Hello everyone!

I'm back with another chapter! We're back to Eli's POV, and right now, he and Iskander are faced with a seemingly impossible task of stealing a shield from the Minotaur. How will they come up with a plan to pull this off?

Read and find out!

Talking to a Scaly God

Eli POV

September 2, 2010. Bismarck, ND

Mornings usually went like this.

Whoever was on night duty from 1-6 AM woke up the other person, and Iskander and I immediately started to pack our bags. We rolled up our sleeping bags, made sure we did not forget anything, and then left wherever warehouse we had crashed in to find a place with showers.

This could be in one of two places: a gym, or a truck stop. Of course, few gyms were usually open so early in the morning, and those that were would often ask for an ID card. We only went to those places as a last resort [since spending money to get a membership was a pain in the ass]. Fortunately, truck stops and some gas stations had showers for cheap, so we usually went to one to shower and freshen up.

Afterwards, it was breakfast. Sometimes we went to a fast food place, other times to a coffee shop that served pastries and croissants and other tidbits of food. I tried to make sure that I ate something healthy for this meal, mainly because the taste of fast food got old after months of eating it. Plus, if I was going to be as good a fighter as Iskander, I needed to stay healthy. After breakfast, we would either go to a park or a library, depending on what we felt like doing that day.

This same morning routine had little variation, no matter what city we were in. So after breakfast this particular day, Iskander and I went straight to the nearest public library to start planning our mission.

Based on what Iskander had told me, as well as my own research, the Minotaur was not a monster we would want to mess with. He was bigger than Iskander, stronger, and more blood-thirsty; plus, he was a skilled fighter, meaning defeating him would be next to impossible. Tavros had given us a small notebook with information about where the Minotaur was, what times would be ideal for breaking in, and a crude drawing of the shield we were to steal.

I myself was still shaken from our meeting with Iskander's older brother yesterday. Tavros was clearly a bad monster, and it was hard to believe that my best friend was related to him. Or that he used to be like him. However, I could now understand why Iskander was trying to get away from his past; his brother sounded like he caused nothing but trouble, and it was best that we be done with him as soon as possible. And I could tell that, no matter how shaken I felt, Iskander probably felt ten times worse.

"Dammit," he muttered, looking through the notebook Tavros had given us. "I swear I'll ring his fat neck for this!"

"What is it," I asked.

"Apparently, the Minotaur's currently residin' in a secret fight club for monsters," the cyclops explained, sliding the notebook across the table to me. "It's under a bar in some small town north of here."

"Monsters have fight clubs," I asked incredulously.

"Monsters pretty much have everythin' ya humans have," he explained. "'Cept office buildings, 'cause we don't like wearin' ties."

"Okay… good to know." I looked through the small notebook. "Well it shouldn't be too hard for you to get in, being a cyclops and all that."

"But there's no way I'm leavin' ya alone in that town with so many monsters crawlin' around! Plus, goin' in there to steal the shield by myself wouldn't be easy."

"No wonder so many demigods die on quests," I said, closing the notebook after coming up with nothing. "They're probably too busy trying to figure out what to do when a monster sneaks up on them and eats them!"

"Tavros is a-" Iskander muttered some choice words in an unintelligible language, growling and muttering to himself. I racked my brains, trying to think of something that could help us sneak inside without being caught.

"What if I disguised myself as a monster," I asked. "Like wore sunglasses and pretended to be a young cyclops or something?"

The cyclops shook his head.

"We may not be the brightest, but we're not stupid," he said. "Plus, ya smell like a mortal, and there's no way you're gettin' rid of that unless ya use magic."

"Magic," I asked, tensing a little at the word. "Like... the Mist? You have the Mist around you; can we somehow use it to disguise me?"

"Probably, but it'd have to be stronger," Iskander said. "The Mist only affects the eyes, and-" He frowned. "We don't even have magic, and I can't control the Mist, so there's no point talkin' about it!"

"I'm just trying to help come up with ideas!"

"I know ya are. It's just…" My friend rubbed his face, looking tired and angry and sad all at the same time. "I can't let Tavros get in trouble. No matter how much of a dick he is, he doesn't deserve to be blinded and tortured. But I can't come up with a way for us to pull this off without ya gettin' hurt!"

