Rachel was running for her life. She raced through the trees, leaping over stray rocks and branches. She felt as though she had been running forever, but she knew that she needed to protect the bundle in her arms. Behind her, she could hear shouting, and the slashing and clanking of celestial bronze. Her armor felt heavy and cool against her skin, and she felt as though her heart was trying to jump out of her chest. The gentle sound of rushing water told her that she was nearing the stream, and as it came into view she slowed down, panting. Keeping the bundle secure in one arm, she pulled out a map of the camp and shook it open, hoping to figure out where exactly she was. I hope I'm not too late, she thought.
Bright morning sunshine managed to find its way through the branches overhead, leaving the map covered in bright white spots. She looked around to make sure that she was still alone, and then she squatted down, concealing herself between the trees and the river. Rachel squinted, turning the paper around until she was able to get her bearings. She was still a mile away. Sighing, she bunched the map up and shoved it back into her jeans pocket. As she stood back up, she heard a noise behind her, and quickly spun around, drawing the bronze dagger Percy had given her. She watched wordlessly as a squirrel darted across the forest floor and scampered up a tree. Laughing quietly to herself, she turned back around only to hit something solid and immovable. She retreated quickly, her heart sinking when she felt the tree at her back, and could only watch as he snickered to himself.
"Did you really think you could hide from me?" he said tauntingly, his blue eyes cold beneath his helmet. He pulled his sword out, and the sound of metal against metal sent a chill up her spine. "That you could beat me?" He angled the blade towards her and she quickly brought her dagger up in defense, the clang echoing through the trees. He gave her a small smile and then forcefully twisted his sword, catching his blade on the hilt of her dagger and flinging it out of her hands. "Now hand it over," he declared with a stony voice, reaching for the bundle in her arms.
Rachel watched the demigod's guard fall as he stretched his arm out, his sword lowering slightly in the other, and when he was in position, she brought her leg up as hard as she could and kicked him in the knee. He stumbled and growled in pain, giving her an opening. She dived to the ground behind him and snatched up her dagger, and then she placed it against his throat. "I believe I win," Rachel said with a smirk. She reached down and grabbed the purple scrap of fabric from his belt. At that moment the rest of her team burst through the woods, and she handed off the flag to Connor Stoll, who quickly sped off towards the base.
"Well you did learn from the best," Jason said, sighing as Rachel released him from her hold. He sheathed his imperial gold sword and removed his helmet, his blue eyes twinkling.
"I don't know that I'd say that," Rachel said teasingly. In all honesty, he probably was the best trainer she could have had. After the war with Gaea, she had realized just how badly she needed to learn how to fight. Being a part of the demigod world had seemed magical at first, and it had been exactly the escape she was looking for. She knew that being the oracle was a huge responsibility, one that would put her in danger, but it hadn't seemed real to her. Even the war with Kronos hadn't scared her, since she saw it as a freak occurrence. A rare event for her lifetime. But when the war with Gaea happened, it finally hit her- she was never going to be safe. No matter how many times they killed the bad guy, they would always come back. There would always be another. She decided then and there that she would learn to use a sword, to fight and protect both herself and the family she had found. Everyone else had been wary of teaching her to fight, for fear of injuring her, but Jason had no problem helping her. Even though she wasn't as fast or strong as the other demigods, she still managed to hold her own during a fight, and after a few months, they had begun inviting her to participate in capture the flag. Rachel found the battle tactics interesting, and she was much happier interacting with the rest of the campers rather than hiding in her cave. Today was the first time that she had managed to help her team win, and she was immensely proud of herself.
Jason frowned, holding his hand to his chest in mock pain. "You mean that I'm not an excellent swordsman?" He turned away from her, a twinkle in his eye. "I guess that means no more sparring practice for you". He began to walk back towards camp, and Rachel quickly caught up with him.
"I guess I'll just have to find a new partner, someone that can't be taken down by a mere mortal's kick," she said, barely holding back a laugh. She reached up to comb her red hair out of her eyes, and suddenly felt a bout of dizziness. Her steps slowed, and she leaned against a nearby tree for support, breathing heavily. She looked up to see Jason hurriedly making his way back towards her, and she realized that she couldn't hear his steps nor his voice, though she realized he was calling her name by the way his mouth moved. She tried to step towards him, and felt a bolt of pain in her head. Another jolt quickly hit her, and soon the waves of pain were unbearable. Her vision swam, and the last thing she saw was the panic on Jason's face before darkness consumed her.
