Hi everyone! I'm so sorry it's taken so long to update! I've started work and between my love life, and then my lack of (not because I stopped it...), I've been swamped. I'm going to try and start updating again. Hope you enjoy :)

Chapter Quote:

"Half of being smart is knowing what you are dumb about."

~Solomon Short
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Chapter 11: Try Sassing Him Away

Silena

Phlegon had used his ability to fly to the fullest of his ability. He enjoyed soaring over the mountains and sight-seeing. He also liked to fly to the cities and get food. Surprisingly, he would always bring some back for the Jackson girl. It was as if he was trying to keep her healthy. Most captors wanted their prisoners weak and feeble. But with the chains that currently were around Silena's wrists and preventing her from using her powers, she figured Phlegon wasn't too worried about her escaping.

Little did he know that she was still trying to figure out a way to escape his clutches. The chains had an inscription on them that Silena couldn't read. Whatever language it was in, it was one she didn't know. It looked extinct to be honest. But surely the languages she did know had originated from it. Surely there had to be some similarity with Latin or Greek.

Silena studied the inscriptions day in and day out whenever the Eidolon wasn't around. She didn't want him figuring out what she was trying to do. And for all she knew, her friends and family could either be imprisoned, halfway across the world, or worse, dead. She tried not to think about the possibility of the last option... but regardless of where they were or what they were doing, they could be ages away from rescuing her, and she didn't want to wait any longer than she had to.

Silena stared at each character for five minutes individually, silently praying to have an epiphany. She mostly prayed to Athena to have some random bout of divine wisdom, but the only thing she received was a headache. With a frustrated sigh, she banged her head on the back of the tree she was leaning against.

Silena! Her brother's voice suddenly shouted, making her jolt awake.

"Luke!" she exclaimed in surprise, expecting him to be standing in front of her. However, to her dismay, her older brother was nowhere to be found. It was in her head.

Silena, for the gods' sake answer me! Luke's voice in an exasperated tone.

Luke? She thought. In the midst of all that had been going on, she'd forgotten her telepathic connection with her brother.

Oh thank gods. I thought something had happened to you because you weren't responding. He said.

How are you- what are you- where are you?

Yes.

That doesn't answer my question.

I don't have an answer to said question. But I'm acknowledging that you asked it. It's also a good question. Balthazar is preventing me from knowing. He and Hallie were talking about it, but he blocked me from hearing it. He's getting stronger.

Then how are you talking to me? Silena demanded, a small voice in her head telling her this wasn't actually her brother talking to her, but in fact, the Eidolon possessing him.

He's pretty powerful, but whenever Hallie starts putting up a fight, I have a bit of a reprieve and can escape his clutches. His mental wards go down or something.

Then why haven't you done it before?

Mostly because I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to kick him out of my body, but that didn't work out too well, so I'm figuring something else out. In the meantime, didn't realize I could still do this with you while being possessed, so, here I am.

You're way too calm for someone not in control of their own body and having their body being controlled by a monster. Silena said suspiciously

Oh, I'm freaking out. Majorly freaking out. Luke admitted. But I know if I focus on that, it won't help anything. So I'm trying to keep myself occupied with other things. Like talking to you. How are you doing?

I'm trapped in chains somewhere in the Tianzi Mountains. How do you think I'm doing?

I take by your sarcasm, not well. Listen, Bryn is on her way. I know that much. Balthazar is slightly panicking that she rescued Derek and Brady so quickly. She's moving faster than he thought she would.

Is Derek okay?! Silena inquired worriedly.

He's alive. That's all I know...

I hope he's okay... how's Hallie?

Silena could feel her brother's apprehension in answering. Holding up. She tries to escape every time she sees an opportunity, but Balthazar always catches her. She's a little beat up from it, but she still has that spark in her eye. If anything, Hallie's become more determined to escape. I try to take control of my body whenever he halts her plans, but I can never overcome him. I'm worried Silena. I think there's a more sinister reason he possessed me than just hitching a ride to take over the world...

What are you talking about? Silena asked sharply.

Maybe I'm just going crazy. Luke muttered.

Tell me. She ordered.

It's like he's zapping my strength. I feel more tired by the day. But I don't know why he needs my strength when he has it by possessing me. It's like he's taking it for himself. Eidolons can't manifest on their own, can they?

Not that I know of. They're just demons that possess people.

Thank the gods. I'd hate to see him in physical form... are you sure they don't have physical forms?

I haven't read anything on it. I'd call one of our grandparents to confirm that, but I'm in chains in a place that doesn't have service, and you're useless because you're being possessed.

Thank you. Thank you for reminding me about that. Her brother said in mock appreciation.

You're welcome. Okay, help me think. Has Balthazar got Hallie in chains?

Yeah. If you're wondering if he's given me any clues on how to open it, he hasn't. You're S.O.L. Lena.

I hate it when you call me that.

I know.

Jerk.

That's one of the nicer names you've called me.

I'm giving you a little bit of slack because you're being possessed. Think you could sass Balthazar out of your body?

I haven't tried that... it's worth a shot. I'm desperate. Skata... I gotta go. Kick Phlegon's gáidaros. You got this. Bye Lena!

Silena called out for her brother, praying he'd respond. But all was silent. With a defeated sigh, the Jackson legacy went back to staring at her chains, once more praying for an epiphany to hit her on what to do. She zeroed in on what looked like a very pointy nine. Something about it seemed familiar. She had once researched the evolution of the Greek alphabet in case she ever wanted to impress her college professors. It hadn't come in handy then, but it seemed like it might come in handy now.

Well, if she could remember what it stood for.

