I had to think fast or the guy would kill me. I scan the area, and I see it, the arrow that deflected against the skeleton is laying in the snow. I need to dodge him, grab it, aim, and shoot. But would I really be able to shoot another human?
We circled around each other, I tried to go around as much so I could step back and grab it. I finally got right behind it, dagger still up, I slowly shuffled back, knelled and quickly picked it up, putting it in my quiver.
The boy stops, and puts his sword away.
"Shoot, go ahead." He says, opening his arms.
"What?" I say.
"I said shoot."
"I - you're not armed!"
"Oh really? Try me." He says flashing a smile.
If they tempt you, decline..
"No." I say. Lowering my bow.
"Come on, why not?" He says.
I put the arrow back, and sling my bow over. I walk up to the guy.
"Why don't you kill me?" I say smirking. Faster than lightning, he pulls his sword out and stabs me through the stomach.
I don't flinch, or wince. His face goes from satisfaction to horror.
"I'm immortal." I say, taking the sword by the handle, and pulling it out, my wound fades.
"Are- are you a hunter of Artemis?" He asks shocked.
"No, I am half gorgon." I say, passing his sword back to him.
"Nice blade, my name is Vera." I say.
"Thanks, Nico." He says pulling his hand out to shake.
"I wouldn't do that if I was you." I say.
"Why?" He asks.
I pick up a branch, and focus all my energy on it. He gasps. The branch turned to stone.
"That's why." I say.
"But you can control it, I didn't turn to stone when you looked at me, we could use you in wars, you could be a great weapon and-"
"I'm nobody's weapon." I growl. I strap my dagger back, and walk away, the barrier has disappeared and I can leave the forest. The bell rings, its time for sword fighting. Great. I can't even pick one up.
"Hey wait up!" Calls the boy.
"What?" I say.
"I'm sorry, I don't really know how to talk to people. They tend to avoid me." He says.
"Why?"
"I'm a child of Hades, also called the death king."
"Well death king, my best friend is also a child of Hades."
"Alex?"
"Yes." I reply.
"What do you have next?"
"Sword fighting." I huff.
"Same, want to be partners, I can teach you."
"Sure." I say.
This will be a scandal, gorgon friends with death king.
***
I wipe the sweat off my forehead. Sword fighting is hell.
"Come on Vera, stronger and faster, you use the same muscles to pull back an arrow you're just denying it."
"No you don't!" I retort.
"Ugh, you're impossible." He says. The bell rings, lunch time!
I put the sword I was given away, and walk to the dining hall.
"You did good, you almost chopped my ear off." Said Nico. I let out a laugh, and people stare, I just ignore it.
"See you later, what do you have after lunch?"
"Swimming, you swim in January?" I say.
"No, in the winter swimming is switched with music with Apollo, good luck with that, its really boring. I have tree climbing, joy." He said. I laughed at his sarcasm. He was so much like Alex. I sat down at my table, but this time it wasn't empty. A blonde guy with crazy blue eyes was there, and a girl, black spiked hair, and also intense blue eyes sat there eating. I sat down awkwardly.
"Oh hey, you're Vera?"
"Yeah." I say smiling faintly.
"Good, we need to talk to you." Says the girl.
"Ok?" I say, biting into my chicken pannini.
"We don't belong to this camp, we belong to Camp Half Blood. We were sent here to find you, there is a-"
"Prophecy, yeah, I know." I said harshly. Thanks for reminding me for the billionth time.
"You have to go back with us." Says the girl. I'm really pissed off, why do I have to be thrown around like this. My fists are clenched, and the fork I'm holding turn to stone.
"Woah, that's so cool." Says the guy.
"No its not." I say, avoiding eye contact, in case the fork becomes him.
"Why not?! You can turn things to stone like Midas can turn things to gold!"
"Can you shut up! No I cant, you don't knows anything, you don't know what its like to be a, a a monster!" I growl. I get up, and walk out of the pavilion, my hair curling around me.
Someone screamed, "Her hair!" I look down, and it wasn't curling, it was moving. I had snakes for hair. I ran away, as fast as I could.
