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Odysseus woke up slowly, shocked he was waking up at all. He thought Penelope had killed him. His entire body ached, and when he finally managed to sit up and look over himself, he found that he was naked and covered in wounds. His left side in particular looked as though someone had dumped a full pot of hot oil over his shoulder.
He prodded it a little, only to flinch and look around instead. He appeared to be in some sort of… barn. There were no animals inside it, just empty stalls.
Where was he?
The door opened, and Odysseus squinted at the small figure silhouetted against the morning sun. They stared at him for a moment, then walked in fully and shut the door behind them.
It was a girl, maybe five or seven at the most, holding a basket, who didn’t seem nearly as concerned as she should have been after finding a wounded naked man in a barn. Odysseus ignored his various burns, bruises, and cuts long enough to press his legs together and pull them up toward his chest, having nothing else to cover himself with.
The girl looked him over for a moment, eyes lingering on the burn on his side, then said, “You were a dog before.”
Odysseus had no answer for that.
“I… was?” he asked, bewildered.
She nodded gravely.
“You were a monster dog when you first ran in here. You were hurt pretty badly too. Are you a monster dog normally?”
Odysseus mutely shook his head. The girl frowned as if she didn’t believe him.
“So you’re a man, normally?”
“I am. My name is Imbrus. Can you tell me where I am?” Odysseus asked.
The girl eyed him suspiciously, then said, “My family’s barn. Why are you here?”
Odysseus had no idea. He was supposed to be dead. He was-
Penelope. Gods. If he’d somehow turned into some monster and made it all the way out here after she’d slit his throat-
“Are we in Ithaca?” he asked, barely keeping the panic from his voice.
“Yes. Are you supposed to be in Ithaca?”
Odysseus nodded and shifted his weight a little, flinching when the movement pulled at his wounds. What had happened to him? Why was he hurt?
The girl watched him for a moment, then nodded to herself. She set her basket on the floor and opened it, revealing a thick blanket and several bandages that she laid out in front of her. There was also a large bone that looked like it had been long stripped of anything edible.
The girl caught his confused look and shrugged.
“Dogs like bones. I figured it might make you like me enough to let me try and treat you.”
She solemnly offered him the blanket, which he took, and as quickly as he could wrapped it around his hips. The girl stared at her bandages until he stopped moving.
“You’re not bleeding much, but the burns look icky. Did you run through a kitchen?” she asked, picking up a bandage and offering it to him.
Odysseus took it and began slowly wrapping his arm.
“I don’t remember,” he admitted.
“Well, you did something, because the Queen is all upset about some big monster running around.” The girl crossed her arms and frowned disapprovingly at him. “You shouldn’t go through other people’s houses even if you are a monster dog.”
Odysseus accepted her criticism with a bow of his head. Penelope was alive. He hadn’t- whatever had happened, he hadn’t killed her, and she was well enough to make some sort of announcement regarding whatever he’d become.
Why was he human again? Why was he still alive? Was it Ares’ doing? And if so, why? Nothing made any sense, and Odysseus wasn’t sure what to do or think.
He focused on wrapping his wounds. That, he could do.
“Are you going to become a monster dog again?” the girl asked.
Odysseus paused, then shrugged his mostly-unharmed shoulder.
“I don’t know. I hope not.”
“You should go pray for protection! We have a temple near here that my mom visits! That could help!”
The little girl was almost bouncing with excitement.
Odysseus considered letting her down gently, before a thought occurred to him. If he was going to get any sort of answer, it would be from the gods. Perhaps, there might be a way to get Ares’ “gift” removed. It hadn't worked in the past, but maybe, with whatever this newest escalation was...
“You’re right. Could you lead me there?” Odysseus asked, and the girl nodded happily.