A pointy nine. What letter was that? She knew it was an early letter, within the first five. It wasn't C or E. So it had to be A, B, or D. Silena remembered A had been similar to what it looked like now, just sideways. So now it had to be B or D. The two had strongly resembled each other, but D went to the triangle, standing for Delta, so Silena figured the pointy nine had to be B.

If that one was B, then the second letter must've been 'l' because she remembered that quite a few letters in the Phoenician alphabet looked similar to their Grecian or Latin counterparts. The third and fourth letters were exactly the same, not just in their character, which meant they were the same letter, but also in the fact that they were like the letter 'l'. They looked like what they were, which meant they were 'o'.

Silena could think of only a few words that started with 'bloo', and the only one that prominently stood out in her mind was 'blood' because why would it be something pleasant like 'bloom'? And why were the Eidolons using the Phoenician alphabet to spell non-Phoenician words when some of the letters didn't even exist to spell the words in the first place?

She shook her head, deciding that any attempt to understand the Eidolons would only result in more confusion.

So the chains most likely needed blood to open them. Silena decided to test if her blood would work. Finding a sharp rock on the ground and taking a deep breath, she made a cut on her leg. It wasn't deep, but it still stung. However, ignoring the pain, she placed the chain cuffs against the blood.

Nothing.

Okay, so her blood wouldn't work. Maybe it needed the blood of the captor who put her in the chains.

Which meant she would need Phlegon's blood.

Which meant she would need to fight him.

Okay, she needed a strategy. She just needed to make him bleed. Traps could be used to distract him, or even make him bleed. But Silena would have to make sure that she didn't hurt Bradley too much in the process. Her friend was still in there. Bryn's brother was still in there.

Silena looked around for materials to build traps. There were rocks, vines, and trees. She could probably make some makeshift catapults that could throw rocks at Phlegon by the tug of a string. Silena wasn't much of a trap maker like the Hephaestus kids were, but she could make a crude, functional one.

Probably.

The Jackson girl set to work, gathering materials, and setting up different catapults in different areas, but all centralized to where Phlegon typically liked to sit. With a pull of the vines, which were hidden under leaves and other things that Silena tried to place inconspicuously, the rocks would be catapulted in his direction.

It took close to an hour, but she did finally finish. Proud of her handiwork, Silena sat down and waited for her captor to show up.
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Luke

"What were you doing while I was gone?" Balthazar asked the Jackson boy once he had Hallie subdued. "You were doing something."

"I mean, I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you," Luke answered. It still felt weird to be able to see and hear and feel almost everything he was doing while knowing he was not doing any of those things.

"You can't even control me."

"When you piss me off enough, you can. Like hitting my girlfriend."

"You have a point," Balthazar agreed.

"Did you just agree with me on something?"

"Yes I did. Don't get used to it."

"So can you guys only possess people? Or can you guys have physical forms?"

"Wouldn't you like to know the answer little demigod."

"Well yes, that's why I'm asking. And I'm far from little."

"Maybe that's why Bryn likes you. Because you're lacking in a lot of other areas."

"Excuse me?" Luke demanded indignantly.

"Being a grandchild of Athena, you're not the brightest chip off the old block."

"Well neither are you."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You've possessed the boyfriend of the girl who I'm pretty sure is the most powerful demigod in existence. You really think this is going to end well for you?"

"You haven't met my girlfriend."

"Amara?"

"Ah, you know her?"

"No, I've just heard talk incessantly about her to your other two minions. I'm sure they're just as sick of hearing about her as I am. I mean how special can she be when she's stuck somewhere she can't leave? I'm telling you, if it was Bryn, she would've been finding ways to get out of there to get to her family."

"She will find her way out of there. She just needs to come across a demigod stupid enough to trust her. Amara is very good at twisting the truth." The Eidolon was silent for a moment before adding, "You're worried Bryn is that stupid demigod."

"It wouldn't be the first time she made a deal with the devil to save our asses," Luke confessed. There was no point in lying to Balthazar. He could basically read Luke's mind at any time. There were very few things the Eidolon didn't know. Thankfully, the Jackson sibling conversation from earlier wasn't one of those things.

Yet.

"I've never seen such a loyal demigod. She's a special one. Which is why I would be worried if she was my girlfriend too."

"What's your girlfriend like?"

"Powerful. Confident. Beautiful. Clever. Every trait you need to take over the world."

"That's... nice."

"Wait until you meet her."

"Oh, I think I can wait. I'd prefer to never meet her if she's more powerful than you because you're already a pain in my butt. But what I can't understand is how the four of you are going to take over the world when there's only four of you."

"And here you demigods think you know so much."

"I mean it's not like you're the only Eidolons out here, so where are your brethren? Like why aren't they fighting alongside you?"

"They think we're insane."

"I can't help but agree with them. But this is coming from the person being possessed by the fake leader."

"Fake leader?" Balthazar snarled.

"You're not Amara, dude. She's the real leader. You've made that explicitly clear," Luke countered, feeling the rage of the Eidolon and wanting to placate him to avoid any punishment. It was another strange part of being possessed. Just as much as Balthazar could read Luke's emotions and thoughts, Luke could do the same to the Eidolon, albeit when he was strong enough to break through the mental wall the monster put up.

Balthazar seemed to calm down at Luke's comment about his 'girlfriend'. "Again, you're correct. You're a lot smarter than you let on."

"Don't let the blonde hair fool you."

"Well, I think this is enough chit chat. I know you're trying to figure out what my plans are, so I'm going to be quiet now. Oh, and I would recommend not trying to chat to Silena again. You might regret it if you do."
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All right, not much action, just a lot of dialogue, but I promised you guys I would give you insight on what is going on by those that are being possessed and being held captive. Hope you enjoyed, and I hope to update again soon!