Not Your Dog

Cry Wolf III

It is wrong to assume that one can fully tame an unwilling animal. It must be known that no animal will cooperate unless it is completely suppressed or provided everything it desires. Suppression will ensure the animal is always weary of you and will obey for the short term, however it also ensures that the animal will seek any way to leave and avoid the threat.

The difference in treatment Logan received from Regan and the Emperor made it clear which side he was more willing to obey. Regan had fed, taught and provided emotional support to Logan. I'm Logan's memories, Regan had been aloof yet generous. The weeks of torture Logan had been subjected to simply reinforced the positive image he held of Regan.

The Emperor had caged Logan. Had filed his teeth, clipped his claws and muffled his voice- completely stifling Logan. Logan was powerless to resist the Emperor's whims, even after being moved out of the dungeon.

The Emperor felt an odd sense of intrigue whenever he gazed upon his new pet. It was the type of intrigue that came from familiarity, but the two had never met before.

Logan's hostility morphed into numbness after three days. The Emperor had him remain in his chambers. The collar he had placed around Logan's neck was studded with a precious gem that prevented beast men from shifting out of there beast forms. Each day, the Emperor would take Logan for a walk through the imperial gardens. Logan had tried resisting at first. He had bucked and pulled and growled. His resistance was futile. If he disobeyed he received an electrical impulse. If he continued, he was knocked out.

Nothing would allow him to break free and so his eyes became dead.

After the fifth day, the Emperor removed the muzzle. The muzzle had accompanied Logan through all but his meals, and his meals were scarce in order to prevent him recovering all his energy.

The reason the Emperor had the confidence that Logan would not retaliate after the muzzle was removed was as simple as a the thought "a dog won't bite the hand that feeds it". It was a sour irony, and Logan no longer had the ability to comprehend this fact. He had almost completely devolved into his primal state- a complete reversal of the efforts Regan had gone through.

During the time Logan was kept in captivity, the Rebels has started moving. Things were running smoothly for the Rebels. Much smoother then any of them suspected.

"Commander, there has been no movement in the Imperial army. It can only be assumed that our agent is either dead or has managed to survive the torture without divulging any of our information. We have been unable to access any information regarding the missing agent."

Regan narrowed his eyes in anger. "How can there still be no information about Logan's state! It's been a month..." He slammed his fist onto the table and snarled at the startled soldier.

"Sir! It seems the Emperor himself has taken interest in the agent. Our spies lost track of the agent after the Emperor personally visited the palace dungeons."

Regan cursed. Logan was a dog he had personally trained. Regan knew best about how valuable Logan could be and how much potential he had.

When Regan had first seen the wolf pup, he had felt the potential of his bloodline. Regan didn't need to think to hard before he decided to rescue and train the wild pup. Logan had been cramped in a cage, his black fur standing on edge and his gleaming amber eyes mad with rage. The poachers hadn't realized that Logan was a beast man. If they had realized, Regan would have had a much more difficult time retrieving him.

"Logan is vital to our army! I need confirmation on his location ASAP. Get it done!" Reagan's voice snarled. Soon they would be attacking the Capital. They needed Logan's intelligence on the weaknesses in the military. Logan's instincts were usually a vital part of composing strategies as he had a natural and feral sense for danger.

Currently they were pressuring the Imperial army by cutting off the military's supplies. The surrounding villages had been evacuated and used as makeshift bases to hold the Rebel army. Regan predicted the Emperor would be forced to start a military campaign to solve the issue with supplies.

If it went according to Regan's speculations, the military would send forces and this would weaken the Capital's defenses when they wished to attack.

As the Rebel army underwent a mad scramble to make preparations for the anticipated struggle, Logan was lying at the Emperor's feet.

His fur was a black which absorbed all the light around him and this contrasted with his eyes that glowed hauntingly. Most had thought of Logan as a hell hound when they saw him. However the wolf with a ferocious reputation was lying quietly, as obedient as a well trained pet. His glowing eyes appeared dead, as though he no longer had a soul.

"Logan..." the Emperor said, tasting the sound of the name. The wolf's ear twitched in acknowledgment to the name. "You shall accompany Zhen as Zhen takes charge of the military campaign. Zhen is sure we will run into a few of your friends... You can introduce them to Zhen!"

Logan whined and sat up. The Emperor laughed as he petted Logan's head. He found it entertaining how "domesticated" Logan had become. Logan couldn't be bothered to shy away and instead fixed his fiery eyes upon the Emperor.

"Oh, you wish to speak?" The Emperor asked jovially. Logan merely bared his teeth in acknowledgement. "Pity... This Zhen doesn't seem to care anymore about the information you hold." The Emperor ran his fingers through the soft fur before ruthlessly slamming Logan back down to the ground.

Logan struggled meekly under the dragon's grasp. His thoughts became wild with panic. He couldn't help but experience the rabid worry for the one who had been his benefactor. He knew he was merely a pawn in Regan's grasp, but a single expression of kindness in his most desperate moment left a huge impact... Even though he was no longer the same Logan.