A Mysterious Arrow

Chapter Two: Blood on Each Vein

    In Sparti, Greece lives an orphan girl with the strangest life. Unlike most, her orphanage had no uniforms but donated clothes, education was not provided, and not was a sustainable amount of food for growing children. But that didn't stop Cora from surviving. Her parents died in a fire while they were at work during The Second Greek and Sendarian War, which fortunately only lasted two weeks, leaving her orphaned. Her parents were always poor and the moment they got even the most average job, they perished. Since her orange never fed her, she had to resort to stealing. But she was no Aladdin. She didn't find joy in being a thief or a street rat, she hated it, but she had no choice, she'd starve if she tried to eat her morals. Early in the day, when she had stolen herself a Pear and started returning to the orphanage, she overheard Sendarian soldiers. Sendarians? What were they doing in Greece? Everyone knows they aren't welcome after the war. Cora threw the core behind her and listened in curiosity, but not in a spot where they could see her. "Find the girl, and bring her to Salyean. The Queen can't want any longer." the other soldiers nodded and they left north. Salyean was the capital city. Cora narrowed her eyes. Who were they looking for? After a moment, she got bored and left, her curiosity leaving her mind.

    Back at the orphanage, Cora was welcomed by her least favorite people. Twins. Harry and Micheal. They always picked on her for being a street rat, pulled her hair, stole her things, and made a ruckus outside of her bedroom window. "Well, well, Welcome back, Susan." Susan was her middle name, but also her mother's which is why she hated being called it so much."What do you want, Harry?" she said, furrowing her eyebrows. "I heard you're with the blue skins." 'Blue skin' was a derogatory term toward Sendarians that the Greeks invented. "What are you talking about?" Cora replied. "They're gonna send you back to be one of them." Cora rolled her eyes. "And why is that?" she asked, not believing him but she needed some sort of jest. "You've stolen from them. Like the dirty little rat you are!"

"Don't you ever have someone else to bother?"

"They're going to kill you, and no one's gonna care because we all want you dead anyways."

"Shut up, Harry!"

"I bet your parents killed themselves so they wouldn't have to be around you!" with that comment, Cora had finally had enough. She shoved Harry to the ground and beat him with every ounce of strength she had. Blood spattered on her cheek and pooled on her first. After the attack her wrist was bruised and her head was in pain. "Do you know what's gonna happen if you do that again?" The Head Mistress asked. Cora didn't reply. "You're going to be sent away to a troubled children's camp." Cora looked down but didn't say a word. "Since your parents are victims of war, I'm leaving you with a warning. But if this happens again. Bye-bye."

    When the night had fallen and Cora was in her bed, squeezing her stuffed pig, Misha while wincing every time a spike of pain shook her purple knuckles, her eyes opened when a burst of blue light came from outside of her window. She tried her best to ignore it, but when the rays got brighter, she groaned in annoyance and sat up. "You guys think you're funny-!?" as soon as she opened the window, she stopped. It was an arrow. Cora would have ignored it if it was a normal one, but no, this arrow had dark blue feathers at the end. A blue-tinted diamond blade, and a glowing blue stem. "What the?" Cora whispered picking it up. As soon as did, she felt like an axe was going through her temples. She closed her eyes in pain, and what she saw was devastating. She saw her parent's death, the second great war, Thalleous' death, and many more gruesome images of the hurt that Greece has caused. Suddenly, she woke up her forehead sweaty. Was everything that had just happened a dream? Cora wiped her forehead and look around her room. The arrow was on the floor next to her bed. Dang it. Cora hoped it was just a dream. She quickly got out of bed, shoved essentials plus Misha in her backpack, grabbed the arrow, and left. While speedwalking through the halls, Cora passed Headmistress. "Not going to get into any trouble are we, Cora?" Cora ignored her and kept speed walking out. She walked all the way to the closest river in Sparti and chucked the arrow in it. Cora looked back once before going back to the market to find (steal) something to eat. As her left foot hit the cobblestone, she jumped back. The arrow was laying there, laying at her feet. Instead of picking it up, Cora tried to ignore it, she stepped over it and kept walking. After a few feet, the arrow showed back up on the ground. "Wha-" Cora, ultimately, gave up and grabbed the arrow once more. "You're a stubborn little thing aren't you?" she asked it. Suddenly, she heard the voices of Sendarian forces again. "She's here. Find her." Cora could tell they were growing impatient by the minute. But for some reason, she still had no idea who they were looking for. Suddenly, she felt something or someone pick her up. She looked behind her and saw the Sendarian general picking her up by her bag. "Well, lookie here," he said with the deepest voice Cora has ever heard. "Oh, crap."