This is Who I Am

Chapter Nineteen

Leo, this boy is sooo annoying, yet his annoyance broke down the high and mighty walls that were built around my heart. It sounds sappy I know, but it's true. I don't trust him 100% but it's at a solid 95%, and we'll that seems to be enough. I haven't really told him everything about my past, like mom, camp, demigods, the wizarding world or the orphanage; but I did tell him about the years I was on the run alone. He doesn't know about everything I had endured, but he knows most of it. He trusts me enough to tell me why he was currently on the run, but nothing about why he was in this situation. He was a mystery to me, and I'm sure I was a mystery to him as well. It has been a month, yes an entire month with this elf dude and no monsters. That it a demigods dream. But I have a feeling this won't last very long. And it turns out that I was right.

We had stopped somewhere in Texas, we ate and rested up for a few hours. As we were breaking camp a growl came from the woods. I couldn't put my finger on what is was, the growl seemed very monster like; but I didn't know what it was. I put it off as I finished packing up, I heard it again, this time Dàsos did as well and started to growl back. I looked in the direction it had come from, but I didn't se anything. Suddenly I saw a flash of gold, the tail of a lion flickered back and forth. The flaps of impatience wings sounded, and a mighty roar sounded. I knew what was about to go down. I looked back at Leo, who looked confused and frightened.

"Leo, take my bag and run, take Dàsos. Now. And don't you dare talk back to me this time. You are in danger. Please. Go. Now." I tossed him my bag and took out my bow and arrows, as well as my sword. I heard a gasp. Leo. "Leo I mean it leave, before things get bloody and you get hurt. I promised when something attacks I would protect you. This is what I'm doing. Protecting. Dàsos take him. Now."

"I'm not leaving, not when you can get hurt." I payed him no mind, a saw movement in the trees. Two. No. Three. Three griffins. Leo has to leave now. While he still can.

"Leo I do not care if you don't want I leave me. You need to leave. Climb a tree for all I care, but you have to get away now."

Dàsos, this is the third time I have told you to leave. Do it NOW.

I can't.

And why can't you!?

We're blocked in, the weird lion bird things are blocking the path.

Crap, okay. Stay hidden, and protect Leo the entire time. DO NOT LEAVE HIS SIDE. Do you understand.

Yes. I do. Do not leave Latino elf boy.

Good pup.

"Leo, hide. NOW!" I heard Leo scramble, and just as he did the first griffin attacked.

It ran directly to me, beak open, ready to rip my flesh. Just when it was about to him me inside stepped and sliced its head clean off. The second and third charged at me one over head and the other ground level. In one fluid motion i sliced at the second one and shot an arrow up at the third one. The arrow struck it in the eye, causing it to crash land into a tree. The second one had only been cut on the side, so it pounced and clawed my shoulder. With a grunt I got hold of my daggers and stabbed them into the hide of the griffin, causing it to go stiff and turn into a shower of gold dust. The final griffin recovered for the crash into a tree and came at me. In a flash I had my bow in hand and four arrows stuck in its hide. Still it came at me with surprising speed. I stood there waiting for it to come, the beast gave a roar, and charged faster, its maul wide open. The closer it got the better chance my plan will work. It got into range, I threw my sword as hard as I could into the mouth of the griffin, immediately the lion/eagle creature was nothing more than a pile of golden dust.