I nodded. "I understand." I looked back at the notebook. "And if we don't help him, he'll turn us in. Even if he doesn't know where we are, they'll be looking for you twice as hard."

"Yeah," Iskander replied soberly, getting up from his seat and stretching his arms. "We might as well go and get some trainin' in; maybe we'll get inspired or somethin'."

"Okay," I replied, grabbing the notebook and my backpack as I stood up. "Where's the nearest park-"

I stopped talking mid-sentence, seeing that my friend was frozen where he stood, his backpack halfway over his shoulder, and his mouth slightly open. I frowned a little, and for a moment, I wondered if this was a joke of some kind.

"Iskander," I said, walking over to him. "Iskander? What are you doing?" He did not reply, as still as a statue. "Dude, stop messing around. Let's go to a park and start training." Still no answer. "... Iskander?"

I reached out to touch his cheek, which still felt warm and soft to the touch. I also waved my hand in front of his face, but his single eye did not even twitch. But it was when I could not feel a breath coming from his nose or mouth that I started to freak out.

"Iskander," I said in a loud voice, tapping him roughly on the shoulders. "Iskander? Iskander, what's going on?!" I looked around, wondering what I should do; I couldn't just go to a librarian and tell her that my friend had turned into a statue. However, at that moment, I realized something else.

The library was too quiet.

There were no muffled whispers from other patrons, no faint humming of computers, no distant echo of books being scanned out… nothing. Dropping my backpack, I ran away from our table, down the nearby row of books, and gasped when I came out on the other side.

Everyone in the library was frozen now, as if time itself had stopped. Someone was frozen mid-trip, their books floating in the air in front of them. There was a crying kid being led away by his mother, but the boy's mouth was open in a silent scream. A librarian's hand was held up, frozen in place as he put a book back on a shelf. Everyone was frozen… everyone but me.

Or so I thought.

"Calm down before you piss yourself," a familiar voice said, and I whirled around to find the crocodile giant standing behind me.

He was not a giant now, like he had been in my dreams, but he still towered over me at an intimidating eight foot height. He had also ditched the skirt and staff for black jeans and combat boots, a white t-shirt, and a scaly green jacket that matched his own scales. He still had a muscular human body with a crocodile head, which grinned at me as beads of sweat rolled off his forehead and onto the floor.

"AAAUGH," I screamed, the noise echoing through the quiet building as I stumbled backward, falling onto the floor. How was he here? In real life! He was supposed to be just a dream, and to suddenly see him in front of me was both surprising and scary.

"Stop acting pathetic and stand up," the crocodile person snapped, frowning at me. "I'm here to talk."

"T-Talk," I asked, pinching myself to make sure that I was not dreaming.

"Yes, talk," he said impatiently. "Remember, I told you before that I had plans for you."

"But… B-But that was just…" I swallowed the lump in my throat. "T-That was just a dream, and… how are y-you here, h-how are you real-"

I suddenly flew up off the ground and the stranger caught me, grabbing me by the neck with a clawed hand.

"Is this real enough for you," he asked, his eyes seeming to burn with rage.

"Y-Y-Yes," I quickly gasped, and he gratefully let me go, setting me back on my feet as I wheezed for breath.

"Like I said, I'm here to talk," he explained in a calmer voice. "And don't worry about your friend or the other mortals; it's just a simple time spell." He held out his hand, and a glowing image appeared in the air over it. "Everyone in here is moving so slow that it looks like they're frozen. It should give us enough time to talk about your future."

"My future," I asked, rubbing my sore neck and looking at him with a wary expression.

The crocodile man grinned at me, lowering his hand as the image disappeared.

"Yes, Eli Anderson," he told me. "Like I said before, I have plans for you."

[][][]

"Okay, let me get this straight," I said, looking over at the crocodile man, who sat across the table from me. "You're Sobek. The Egyptian god of crocodiles, rivers, and strength?"

The giant from my dreams suggested that we sit down, and led us back to the table Iskander and I had been sitting at. My friend was still frozen, and I sat next to him, just in case the stranger attacked. I had no idea if he was a monster of some kind, but seeing him in real life out of my dreams had to mean something.

"Yes," he replied, picking at his mossy and nasty teeth. "Don't worry; you don't have to get on your knees and worship me or anything like that."

