Raina's mouth fell open as she watched Lance swipe his sword teasingly at a group a soldiers, a triumphant smirk on his face as he knocked them off their feet.

Raina's new ally narrowed his sapphire blue eyes and scowled. "You are acquainted with this idiot?"

Raina sighed. "I'm afraid so."

Raina followed the boy as he searched for a way through the soldiers, but the camp had erupted into chaos. They were surrounded on all sides. Drake emerged from his tent, his eyes locking with Raina's. Lance placed his hands on his knees as he stopped by Raina's side in an attempt to catch his breath.

"I leave you alone for like, five minutes, and you already get captured?"

Raina glared at him. "I was hoping I'd never have the pleasure of seeing your face again."

He threw his arm around Raina's shoulder. "So, you're saying my face is pleasant?"

Raina stomped on his foot, and Lance jumped back with a small yelp.

"Raina," the sapphire-eyed boy began, "I need you to escape. I'll hold them off in the meantime."

"Wait a second." Lance pointed at the boy's chest. "Who's this guy?"

The boy pushed Lance's hand out of the way but otherwise ignored the question.

Raina eyed Drake across the camp, her eyes drifting down to the sword that hung by his side.

"I'm not going anywhere without Antonio's sword."

"You must leave now. I cannot guarantee your safety if you don't."

Raina looked torn. While she still believed Antonio was out there, she couldn't help but fear the possibility that his sword might be the last piece of him. She also didn't want to put anyone in danger again for her sake. It seemed a trail of death followed her wherever she went.

"Don't worry princess."

Raina glanced at Lance, who had a mischievous expression on his face. "We'll get you your sword."

"You cannot be serious?" The boy asked angrily. "You will get yourselves killed."

As he fenced off a soldier, Lance poked at the boy's chest again, earning himself a look of disdain.

"How about you worry about your job, and I worry about mine?"

Lance grabbed the princess by the arm and dragged her through a group of soldiers. Raina ducked, just barely missing a swinging blade. The sapphire-eyed boy disarmed several men effortlessly and stared off at the pair. He sighed before following them through the chaos. They were as good as dead.

Lance charged straight through the camp, Raina on his tail. The sapphire-eyed boy fended their backs, and Raina watched in awe as he effortlessly defeated armoured Ladon soldiers. She wanted to help, but it occurred to her that she would just get in his way. Arrows whistled by their heads as they raced through the chaos.

"Lance," Raina gasped. "This is insane!"

Lance halted as a soldier cut off his path, towering above him in height. His eyes scanned his opponent, but their new, sapphire-eyed ally was too quick. He raced towards the man, faking left and spinning to the right, stabbing his target in the gut. His technique was flawless. The only other person Raina knew to be as skilled with a sword was Antonio himself, and she was starting to think the boy may even have surpassed her captain. It was obvious he had been training with some of the best warriors since he was really young.

"He's a real show off, isn't he?" Lance muttered.

Raina frowned. "I think he's very brave. You're just jealous cause he can fight better than you."

Lance scoffed. "And you just like him cause he's attractive and you've lived in the middle of nowhere for half your life."

Raina glared at Lance. "The middle of nowhere? I lived at the Order of Alton, known for producing some of the greatest knights in history."

Lance rolled his eyes. "And yet, here we are."

Lance narrowed his eyes at the approaching figure. Drake stood tall and proud. He didn't even have a weapon in his hand, and his armour was noticeably absent. Antonio's sword dangled from the belt around his waist. Drake may have been one of the greatest warriors, but Lance was certainly one of the best pickpockets. And he had what every great pickpocket had: a distraction. He smiled as Drake's gaze passed over his shoulder at the princess. Raina only returned his threatening glare.

Drake paced to the side, just as he had when he was fighting Antonio, watching and waiting. Except he didn't even make an attempt to move closer, even after a glint in his eye told Raina he had her weaknesses noted. It was as if he was taunting or making fun of her, and Raina knew she would just have to use his arrogance to her advantage. Raina gritted her teeth, charging at her enemy, her sword was inches from his bare skin when he dodged out of the way. Raina tripped on the ground before scrambling to her feet.

"Do you recognize that?" Drake sneered.

Raina's mouth hung open. He had done the same thing Antonio had done to her only days earlier when they had fought.

"I was trained by Antonio too, remember? He taught me the same fancy moves, the same way to block opponents. And if he taught you at all like he taught me, then I know every card in your deck and then some." He snickered. "You're in over your head."

Raina peered over Drake's shoulder. Her new, sapphire-eyed acquaintance had taken out the archers and was now fighting another group of soldiers. Lance has disappeared from sight. It became clear that was on her own in this fight. Never had she missed Leo more than right now. He would've had her back.

She took a deep breath. This wasn't a big deal. Her opponent wasn't equipped for a fight. It was just her life and the life of her peers on the line. Not to mention she was fighting an equal of the best warriors in the kingdom. No big deal.

She closed her eyes, thinking back to her lessons with Antonio. What had he always told them? Analyze, attack, and awareness. Cut down your opponent. She gazed into her opponent's eyes, and her heart throbbed at the familiarity. They looked just like Antonio's. Anger welled in her chest, and heat rose to her face. This man didn't know the honor of being a knight. He didn't deserve Antonio.

Then she saw it. As he circled towards her side, he was the closest he would get to her. His back was angled towards her, but Drake was still in a position where he had clear sight of Raina and could turn if she wasn't quick enough. It wasn't a good opportunity, but it was something.

Raina pushed her feet back into position, her eyes focusing on her target. Her knees were bent, and she sprung into action. She lifted her sword into the air over head and prepared to bring it down Drake's shoulder. Her heart swelled, but then she saw the victorious smirk on Drake's face. She hadn't been fast enough, and he caught her wrist in air. Raina struggled against his grip, but Drake was too strong for her to overpower. He twisted the blade out of her hand and threw her to the ground. Drake turned the blade in his hands, and not seeing it as valuable, tossed it out of Raina's reach.

