder.

"There she is," he whispered. "The female."

Sure enough, a female wolf was making her way closer to the deer. She was moving cautiously, taking every few minutes to sniff the wind for any threats. Praxis wondered if she could smell them and that's why she was being overly cautious. It wasn't until he saw the young pups behind her that he felt a surge of triumph.

"Got them," whispered Praxis. "Now we just need to see what they do."

The female continued moving forward until she reached the deer carcass. She gave it several casual sniffs before moving on, confirming Lysandra's earlier thoughts.

"It's too dead for her," she whispered. "She wants something fresh."

"Let's stay hidden or else that something fresh will be us," replied Praxis.

Sure enough, the female kept moving, stalking right past their position without so much as a second thought. The pups followed closely behind her, although they too couldn't resist a sniff of the deer carcass. They soon set to playing with each other, nipping at each other's heels before following along.

It was only once some distance had been put between the mother that Praxis felt it was the right time to come out of hiding.

"Come on, let's follow behind them," he said. "They just might lead us to the alpha."

"What should we do if they spot us?" whispered Lysandra.

Praxis smiled at her. "The best thing you can do at that point is remember your training."

Lysandra gulped heavily and nodded. Steadily, they crawled forward, staying a healthy distance between the mother wolf and her young. With the female in the lead, she led them through a small, rocky defile that contained steep walls on either side. Now they were down to only two paths of escape.

Lysandra looked the most worried. "I don't like this, Praxis. I don't want to be in close quarters with these wolves."

"We must be getting close," said Praxis. "Maybe the lair is back here. I feel like she wouldn't be leading us this way for no reason—"

Both of them were stopped dead in their tracks by the sound of a loud howl.

A howl that came from behind them, near the mouth of the defile.

They looked at each other with fright before turning around to see another wolf right behind them, cutting off their avenue of retreat. And it wasn't just any wolf.

It was the old alpha, the biggest wolf that Praxis had ever seen. And he was already snarling at them, waiting for the right moment to attack.

"Praxis, he's here!" yelled Lysandra, feeling no need to be quiet now.

Praxis pushed to his feet and raised his spear just like the priest had done the day before. He whispered a silent prayer to Athena as he stared down the old wolf.

The creature's yellow eyes glared back at him. His sharp teeth dripped with saliva.

And finally, he charged headlong at Praxis at full speed.

Chapter 62: Old Meets New

The alpha wolf was fast for his age. No sooner had it whipped in to take a shot at Praxis than it withdrew, backing up several steps and waiting for the right moment to strike. Praxis hadn't been caught off guard by the sudden lunge but he took the small reprieve to position his shield and spear, readying for the contest that was to follow.

"Lysandra, remember what I taught you," said Praxis as he stared down the wolf. "It's just another enemy. Just one with a lot more hair."

Lysandra made a noise that sounded an awful lot like a whimper, surprising him at first. It wasn't until he chanced a glance at her that he saw why. Lysandra had looked behind them, which revealed something even more frightening.

The female wolf had double backed her steps and was approaching their rear. In the rocky, two-sided defile they were in, there was no escape.

"Praxis, what do we do?" she yelled.

"Focus on the one closest to you," said Praxis. "The alpha is still the bigger threat right now."

That couldn't have been more properly demonstrated by the lunge that happened next. Only, it wasn't Praxis that was the target but Lysandra. The old alpha went for her legs, and for a split second, he managed to wrap his mouth around her exposed ankle before letting go as Praxis raced to the rescue. Lysandra screamed and fell to her ground, swinging her sword in an effort to ward off the predator.

"Lysandra, are you hurt?" asked Praxis, eyeing her ankle where a sliver of blood had appeared.

Lysandra managed to push to her feet quickly, and then she tried to put weight on the affected leg. Though Praxis could see blood, it wasn't a deep wound.

"He just grazed me," she said, greatly relieving him. "I can still fight!"

The wolf wasn't idle during this time. He pranced back and forth, stalking his prey and no doubt hoping they would turn and run. But Praxis wasn't about to turn cheek at that moment. He moved in on the wolf, using his spear as a thrusting weapon. He found the movement unnatural but after several thrusts, it wasn't hard to see that there was a lot of power by handling the weapon this way. It also extended his range greatly.

"Come on, get closer," he muttered to himself as the beast continued to snarl at him.

The old alpha lunged at him, nearly capturing his leg before Praxis whipped it out of the way. Just behind him, he could feel the presence of the female wolf getting steadily closer. If things didn't change soon, they would attack together and kill him.

"Just a little bit more," he whispered as he stalked forward again.

The next spear thrust grazed the wolf, causing him to yelp in pain. He backed up, which allowed Praxis space to maneuver. Just beside him, Lysandra was faced against the female who was still advancing.

"Watch the alpha for me," said Praxis as he suddenly whirled around and jabbed at the female.