"I wasn't planning on it," I muttered.

"Though I would keep any and all disrespect out of your speech," he added, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I could snap my fingers and turn you into a pile of sand if I wanted to." He smirked at my subsequent flinch. "Good; you catch on quickly."

"But how do you even exist," I asked. "I thought there were just Greek and Roman gods, and that the Roman ones are technically alter egos of the Greek ones."

"It's better to no think about how we all exist," he said. "We keep to our own realms, and don't bother one another."

"Can I ask why you're here," I said. "What 'plans' do you have with me? How come you were appearing in my dreams?"

"I figured it would be easier to first meet you in dreams versus real life," Sobek explained. "You mortals are so… fragile, and I did not want to destroy your mind by just appearing out of nowhere."

That made sense. "Oh... Thank you, I guess."

"You're welcome. Anyway," the god continued, "I wanted to talk to you in person, since I realized that you probably dismissed me and what I was saying as fantasy." He slowly scratched the table's surface, leaving three gouges in the wood. "Plus, I wanted to see you for myself."

I shifted in my seat, not liking his tone of voice as he said that.

"I'm not gonna be your slave or anything," I said, frowning at him. "I don't care if that's how it worked in Ancient Egypt, but we don't play that way here in America. Just because I'm-"

"I don't want you to be my slave," Sobek interrupted, rolling his eyes. "I already have enough of those. No, I have something special in mind for you."

"What?"

In response, the crocodile man waved his hand, and a box appeared on the table in front of me. It looked like a regular lockbox, with a simple lock that one would find on a high school locker. There were a few minor dents and scratches surrounding it, as if it had been through a few fights.

And it was something I recognized.

"Recognize this," he asked.

"I, uh..." I shook my head, my hands clenching the chair's arm rests. "N-No."

The god simply stared at me for a few moments, and I felt a few beads of sweat appear on my head. He probably knew that I was lying, and now he was going to turn me into a pile of sand, or worse. However, I was relieved when he simply nodded.

"Looks like someone's in denial," he said.

I bristled a little. "I'm not in-"

"That wasn't an invitation for you to disagree," the crocodile man said, waving his hand and causing the box to slide across the table towards him. "The Kane siblings enchanted this to find whoever was worthy to train, but when it appeared to you a few months ago, you rejected it." My face blanked, my eyes widening with shock. How did he know all of this? "You're not just running from Social Services; you're running from who and what you are."

"I'm nothing special," I said quickly. "I'm just… trying to find a place in this world."

"In all the wrong places," Sobek said. "Do you think you're meant to live the rest of your life as a vagabond, playing hero and living with the likes of him?" He gestured to my friend, who was still frozen, but he had moved ever so slightly as time slowly moved forward.

"Iskander's my best friend," I retorted, now glaring at the god. "He's the only person who cares about me and the only person I trust!"

"Yes, I heard that little 'trust' spiel you said on the plane." My face reddened a little. "Though I don't recall you telling him that you've had conversations with an Egyptian god, yet you're mad at him for not telling you about being in a gang years ago?"

"Because… That's totally different," I said loudly, my voice echoing through the silent library. "I thought I was just dreaming the whole thing up!"

"So you're going to tell him after our conversation is over?"

"... I-"

"I thought so," Sobek said, nodding a little.

"I never said I wouldn't!"

"You never said you would."

"Stop that," I finally snapped, slamming a fist on the table. "Are you going to keep belittling me or are you going to get to the point of your visit already?!"

The crocodile man's eyes narrowed and looked straight into mine, burning with fury. It took me a split second to realize I was a goner before a blinding pain raced through my body, throwing me forward onto the table. My limbs writhed and wriggled around, and my mouth was open in a silent scream. Finally, right when I thought I would finally die, the pain died in all five of my limbs.

Wait… FIVE?!

I looked down at my hands, or paws rather, and quickly turned to find a pink tail behind me. I took a few steps forward, and it followed me. Squeaking with shock, I felt my face, finding a small snout and whiskers, and two large ears flapped on either side of my face. I was now a mouse.

"You know, I forgot how disrespectful you mortals could be," Sobek said, once again giant-sized as he reached forward and plucked me off the table by my tail, holding me up to his eye level. "But I also forgot how fun it was to punish said mortals when they upset me." He grinned. "Feeling 'belittled' now?"

