Chapter Three
Ariadne
The chimaera was a deadly monster ready to kill us. But then I heard a whoosh and the chimaera was staring surprised at the black arrow with a fletching made out of crow feather protruding out it's rear end. It rolled it's eyes as if to say why me? And promptly turned into dust. I stared at our rescuer. He had dark black hair almost purple, and large violet eyes and pale skin. In other words it was Ezra Nightingale holding a pure black bow. Arms out stretched reaching into his quiver of black arrows ready to shoot Echidna. "Not that easy. Son of Nyx." Echidna warned. Son of Nyx? The goddess of night, Gaea's sister? That's not possible, is it?
"Begone with you, Echidna." Ezra said quietly, notching another black arrow, aiming at Echidna. "Go ahead, demigod." Echidna grinned. Ezra let go of the arrow and it made it's way to Echidna. Then the arrow turned to black shiny dust. Ezra lowered his bow shocked. I glanced at Echidna. Her skin had turned into green scales and her eyes are pure black without any white. She is really the mother of all monster. Laughing evily, she placed her hand on the ground and a fully grown golden lion charged out of the crack on the ground which opened as Echidna touched it. A Nemean Lion.
Ezra was stilled in his shock state. "Ezra, looked out." I screamed. He shook himself in time to see the Nemean Lion hurling itself toward him. Trying to jump out of the way, he made a desperate sprang to his left, leaving his bow behind. But it was too late. The lion knocked Ezra into the pebble pile and Ezra lay still, unmoving. It is over.
Jason
Ezra was knocked senseless. It is seriously over. "Goodbye, young children of the sea." Echidna grinned evily. I grabbed Daphne's hand and squeezed "Sorry, for getting you into this." I whispered. She squeezed back "It's all right, I lead you out here after all." She whispered back. It is truly over. The lion prowled around, sensing victory and our despair.
Ariadne
The Nemean Lion made a humming sound like it's laughing over our fear. Then it leaped, claws outstretched. Once upon a time, I loved lions, now? I definitely don't! "Duck!" I shouted pushing Daphne and Jason out of the way and jumped to the left. The Nemean Lion looked surprise that its claw hadn't struck its target. "Go, my son. Kill them!" Echidna cooed. The Nemean Lion looked back and forthh between my brother, my best friend, and me. Guessing, that I will be the weakest, it sprinted at me.
"Run, Ariadne!" Jason screamed. I turned tail and ran. Suddenly vearing to it's left, the Nemean Lion made it's way back to Daphne alone, pressing her back against the wall of the school building. A voice in my head whispered Are you going to let that monster hurt your best friend? I nearly screamed with furstration and let instinct take over. I reached for my charm bracelet. Echidna grinned "How is a charm bracelet going to save you today, daughter of the sea?" I growled "It is going to, one way or another." Then I yank a charm off the bracelet. It was surprisingly easy. The charm came off like it was made out of butter. I glanced down at my hand. The charm I yank off was the seal, beautifully curving. Jason looked at me like I was crazy. "Daphne duck!" He screamed turning his attention to Daphne. But my best friend was rooted to the spot, fearing for her life.
I let out the scream of furstration and the charm glowed with green light and the smell of salt water walfed all over the courtyard. Which is crazy, considering that the ocean is 32 miles away.
"Ah... The power of the sea. Interesting." Echidna growled. Was I mistaken? But I heard a hint of fear in her voice. "Aridane" Jason pointed desperately at my hand. I stared. In my hand was a elegantly shaped greenish blue bow exactly the color of my eyes. The grip was golden. "Look on your back." He added. I felt my back and feel a quiver full of arrows waiting for me. Pulling one out, I examined it. The arrow's shaft was painted green and blue to match my bow and my fletching was blue jay feathers.
"Ariadne help!" Jason gestured at Daphne who was still was petrified while the lion streaked past me. Silently, I cursed. While I was examing my tools, the lion had ran a good 10 yards to Daphne. "Shoot an arrow!" Jason yelled. "But I don't know how!" I cried, frightened. Follow your instinct! The voice in my head urged.
Taking a deep breath, I nocked an arrow, aimed, and fired. The first one missed but I kept firing, for some reason the quiver kept refilling itself after I fired all of the arrows that was orignally there. But the arrows just bounced off it's thick pelt harmlessly. All my arrows are doing is just annoying the lion enough for it's attention to be focused on me.
"It's mouth. Shoot its mouth!" Daphne cried encouragingly. I nocked an arrow, aimed at its mouth, and let go. The arrow found it's goal and the Nemean Lion turned into golden dust leaving behind a thick coat. "No...!" Echidna screamed and with a falsh disappeared. "Well Done. Araidne Graceling!" Said a lyrical, soft voice. "Coral?" I whispered and then blacked out.
Jason
I was stunned that the whole thing happened so when Coral appeared I wasn't even surprised. Why couldn't she be part of this whole thing after all? But then Ariadne fainted and I rushed over. "Ariadne? Ariadne?" I shook her shoulder. "She's all right." Coral said. "How do you know?" I shot back. "She's just tired." Coral smiled. "You did well for the first time." She whispered to my sister. "Did well?" I screamed. "Do something to her!" "Jason, Ariadne is just over tired and shocked." Daphne touched my shoulder gently. "Hm... this one has the true sight, Daphne Marcos." Coral smiled. Daphne looked away "I had been seeing things for a long time. Seeing thing that I'm not supposed to see right?" She murmured. "Yes, not many mortals had been given the gift of thea true sight." Coral said. Then the bell rang. "The dance is almost over, we need to go before the other students come out. It will be too hard to explain why Ezra's head is bloody and Ariadne blacked out." I interrupted. "Yes." Coral frowned. "Ezra Nightingale, Son of Nyx or Night if you perfer." "Is he really the son of Nyx? The goddess of Night?" I asked. Coral stared at me. "It is hard to explain. Let's wait until your sister's awake and this half-blood is treated." She decided.
"Where should we go though?" Daphne asked worriedly. "My dad is at my house." She added. "My parents are not home. Let's go my house." I suggested. Coral nodded agreement. "But how will we carry these two? They are heavy." Daphne gestured at Ariadne and Ezra. Coral frowned and waved her hand in a circle and we disappeared.
I stumbled into the family room. And Coral, Daphne, Ezra, and Ariadne appeared next to me. "Whoa, how did you do that!" I exclaimed. "I'll explain later." Coral replied shortly. She waved her hand again and two twin beds appeared out of nowhere and settled themselves on the family room floor quickly with pillows flying from upstairs and blankets too. When the pillows and blankets finished arranging themselves, Daphne stared at Ezra and Ariadne pointedly. Sighing, Coral snapped her finger and Ezra and Ariadne was lifted magically from the floor and into the beds. "Why don't you two go rests too?" Coral suggested. I glanced at Daphne who looked like a living corpse. "Yes, we will." I agreed. "You can have Ariadne's room, or the guest room." I called to Daphne. She nodded wearily and lumbered off. I collasped almost immediately onto the bed.