Caesar vs. The Wall (CLOSED)

POV: Roxy Torres

I sighed as I stared up at the large towering rock wall. I preferred sitting in the infirmery treating patients most of the day then actually showing up for activities, but Chiron insisted I took a break from all that to work on my demigod skills. He was right, of course, I was nowhere near as strong or as fast as most campers. After the quest to Alcatraz, I found myself more at ease with the more physically challenging activities at camp, but the lava wall was on a whole other level. I watched as loose rocks tumbled down and dislodged campers from their initial position. They always manage to grab a hold of the wall before the lava could reach them, or at least do any major damage. I doubted I would be as lucky. As much as I got used to the whole 'near-death' experiences, consciously running at it just for the fun of it didn't exactly suit my tastes.
Come on, Roxy, it'll be fun! One of my half sisters had said when she took my place of Apollo medic for the time being.
I took another look at the menacing wall. The gurgling of the searing hot lava sounded almost like it was cackling at me. I gulped as I approached it, my heart pounding against my chest at an irregular speed. 123 beats per minute. I thought to myself, although I hadn't even been keeping track of my heart rate. I was about to place my starting foot onto the rock when I heard an OOMPH and the sound of something hitting the ground. I took my foot off the ground as quickly as I had placed it on there and turned my head towards the sound. A boy about my age laid crumpled on the ground as if he had been thrown off the wall. He was getting back up but I could see hand on his other arm, with a pained look on his face. Oh thank the gods. I immediately felt bad that I took comfort in the camper's pain but I couldn't help but be happy that I could finally do something useful. I ran up to him, I hadn't seen him before around camp and I was usually shy with strangers, but it's like I was in a completely different mindset when I worked on healing.
"Hey, are you okay?" I asked him, crouching down and lightly touching his arm, trying to figure out what kind of injuries he had.
(tell me if it's just a bruise or he broke his bone or something, I'd rather not make the decision for you haha)

"I-I.... you did?" I blurted out, shaking his hand with my sweaty palms.
The façade that I had put on just moments ago fanished and I again became the blundering, anxious, apollo girl that put too much thought into what others said. Instant panic rose up my throat when Caesar had mentioned hearing about me. People talk about me? What do they say? Don't be stupid, Rox. I thought to myself. he obviously didn't mean anything bad... did he?
"Oh, um. What might that be?" I said, hoping my tone didn't turn out sarcastic. I was genuinely curious. Maybe too curious then I should be.

I sighed, he seemed truthful in his word so I let myself relax a bit. He also seemed brash in his actions, but he was friendly enough to trust.
"Yeah I might have." I said, chuckling nervously at the sunlight comment. "I don't think my dad would like that very much, though."
Come out. His voice repeated itself in my head.
"Oh... I'm no good at running." I explained. "I don't 'got' much in that field. I wish I did, I really do." I tried my best to be charismatic, but it was hard not to reveal how useless I can be when it comes to these activities.
He had his eyebrows raised expectantly.
"Really, racing isn't a good way to determine what I got. Anything else. Except maybe public speaking. Or break dancing." I bet I could list off a lot more but I didn't want to seem too picky.
"But if you really want to I guess I can try racing." I blurted out quickly.

My face turned red.
"I knew that. Did I tell you that climbing isn't in my field of expertise either?" I tried to turn the attention away from my miscommunication.
"But, uh. I was going to try it out anyways." I admitted.
I can't avoid doing this forever. I thought as I studied the rocks. I was originally going to try to figure out the best footholds at my own pace, or at least the pace the lava allowed me to make. With the added competition, I had to up my game. If I had any to begin with.
"But I'm starting over here." I pointed to the far left of the wall, which seemed like the easiest, or at least there were not overhanging rocks I had to climb over.
I prayed to Hermes he might help me out over here.
"At least I'm not as bad as Fletch." I muttered under my breath, reminiscing on the last time the Apollo cabin was assigned to rock climb. Out of all the rocks Fletch could have fumbled over, he instead tripped over his own foot and almost took a swim in the lava.
"Alright..... ready when you are."

My hands fumbled over the coarse rocks. I tried to keep track of the footholds I had made a mental note of in my head as I began to lift myself up from the ground. I wedge my right foot in between a spacing between two rocks and my left on a particular rock that protruded out from the other ones, large enough for the balls of my feet to step over. My fingers curled over the rocks above and I could already feel them groan in protest as I gripped tightly, but I pressed on. I began finding new footholds and handholds and I began to steadily climb up, and pick up speed. I looked over to Caesar who still seemed further up than me. Adrenaline rushed through me at the thrill of catching up and I began to use the easy and numerous footholds to my advantage as I ignored the numbing pain on my fingers. I looked up to see how much of the wall I had left to climb when my vision was engulfed by a large boulder. I cursed loudly in surprise as I swung to the nearest footholds that were vacant from mean-looking rocks.

"Are you okay?" I called out, but I couldn't help but laugh a little in triumph as I actually became a fair competitor.
As I scrambled over the footholds I became more aware of my surroundings. I spent time looking down to place my feet on the correct footholds and whipped my head up towards the sky for falling rocks. A small boulder began to dislodge itself right above me. In panic I swung my head to the left, looking for a handhold I can switch positions to, so I wasn't directly under it. A rock stuck out an arms length away. I panicked as I searched for another hand hold, but the rock was closing it's distance in on me and I had no time left. I reached for the lone handhold. The boulder smashed against my other side.
"Oof!"
Pain shot up my side as the boulder threw me off the remaining footholds and handhold I was on, until I was swinging on the one lone handhold.
"Di Immortales." I muttered under my breath.
My palm started to get sweaty and I could feel my fingers starting to slip from the rock. I looked around, but I ran into a dead end when it came to crevices where I could place my hands or feet. I looked up and spotted it. A small dip in the rocks two feet above the only handhold I was holding on to.
There's no way you're going to make that. A voice appeared in my head.
Shut up, brain. I told myself. I had no other choice.
I switched hands so my right hand gripped the rock with refreshed strength and I dug my feet into the flat rocks. With all the little upper body strength I had in me, I pushed myself up so my arms were extended below me and I reached for the small crevice. With an extra boost I got a hold of it and I was able to tuck my legs over my old handhold and use it as a foothold. Before I could gloat to my skeptical brain I heard an ominous sizzling noise underneath my feet. I looked down to see bright red liquid flow under my foothold, threatening to melt off my only pivot.

"Caesar!" I called out to him.
There was no way that injury could have been minor. Best possible case, maybe a dislocated shoulder, but I was way too far away to do a proper diagnosis. I wanted to get off and help him but the lava pushed me forward, and I was forced to climb upwards.
"Uh, wait there!" I told him as I found my hold onto the rocks again.
The least I could do was get off of the platform he was trying to hold up, increased mental activity could strain him to much, and the least I wanted to do was burden him. I had to push my own weight around. I could feel the adrenaline pulse through my veins once more and I newfound strength coursed through me. Ceasar could have had dozens of dislocated shoulders in the past, but I made it my duty that no matter what, I could give others the quickest, most painless healing solution. I tore through the rocks as I saw Leo, my best satyr buddy, do countless times over. I calculated the length between rocks and jumped from one to another as I saw fit. Before I knew it, I felt the top of the wall. My eyes widened in disbelief as I peered over the top, but it was true, no other rocks stood in front of me. I grinned as I gave myself a last push over and on top of the wall. I could take hours just sitting there and enjoying the view that stretched over all of camp, but there was no time to waste. I climbed down on the other side, and ran over to Ceasar for further assessment.