"Schist," I tried to say, but it came out as a loud squeak, and my short legs kicked the air as I tried in vain to free myself.

"If you weren't of any significance to me, I would eat you right now," the crocodile man said, holding me inches away from his sharp teeth. I squeaked with fear, become more frantic in my attempts to escape. "You're lucky I've chosen you as my new host, but keep this in mind the next time you think you can yell at me."

He tossed me back towards my seat, the burning feeling returning as my limbs grew and reshaped. When I landed back in the chair, I was myself again, and I gasped for air as I felt my chest and arms to make sure that they were all present and accounted for. A quick look behind me showed no tail, and I could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"Wait," I said, turning back to Sobek. "Did you say 'host?'"

"Yes," the god explained. "I need a physical link to remain the mortal realm, and humans are the ideal choice. But I don't just choose anyone; only someone with lineage to the Pharaohs of Ancient Times, and someone that I find worthy in battle."

"I… I'm sorry," I asked, not believing what I was hearing.

"Apology accepted."

"I wasn't- never mind." I swallowed a lump in my throat. "So you want to…" I pointed at my chest.

"Inhabit your body," Sobek said, nodding. "You would be my host, and I would reside in your physical form until you die."

"So you'd take over my mind or something? Is that how this works?"

The crocodile man tilted his hand back and forth.

"It depends on the host's will. This human, for instance," he said, gesturing to himself, "I'm controlling completely because they have a weak mind. But your will is much stronger than his, so I can't fully possess you without your permission, though I can still inhabit your body and mind."

This is so messed up, I thought.

"And taking you over completely would be foolish," the god continued. "I would be stuck living the life of a homeless prepubescent child, and I want some excitement." He sat back in his seat. "I also want a follower of my Path, and I have chosen you to be that follower."

"Excuse me," I asked incredulously.

"People like you follow one of many paths of magic. One of these paths can follow that of a certain god, and others like you are currently following the Paths of other gods." He frowned. "However, none have elected to follow my Path yet, and I've become impatient. So, I decided to find a follower myself to train in combat and water magic, and I've chosen you."

I blinked with surprise at him, trying to process everything he was saying.

"... Me," I asked.

"You," Sobek agreed. "I want to teach you magic and help you follow my Path. And, since you seem intent on staying with your cyclops friend, I've decided to be flexible and use you as a host so that I can focus solely on teaching you, and so you don't have to go to any of the Nomes."

"Gnomes?"

"Nome, with a N. It's a place for magicians like you to study."

"Please don't say that word," I said, careful to not sound disrespectful or rude as my hands shook a little. "I'm j-just a kid, and you…" I shook my head, feeling my head for any bumps. "I'm not special, I can't do any magic, and I don't want to be possessed!"

"Are you sure," the god asked.

"Yes, I'm sure!"

"Even if I told you that I could help you with your little 'heist?'"

I looked up at him, and a smirk appeared on his face.

"The power you would be able to wield when hosting me is more than sufficient to help you steal a simple shield from Asterion," the crocodile man continued. "And I have several millennia worth of knowledge to help you come up with a foolproof plan. With my help, you'll easily defeat the Minotaur and get that artifact back."

"Okay," I said non committedly, careful with how I chose my next words. "But how do I know you're telling the truth? No offence, but what's stopping you from just possessing me now and doing whatever you want?"

"I could possess you now," Sobek admitted, causing me to flinch a little. "But again, there's no fun in that. Besides, I see potential in you; you've got the will and the drive to become a warrior. And you proved it when you faced those two giants in that convenience store. That level-headedness and fighting skill at your age… you could be great fighter someday, and I want to help you get there."

I could not help but feel a bit flattered by what he was saying, feeling confident and strong for the first time in a long time. I felt like I could do anything, defeat any monster, and I would be lying if I did not feel a sense of pride in my chest. But one look at the smiling crocodile man brought me back to reality.

"Why me," I asked. "There's over seven billion people on this planet; surely there's someone else that you could choose as a follower. Someone who also shows promise and skill."

