Anti-Hero || Leo Valdez

25 - Moar Scary Snek

Via screamed as not one, not two, but four dracaenae came charging into the house.

They each had weapons but almost identical armor. The first one wielded dual blades, the next one had a spear, the third one fought with a trident and a net, and the last one held a huge sword.

"I am Janisssss of the Dracaenae," said the one holding the spear. She seemed to be the leader. "We are here for the one with the Sssssun Wrath."

"Yeah, uh..." Leo raised his hand. "You got the wrong house. There are no Sun Wraths here." He looked at Via. "Do you see any Sun Wraths? Cuz I don't. Nope, not a Sun Wrath in —"

"Sssssilence, sssssmall one!" Janisssss snapped. "We know exsssssactly who to look for. Our massssster told usssss that she isssss already in the perfect condition to be harvesssssted." She pointed her spear at Via. "We know she is the one we are looking for. Our ssssscoutsssss have alerted usssss of her progressssss and her arrival here."

"Scouts?" Via repeated. "What scouts?"

Janisssss let out a hissing laugh. "You discovered one in Cccccincccccinnati. We were worried she'd blown her cover. But you thought she was a normal sssssnake."

Via remembered the striped snake instantly. She thought she'd been crazy thinking is was in league with Python, but it turned out her suspicions hadn't been far off.

"I should've known," she grumbled. "Stupid snake."

"Do not insssssult usssss!" Janisssss warned, glaring. "Come with usssss peacccccefully, and we will spare the short demigod."

"Hey!" Leo protested. "I'm not that short! I'm five foot six!"

"The average height of adult human males is five foot nine," Via told him. "So technically —"

"Whose side are you on?"

"I'm not picking sides, I'm just relaying information!"

"You just agreed with them!"

"Because they were right, Leo!"

"Enough!" Janisssss shouted. "Ssssspirit of the Sssssun Wrath, come with usssss and we will ssssspare your ssssstatissssstically short friend and the mortal who livesssss here."

"And the dog," added the dracaenae to Janisssss' right, the one with the trident.

Janisssss shot her an unimpressed look. "Sssssabrina, what have we sssssaid about interrupting?"

Sssssabrina frowned. "What? The dog wasssss cute!"

"She isssss pretty cute," agreed the dracaena with the dual blades.

"Not you, too, Agnesssss."

"I think it'sssss worth mentioning the dog," piped up the last dracena with the big sword. "Humansssss want to protect their dogsssss. It'sssss more persssssuasssssive if we throw in the dog."

"Ssssshut up, Casssssey!" Janisssss snapped. "All of you, ssssshut up! You're making usssss look ssssso unprofesssssional!"

"You're jussssst mad we're bringing up valid pointsssss," Agnesssss retorted.

Via glanced over at Leo as the snake women continued squabbling. He looked equally, if not more confused than she felt.

"Should we..." He hesitated, gesturing vaguely at the dracaenae, "You know, give them some space? I dunno, it feels wrong to try to take them down while they're distracted."

"Maybe if we just walk away slowly and quietly they won't notice," Via replied. She wasn't even bothering to lower her voice because of how loud the snake women were arguing. Janisssss was now prodding Casssssey in the chest with her spear in frustration.