Runaway Train | p. jackson

Chapter three; The safe haven isn't so safe

The safe haven isn't so safe

________________________

Chaos. It was the only word that could describe what had happened on the crest of the hill.

Thali was halfway up the hill—not close enough to help. She'd been tasked with sneaking past the bull and running down to the valley for reinforcements.

The bulls moved deadly fast for something so big. Its metal hides gleamed in the sun. It had fist-sized rubies for eyes, and horns of polished silver. When it opened its hinged mouth, a column of white-hot flame blasted out.

"Hold the line!" Clarisse ordered her warriors.

Unfortunately, at that moment, the other bull lost interest in Annabeth. It turned, wheeling around behind Clarisse on her unprotected side.

"Behind you!" Percy yelled. "Look out!"

Marnie felt helpless as she moved slowly waiting for Annabeth to tell her to run.

It was clear that he shouldn't have said anything, because all he did was startle her. Bull Number One crashed into her shield, and the phalanx broke.

Clarisse went flying backwards and landed in a smouldering patch of grass. The bull charged past her, but not before blasting the other heroes with its fiery breath.

Their shields melted right off their arms. They dropped their weapons and ran as Bull Number Two closed in on Clarisse for the kill.

"MARINA! RUN!" Annabeth yelled at her hoping that the bulls would be too distracted to notice her.

Marnie took off, running as fast as she could.

"Let me go!" She could hear the battle going on around but Thali tried her hardest to concentrate. "Percy, curse you!"

"Run, house, help."  She muttered the plan softly.

She was on the inside slope of the hill now, the valley of Camp Half-Blood directly below—the cabins, the training facilities, the Big House—all of it at risk if these bulls got past.

Marnie could feel the ground shaking beneath her. Her legs started to burn but it wasn't because she'd been running too long. A bull had noticed her and decided that Marina Grace Alonso Saint Auclair was its new fixation.

She quickly leapt to the side grunting as she hit the ground. "No, no, no." She mumbled as the bull prepared to charge.

She took a deep breath standing tall waiting for it to get closer. Once it was a few feet away Marnie ran at it at fullback speed leaping onto its snout and used its horns to propel herself to the other side of the bull.

She was quickly yanked away from the bull before it could realise what had happened.

"Are you insane?!" Clarisse held her up before pushing behind a tree when the bull turned to them.

Annabeth shouted: "Tyson, help him!"

Marnie turned to see Percy lying at the foot of a tree a bull charging for him. "Percy!"