"But I'm choosing you," the god said, and for the first time since meeting him, he actually looked at me with a kind expression [though it was hard to tell with a crocodile head]. "The other gods are content with having followers and no hosts, but I haven't had either in centuries." He hesitated, looking at his hands. "I'm technically not supposed to be doing this, but believe it or not, I miss having someone follow my Path." He looked back up at me. "And here's something you're not going to like; you're a magician, and the more you try to deny it, the worse it's going to get for you and your friend. You're going to need my help, whether you like it or not."

My hands clenched and unclenched, and a furious expression came onto my face.

"With all due respect," I said, trying to keep my emotions under control, "I think I'll have to say no. I've done fine without magic so far... and I plan to keep it that way."

Sobek stared at me, a steely expression coming onto his face. I braced myself to be turned into a mouse or a pile of sand, but it never happened. Instead, he simply sighed, waving his hand and making the box vanish.

"I won't give up so easily," he said. "I'm a predator; when I have prey in my sights, I'm going to get it. But I also can tell that there's no point in me trying to teach you anything until you accept who you are and truly desire my help." He got up from his seat. "But I am not completely heartless, so I shall give you three pieces of information. First, your friend was wrong when he said that the Mist cannot be used to disguise you from other monsters; you can use it, and it will disguise your scent as well. He has limited control over the Mist he has surrounding him, but I don't think he knows that. I'll jog his mind so that he... 'remembers' how to control the Mist. Second, there are two Greek demigods and a satyr protector coming for you."

I sat up at that second part. "Wait, what?"

"They plan on taking you away from your friend; they think that you would be better off in a stable home than running around with a monster." The god shrugged. "They're probably right, but I know that right now, you're intent on doing what you want. So, if I were you, I would go for the shield by tomorrow night and then take the next bus out of the state. But they won't stop, so if I were you, I would suggest Alaska; I hear it's nice this time of year."

"What do you mean," I said, standing up as well. "How do they know about me? Are they tracking me? What about-"

"Sorry," Sobek said, grinning a little. "You don't follow my Path, you don't get all of my information. But if you ever change your mind, just call."

"But you said you have three pieces of information for me!"

The crocodile god looked me straight in the eye, and for a moment, I could have sworn that he were looking at my very soul.

"The third is this: it's not your fault that your parents died."

And on that note, my world went black and I promptly collapsed onto the floor.

[][][]

"Eli?! Eli! Wake up, buddy! Are you alright?!"

I yelped, jerking awake to find Iskander hovering over me, now unfrozen with a concerned expression on his face. Looking around, I saw that I was laying on the floor, the general hum of the library once again present.

"Eli! Are ya okay?! What happened?!"

"I-I'm fine," I replied, sitting up and looking around for any sign of Sobek. The scaly god was nowhere to be seen, but I could have sworn that I could smell river water in the air. "Just... I'm feeling tired, I guess."

"Oh. I'll go easy on ya durin' trainin', then." A smile came onto my friend's face. "Eli, I just remembered that I can use the Mist to alter your appearance so we can sneak into the club! I don't know why I didn't remember this before; I think I remember using it once back in the seventies so I could sneak a snack into this one place, since dogs weren't allowed, and- Eli, what's wrong?"

"N-Nothing," I lied, quickly putting a smile on my face. "That's… great to hear. Now we can come up with a plan."

"Totally!" He helped me to my feet. "Need some water or somethin'?"

"Yeah." I grabbed my water bottle from my backpack, drinking some as I started to feel better. "I still feel up for training today; we're gonna need it, facing the Minotaur."

"Okay, but if ya get tired or somethin', just let me know."

"I will."

As we walked out of the library, my mind was naturally on other things besides the Minotaur. Sobek, the stupid lock box... my parents. The god had known so much about me, stuff I had never even told Iskander. He probably knew how my parents died, but as to why he said I was not my fault when it clearly was-

No, I thought to myself. Don't think about that. You swore you'd never think or talk about that day or magic or anything ever again.

Not even to Iskander.

So now we know why Sobek visited Eli in his dreams, and we now know that Eli is a magician like Carter and Sadie Kane, and at one point earlier that year received their magical box, calling potential magicians to their Nome.

What we don't know is why he's refusing to accept this part of himself and refuses to be the god's host. And how did his parents die, and why does he feel responsible? Only time will tell.

-aggiefrogger