Missing

Run

Thalia's POV

I could hear them chasing me. My lungs burned and my legs throbbed along with my pulse. It felt like an icy fire was racing through my veins but I didn't dare stop for rest. Their snarls were enough to keep my going. I spurred forward even more . Keep going it has to be here. Jason said it would be. I glanced over my shoulder to see glowing eyes fixed on me and foaming mouths snapping at my heels. I sprinted through the trees, branches snagging my clothes and scraping my skin. A trail of blood was running down my left cheek. I skidded to a stop nearly tumbling down a cliff side onto a highway. I spun to face the enemy. They had me cornered and I could see they understood my situation by the way their eyes glinted. I could either fall off this rather high cliff and get crushed by a car or eaten alive. Neither option sounded particularly great.

The leader, a large pitch black wolf stalked forward and snapped at my leg. I stepped backwards carefully, my foot slipping on loose gravel. I was right on the edge of the cliff. Think. Think. I glanced around trying to find some way out of the situation. What would Annabeth do if she was here? A glint from my bracelet caught my attention and an idea popped into my head. It was crazy and probably stupid but the last time it had worked. Yeah but there was snow. All you've got is rocks. The wolf in front of me growled deeply lowering itself into a crouch and getting ready to pounce. I tapped my bracelet and it expanded into my shield and just as the wolf lunged I leapt off the cliff. I closed my eyes not wanting to see what happened. I felt the impact of dropping onto my shield and heard the terrible sound of metal scraping on rock. I peeked my eyes open to see I was racing quickly toward traffic. Glancing over my shoulder i saw the pack that had been chasing me struggling to scramble down the cliff side. I had a head start. Good.

I shifted my weight barely dodging a car. Car horns were blasting as I skidded across the asphalt. I spun wildly before spilling out of my shield and feeling the ground dig painfully into my skin. Disoriented I scrambled to my feet collected my shield and began running again. This way I think. Please be the right direction. I sprinted towards a tunnel , the traffic having momentarily stopped. I leapt onto a car roof and bounded across a series of them. I needed to look for the service hatch. Making a jump from one vehicle to another something slammed into my side. Flying backwards I thudded into a car door my head and vision swimming upon impact. I was out of arrows, out of daggers, and all i had was my spear but it wasn't silver. I was completely unarmed and i was to disoriented to use my powers. Crawling to my feet I studied the wolves. Two were perched on a car, another stood  on a car hood to my right, a fourth and fifth were making their way through traffic. The sixth and largest was right in front of me.

Without wasting a beat it lunged. I stepped quickly to the right causing it to smack into the same car I had. I wolf pounced from one of the cars and sunk it's teeth into my shoulder. I cried in pain but using its momentum flung it off. Blood wet, and sticky, flowed from the wound. Another leapt forward but I kicked it hard sending it flying backwards. The leader had regained composure and attacked me from behind its teeth sinking into my calf. I lost my footing, inevitably falling to the ground. Instinctively, I used my other leg to kick the wolf clean in the muzzle. Wincing I limped down the road until I saw it: the service hatch. A new urgency gripped me and I bolted for the door. Flinging it open I hobbled into what would have been an impressive sight if I wasn't running for my life.

New Rome was sprawled out before me and I felt a small sense of relief but it was quickly extinguished by the sound of an enraged howl. Limping, I struggled down the hill towards a river. I was getting close to civilization where maybe someone could help. Scrambling forward I tripped over my bad leg. With a frown I crawled to my feet desperately making my way forward. Just keep moving. I splashed through the cold water and for a moment my leg was too numb to hurt. The wolves were in the water as well but I made it to the other side first. Now soaking wet and in pain I ran without any idea of where I was going. The lights of the buildings lit my way in the darkness. I fumbled along but I knew I was slowing down, I had no silver, I couldn't kill them. All I could do was delay my death. Slammed from behind I went toppling onto the ground trying desperately to find the energy to get up. Sweat coated my skin causing my wounds to burn.

My vision swam dangerously but I managed to get up. Swaying on my feet I nearly fell over again. Raising my hands I tried to form some sort of last ditch plan. I wasn't going to kill them, but maybe I could weaken them. My energy was gone but I had just enough strength to do a new trick I'd figured out. Focusing, I brought my hands back before making an exaggerated clap. The sound and force of thunder exploded from my hands with bits of electricity mixed in. The wolves yelped as the electricity nipped at them, but the worst part was their ears. The noise had been so loud a few of their ears had started to bleed. The force had buffeted them backwards giving me space to move if I had to. All of the energy I had left dissapeared and I collapsed to my knees feeling sick and expecting to die but nothing happened. The wolves were gone as  a loud howl echoed in the distance. He had called them back. I fell over onto my side exhausted and shaking. I needed to find help. Trying to crawl I inched forward on my elbows.

"Look at you crawling." A familiar voice snarled. Raising my head I could barely see a shadowy figure perched on a nearby wall. I tried to protest to do something but I couldn't. I was spent, I had run for miles on miles, more than a normal human would have been capable of. Now here I was weak and tired. My vision threatened to slip away but I fought it.

"Finish it," I growled. A rigid laugh swam in my head.

"Im not allowed. Sadly my boss has plans for you." His voice darkened drastically and his golden eyes suddenly appeared in front of mine. How he had gotten to me so fast after moments before being at the service hatch, I didn't know, All I knew was that he was here and tilting my chin up to look at him. His fanged teeth stretched into a smile. "I know exactly where your friends are."

My blood chilled and if I hadn't felt sick before hand I'm sure I would've now. "No, they got away."

"Hardly. I will find every last one of them and their blood will be on your hands. You failed to lead and their slow painful deaths will be your fault. You can try to find them, but I can guarantee you won't. " There was a rush of cold air and suddenly he was gone. My heart dropped and I could feel the devastating weight to his words as if I were physically being stabbed. The lights of the world around me danced in my vision. I sighed resting my head on the ground when everything dissapeared around me.