The female wasn't nearly as aggressive as the male, and finding herself on the defensive, she backed away several paces. It was the breathing space they desperately needed as it seemed the female would take no more part in the fight.

She was going to leave the honors to the old alpha.

At least now it was two on one instead of equal numbers. And that's when the idea began to form in his mind.

"Lysandra, spread out from me a little," said Praxis. "Take about ten steps to your left!"

Lysandra gave him a look of fear before doing as he asked, opening a gulf between them just as the alpha started to move in again. The old wolf suddenly stopped as he realized that he couldn't keep an eye on both of them at the same time, which was the idea. Praxis took a few steps to his right, increasing the gap.

"Now when I say go, I want you to charge at his flank," said Praxis. He waited for the wolf to center his attention on him. "Go!"

Lysandra rushed in, using her sword in the exact manner he'd thought her. The alpha whipped around to counter her, and in that moment, exposed his flank to Praxis.

It was the opportunity he'd been waiting on. Using his spear, Praxis ran forward and slammed the tip directly in the hind quarter of the creature.

The yelp that erupted from its lips was devastating. Limping right away, the alpha tried to get out from between them but it had lost its speed in the process.

Something that Praxis capitalized on right from the start. One more firm spear thrust to the chest was all that was needed.

The old wolf was mortally wounded. He managed to crawl a short distance away before laying down. He never got up again.

Just behind them, the female watched with interest but upon seeing Praxis start advancing toward her, she took off to rejoin her young, disappearing into the distance.

Victory was theirs.

It was only with caution that Praxis approached the old wolf. He could no longer see any movement in its chest but he could see the blood on the ground, the only other evidence of its demise.

"We did it," said Lysandra softly. "We killed the old bastard."

Praxis looked away from the wolf to her leg. "How bad are you wounded? Are you okay? I see you're still standing but I figured it might still be the adrenaline of the situation."

Lysandra reached down to rub her leg, getting some blood on her fingers in the process. "Just a grazing wound from what I can tell. It doesn't hurt that bad. I think we were lucky. If he had another second, he would have bitten harder."

Praxis smiled at her. "We've had a lot of luck in this ordeal so far. I'm hoping it doesn't run out any time soon."

Lysandra didn't look so sure. "I don't know, Praxis. We still have one more trial."

"That's assuming we can get this big guy home," joked Praxis. "Come on, we might be able to get back before nightfall if we hurry."

The journey back to the village was much harder than the journey into the valley. For one, the wolf weighed just over a hundred pounds. Praxis was able to carry it on his back but only for so long before he needed rest. It also meant that Lysandra had to carry both their shields, packs, and weapons, which was a burden to her as well.

Long before they reached the village, Praxis switched to dragging it behind him, and it was in this way that he made it to Demetrios' house by nightfall.

Rastus was the first one to see them. He started waving his hands in the air once he saw what was behind them.

"I recognize that male!" he said with excitement. "That's the one that's been plucking from my flock all year! You finally got him. How?"

"With a little bit of help from my comrade here," said Praxis, jerking his head toward Lysandra. "It wasn't easy though."

"I'll say! Let me tell my grandfather that you're home!"

Demetrios gave a loud holler when he saw the body of the wolf. In fact, most of the elders did the same when they saw it too.

"How did you two...?" asked Lasos, the father of the rescued Dirce. "You two must have powerful gods protecting you!"

Even Medios seemed to be amazed as he gazed at the wolf, though Orcus still pretended like it was no mean feat.

"I'm beginning to wonder if you two are made out of sterner stuff than I previously imagined," admitted Medios. "Two tasks have been completed with only one more to go. You surely have proven a lot of people wrong."

"Medios, why don't we excuse them from the final task?" asked Lasos. "They've proven themselves to us and the rest of the village. I vote that we allow them to stay!"

There were similar cheers that echoed up from the other elders while Orcus gave out a loud rebuttal (though he wasn't technically an elder).

Medios only shook his head. "No, the trials are a sacred procession to our village. Once they are started, they must be completed. For now though, we'll allow you to get your rest for the night. We'll be back tomorrow with your third and final task."

Praxis nodded his head, as did Lysandra. Before Medios could leave though, he issued one final warning.

"Don't let your pride get the best of you, Praxis," he advised. "Just because you've completed two tasks doesn't mean that the third one will be easy. Expect the worst tomorrow."

Praxis raised his chin. "We'll be ready. I promise you that."

*****

"Well, it's not much but it'll do for now."

Cypselus couldn't have been more accurate, especially as Agemon looked around the dainty, old house. One wall inside was nearly falling down while another had a giant crack running through the center.

It wouldn't be fit to be a low-status brothel in Corinth but then again, they weren't in Corinth any more.

They were in Athens. Ever since Corinth's fall to the Spartans, Cypselus and his family, alongside Agemon and Cora, had made their way east looking for safety. They didn't stop at Megara, which was the favorite stomping grounds of the last king of Corinth, but instead they continued until they came upon the great city in the heart of Attica.