He leaned over Raina, his foot resting on her chest to keep her pinned to the ground.

"Your stature gave it away. If your hips had been facing a different direction or your eyes not giving away the point of your attack, you might have succeeded," he stated bluntly.

Raina's heart raced as she struggled against her captor. Her instincts kicked in as the man peered down at her, and she grabbed a handful of dust and thrust it towards his eyes. Drake stumbled backwards and cursed under his breath as he wiped the dust from his eyes. Raina tried to scramble to her feet, but Drake kicked her in the gut, causing her to collapse once more. Raina yelped as he grabbed her ponytail and pulled her to her feet. The warmth of his breath tickled Raina's ear, and she could do nothing to conceal the fear that coursed through her body.

"When I'm done with you," Drake hissed, "you're going to regret the day you were ever born. You're going to wish you had died with your family all those years ago. He chuckled as he reached for Antonio's sword at his waist. "Give them my regards in hell."

A look of confusion crossed Drake's face, and any sign of arrogance had been swept away. He grabbed at his belt buckle, looking for something that wasn't there. Then something hard hit his head, and Drake was knocked to the ground. Lance stood triumphant, Antonio's sword in his hand.

"I bet you're happy to see my face now, huh?"

Raina breathed a sigh of relief. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't, but you're not ever going to hear me say those words again. Enjoy it."

Lance shrugged. "I'll take it."

"Now that the two of you are done frolicking around, I could use some assistance," growled the sapphire-eyed boy.

"Frolicking? I wasn't frolicking," Lance mumbled. "Who even says that?"

"Um, guys?" Raina's eyes widened and she pointed in the distance at another group of Ladon soldiers trekking in from the depths of the forest.

Drake rose to his feet behind them, rubbing the bump starting to swell on his head. "If you give up now, I'll make your death quick," he said, his voice a deep growl.

Lance held Antonio's sword to Drake's throat. "I think we'll have to pass on that."

Sapphire eyes kicked one last soldier away before turning to Raina. "There is no way we can fend off this many soldiers. Their uniform means they are the king's top troops, and we are still struggling with men from this one. Make a run for it and head into the mountains. They will not be able to keep up with their numbers, and it seems they're on limited supplies."

"Why should we trust anything you say?" Lance snorted. "We don't even know your name."

The boy's lips pressed into a firm line, and he hesitated before finally speaking, "Friends call me Reggie."

Raina and Lance exchanged glances. Lance had a bad feeling about him, but he was short on options at the moment. There was something strangely familiar about the boy in front of him, but he couldn't remember where he'd seen him before. Was it possible that he had worked for his father and hadn't gone to the dark side?

"What about you?" Raina asked.

Reggie shook his head. "It's foolish to worry about me. I'm quite capable of taking care of myself. You, on the other hand, need to leave immediately."

Lance slowly dropped the tip of the sword away from Drake's throat, allowing Raina to get a head start to the edge of the forest. He whistled before bolting for his horse as she emerged from the forest. He hopped on, pulling Raina on after him as the remaining soldiers, including Drake, scrambled for their horses. Raina glanced over her shoulder hoping to see that Reggie would make it to safety, but the boy had already vanished from sight.

They burst forward, and Raina nearly fell off the horse. She threw her arms around Lance as they made a sharp turn. The sound of hooves resounded through the forest as the Ladon soldiers gained on them. Drake rode on the healthiest looking horse Raina had ever seen, and it stood above all the rest. It easily outran the other horses and soon was galloping right behind Raina and Lance. The trees faded into rocky terrain, and Raina's eyes widened as she saw how high up in the mountains they had come. One wrong step and they could go hurtling down the side, never to be seen again.

Lance scanned the area, searching for an escape. Drake was steadily catching up, and Lance knew he had to do more than try to outrun him. He had been in tighter situations than this before, where Nero had him cornered. He had always been able to find a way out even in the most drastic circumstances, so why was his mind going blank now? His eyes landed on the cliff that lay ahead of him. He was running out of time before he reached a dead end.

The white horse nearly lost balance as Drake kicked her in the side. Lance tightened his grip on the reins, and Raina was suffocating him with how tightly she had her arms wrapped around his torso. Lance kept his eyes trained on the road ahead, a smile slowly spreading across his face. Sometimes a dead end is really just a bumpy escape route. He kicked his horse in the side, and she picked up her speed, leaving Drake in the dust.

"Um, Lance?" Raina's voice shook. "What are you doing?"

"I'm gonna get us to the other side of this cliff," he said matter-of-factly.

Raina's eyes widened in horror as she saw the deep cavern that filled the space between the cliff and the safe land across from it. "We're doing what? Oh no, I-"

"Do you trust me?" Lance yelled. Raina met his calm, green eyes. Her heart seemed to slow for just a second. Her shoulders relaxed, her breath came in smoothly. This may be the stupidest thing she would ever do.

"Yes," she sighed. "I trust you."

Lance's knuckles had turned white, and he kicked into his horse's side once more. He repeated his prayers in his head, hoping to God that he had gone to church enough times to make it to the other side. Raina's hands were sweating as she balled Lance's shirt in her fists. They reached the edge of the cliff, and Raina and Lance both held their breath as they watched the ground disappear from under them.

So in case you haven't heard, Friday is the new update day! This might change again, and I'm sorry about the inconsistency, but my schedule hasn't set itself in stone yet.

I hope you all enjoyed! Please leave a comment or vote if you have any questions or just enjoyed the story! Have a wonderful day/night depending on where you are XD. Thanks for reading :)